The shining is a film made in 1980. Even though it is not as modern as most films we watch today it is a very popular film and there are different reasons for its popularity the main points being the various camera angles used, the effect given through sound, editing and mise en scene.
At the beginning of the film the first minute shows a long shot of a road with one car driving along it. The camera pans in this minute from the road to the mountainside giving the audience an idea of the setting as well as various enigmas to the storyline. The way the camera focuses on the car then loses focus suggests that the car is being followed without the people or person in the car knowing. This gives the audience a sense that there will be some sort of stalker in the film creating a slightly scary effect even though the film has just begun. The camera shots used in the opening show us the bigger picture of the film this is because there were no close up or mid shots of any character or another part of the setting until at least three or four minutes into the opening. During this part of the beginning of the film we hear character dialogue and this is where the characters are introduced showing a variety of close ups and mid shots however no extreme close ups or long shots at this stage.
The sound in the beginning part of the film is very mysterious and eerie it gives the audience a sense that the storyline or plot is going to involve some sort of danger. It is non diegetic sound as the character who is driving the car would not be hearing this music as it is being played over the clip and the character in the car would only hear sounds like a radio or car noises as well as the audience hearing the radio. When the camera pans it almost seems as if a boy or young child is screaming which can make the audience feel uncomfortable or give them various scenarios of what could happen within the film. Sound is very important as it not only sets the genre of the film but creates illusions and enigmas to what the story is about as well as giving the audience vital information about the scene that is currently talking place.
Editing is a key part of any film as it makes the storyline fit together and so allows takes of the same scene to be repeated in order to get the perfect shot or cut. As this film was made in 1980 the editing software isn’t as good however the way it has been edited has been very cleverly done. It has been done so that the audience can really understand the scene at the beginning and understand a journey is taking place within the first few minutes of the film. This is necessary to understand the rest of the film and has to be done before characters can be introduced in the film so that the rest of the film makes sense. Some films introduce too many characters too quickly within films making the rest of the storyline hard to follow as there is no particular focus, however in this film it is clear that the character has finished making a journey when we are introduced to him after we see that the car is not being followed by the camera anymore. During this initial journey the credits have appeared on the screen using editing software to give the effect that they quickly sweep across the screen then leave they are shown just as the camera pans off the cliffs giving us an original and more exiting way of showing credits.
The Mise en Scene within any film is also a Micro element and an important factor for the audiences understanding of the storyline. It shows the audience everything in the shot that has been put together through camerawork, editing and sound. It is the final image of what the audience can see and understand the shot by. Without this the film would have a blurred meaning as it would only show one part to film making e.g. camerawork creating the audience to become bored or confused. The Mise en Scene is probably the most important part of any film because even if the quality is low the story can still be understood. Within the shining the mise en scene shows the mountain top setting and gives the audience clear shots of the travelling car and travel lodge. It also shows us the sound associated with these shots creating a slightly worried or curious feeling for the audience. To make sure that the overall mise en scene is of a good quality the whole film must have a storyboard showing exactly what is happening in each clip. The opening shows mountain tops with a bright setting which isn’t usually used in horror or thriller type films. However, the audience can understand from the music used that the film is not of the romantic or comedy type genre as there is contrapuntal sound used, showing the contrast in the image and the music which could give us the effect that there is a difference between the scene and reality of what has or will happen.
Within the film ‘The Shining’ all these things are used very effectively. This is the reason that this film is so popular and is still widely watched today even though it was made in 1980. Without these factors being used effectively the film would not make sense and would be very dull to watch.
