Post by Molly Hetherington

Salt Analysis

As part of learning a fully understanding the Mise En Scene, we practiced on many different films to gain a better knowledge. An example of one of these is the film Salt, looking into the first couple of minutes into the opening title until we knew that we had come to an end. I already knew that this film was a Action learning from the DVD case that the gender representation was un stereotypical with the main character being a woman, we would assume for it to be a male. 

We are first introduced into the film by the use of credits, the main text is white suggesting purity and vulnerability however the background which is black also suggests that there is danger and a sense of violence. Through the use of the opening titles we learn that what we are about to see what has happened in the past, this helps the audience to understand what is going on giving a sense of mystery. The background noise used in the opening titles is both digetic and non digetic. The music used is non digetic however we are quickly introduced to the digetic sounds of voices and particularly shouting. What is said is almost echoed suggesting that there danger, falling in and out of conscious. The sounds used associate and link in well with the setting, creating a sense of mystery. The dark colours used in the camera shot also help to do this. The digetic sound of the heavy door opening shows they they is no escape, taking two men to open it. There is a point of view shot first show from the victim as the door opens. We are first introduced to the victim, who we later learn the be the main character, using a high angle shot looking towards her this shows that there is a level of authority. The digetic sound of the heavy door opening shows they they is no escape, taking two men to open it. 

The uniform of these men is of a military style and colour, green, this uniform contrasts the victim. The colour green suggest a sense of camouflage and authority because of the uniform, it looks unfamiliar. The victim is dressed in very little and in white which also adds to the purity along with the blonde hair which is related with femininity. She is then dragged, adding to the danger and higher authority. 

After being dragged out and changing to another location, of what we have recognized to be a prison, we are introduced to many more men wearing the same style uniform, we gain this information from a point of view shot adding to the danger as she is surrounded with no where for her to go or anyone to go to. We are then introduced to a close up of the victim, showing the look of fear on her face and venerability. The digetic sound of ‘let me go’ is begged by the victim shows that she doesnt want to be here and that they are causing her pain. This is evident in the close up of the ropes around her wrist showing that she has been trapped with very little movement. As the rope is untied she then goes on to beg ‘I am not who you think I am’, this suggests that she knows that something bad is going to happen. The ropes also suggests that she is a deprived area suggesting a unfamiliar location. The point of view shot shows the danger from her perspective, putting the audience in her position, expressing and experiencing their own emotions for this character. Expressing the threat of someone looking down at you. 

The establishing/long shot shows the size of the room with the victim lying on the floor with many of the men leaning over her. We learn that there is a little window, as a audience we immediately sense hope with that little ray of light showing the time of day. 

The setting and location of this scene is in very grim, she is lying on wet floor connotating the deprived location. The shot is behind bars suggesting that we are either caged in or that we are caged out, looking in. After this shot we then come to a close up with the victim screaming her plea. We then have a shot verse shot with her shouting in a small, dainty voice with her struggling, suggesting that she is weak and she cant get out of this alone.

The lighting then changes to high key as the location changes again, being introduced to the daylight as she is released. The audience then want to know what happened, and how she got to this point.  She is also wearing white, from the colour used we make a suggestion to showing her innocence, contrasting the uniform of the men. We are then introduced to another male character who it wearing a suit, from his body language we learn that he has a high authority, telling her in a stern voice what to do giving a strong direction. He is keeping calm and protecting her with his right arm guiding her on the lower of he back, this also suggests that he is keeping her up. 

The long shot used shows the location and just how outnumbered they are. However the male is still keeping calm. This long shot is also tracking them as they walk to safety, showing the long walk helping to build the tension. The body language of the victim shows her vulnerability and pain as she clutches her hands to her chest holding on to something. The rule of thirds is used throughout this section to show the conversation between the victim and the man, we have not yet learnt either of their names. From their conversation we also learn that there is another man is involved, the victims boyfriend. We are then introduced to a shot of him. He is also wearing a suit of pastel colours however he is much more casual with the shirt slightly loose and wearing no tie, he is blending in with the solders. The use of the pale colour of the suit suggests that he is of a calm nature with it being a cool colour. This shows his authority, he has come to rescue her. The victims clothes colour are also of a similar nature with her hair being styled in a feminine way suggesting her femininity and innocence. From the positioning of all the characters in the shot we learn that the army are on their side along with the use of the same colours, we can also suggest this from their body language protecting them. 

As they appear on safe ground the screen then dissolves into the title of the film, ‘SALT’. Salt has been written twice, using two different font sizes, fonts and colours. The large font is in red, this colour used relates to blood and the danger suggesting that this is a bigger part of the film even though the text is both the same. We suggest that she is actually a spy and that there is going to be more danger. The font involves a Russian letter, suggesting that the foreign uniform was in fact Russian and that the victim is a Russian spy, she is very dangerous and that the vulnerability is all a act. This has been placed in the middle of the screen, suggesting that she is the main character with the film centering around her, she is who is important, the main character. The smaller version of the title is then is white with it being placed on top if the larger font. The colour white suggests purity with this only being a small part of her. Black is the main background which is what we immediately relate to danger and mystery, this is much like the victims character. 

After analysing this film I believe that I have improved my knowledge and understanding of analysing a film and I believe that I would be able to do this again.