A GUIDE TO MISE-EN-SCENE

• LIGHTING

Definiton? Lighting in thriller movies are often used to convey the current mood experienced by the characters. The set often accompanies this convention to signify the total abyss.

THE EXORCIST III

Key elements? Key elements of lighting in thriller movies are typical in movies like the Exorcist. William Friedkin was interested in designing ambiguous scenes and directing the central lighting towards the characters who are relevant in that scene. For example the picture on the left (from the interrogation scene of Exorcist III) the beam of light from the roof hatchet heavily draw out their figures, while the other objects from that scene remains encapsulated by the shadow; an example of dimmed lighting.

Effect on the atmosphere? The effect this creates forms a suspenseful panic towards the audience, as they feel stunned by the lack of activity going around the scene. Furthermore the scene illustrates the equal authority and dominance of the characters due to the similar width and depth of the central light.

For atmosphere the lighting depicts the gothic and noir feel, important when trying to create a 'thriller' movie as it expands the viewer's dark imagination.                    

THE DARK KNIGHT

View on Heath Ledger's Joker…”it’s a character you can’t take your eyes off of, and we needed an amazing actor to play him. Heath delivered on every front. He completely made the character his own, from every physical nuance, to each vocal turn of phase. It’s just an amazing performance”. (Film Review Magazine, July 2008).
The key lighting in the modern version of the 'Batman' series; Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' (second instalment of the widely know DC trilogy) has been noticed. The villain amazingly portrayed by Heath Ledger assembles the dark, witty, and slightly insane 'Joker'. His figure seems to be constantly caught in the darker field of light in comparison with other characters during his conflicts with the batman, metaphorically stating that he's the antagonist, creating an unnerving feel. We can also argue that throughout the film bright lighting also accompanies the Joker, it juxtaposes between his villainous characteristics, which is effective when playing with the audience's emotions and view on the 'Joker'.
Effect on the atmosphere? The lighting is symbolic of the atmosphere. During the film the audience is constantly set on an emotional rollercoaster. We could argue that the weather is constantly dull, purposely to convey the dark drama and typical feel of a thriller movie.

STEPPING INTO THE LIGHT, LIGHTING CONTROVERSY OF THE 'BATMAN'  

"There’s more daylight as the series goes on. I’ll claim that the reason there’s more daylight is that Chris hates shooting at night. We were shooting nights going into Batman Begins, but we ended up filming an enormous amount of night exteriors inside during the day on sets that we built on a stage in Cardington. It was always a challenge having this character that only comes out at night, and having to deal with that in terms of shooting time and how you use it. We started asking ourselves, well, why does that have to be the case?" 

Chris actually found dramatic ways and reasons to have daylight. One of the scenes that turned it around on Dark Knight was the interrogation, with Heath Ledger, which starts in a dark room, until the light is switched on. Basically at that point Christopher Nolan was very comfortable with the way Batman looked. Peter Lando (the set director), claimed; "well, what about if I create an environment that’s almost over exposed? Really, really bright." Nolan loved that idea, of Batman turning on the light switch and suddenly a scene showing the Dark Knight inflciting pain on the Joker. I think that was the first time we really explored a brighter environment for Batman.

SE7EN

Key Elements? Even during brighter days in the critically acclaimed 'Se7en' the setting is constantly archaic. I think this film is the perfect example to point out the typical conventions of a 'Thriller'. The lighting doesn't necessarily depict the wealth or "good side" of a certain character. But more like as if the nature of the weather has consumed them due to their lack of 'happiness'. I think the lighting is really important when it comes to depicting a certain mood of a character, especially with this film they all seem to be only motivated by killing and investigating ugly deaths.
Effect on the atmosphere? The effect of constantly displaying dark lighting illustrates the overall mood of this film. It's as if the director wants the audience to expect a bad ending or conclusion to 'Se7en'. To only make this necessary the final scene of Brad Pitt choosing sides between revenge or forgiveness is very one-sided. The dark lighting is relatable to his final decision; to choose revenge.