The Untouchables: Mise-en-scene Analysis :: Film Movie

The Untouchables Mise-En-Scene AnalysisElliot Ness, a treasury agent, has been trying to stop alcohol from cosmos smuggled into the United States. He feels that the key to putting an endto the alcohol distribution is to put gangster, Al Capone, behind bars. Butthere is a elfin problem, Ness cant seem to be able to link the incomingalcohol, or any other crime to Capone. Until, Oscar Wallace, the uptight, dorky, government official, entered the picture to help Ness shinny his battlefor prohibition, and ultimately, against Capone. Wallace discovered thatCapone hasnt paid his taxes for several years, but the only way to prove it isto get to Capones book keeper. Ness discovers that the book keeper will begoing to the train station, so he along with colleague George Stone intend tobe there to pick him up when he arrives.The scene starts in the train station. The setting is the main lobby. Thefloors, pillars, and stairs argon of a light gray color. There is a clock that isdirectly above t he big, dark, wooden doors that are continuously reverted backto during the scene. The costumes of the main characters in this scene are thesame as throughout the movie. Ness wears a light gray colored suit, hat, impingecoat and tie. Stone is wearing a little darker colored, more casual, clothingwith a tie and light colored hat. Capones men were dressed similarly with chuck coats and hats of light colors. Also, the innocent bystanders in thisscene are the sailors in their suits, the woman, with the baby in her innocentraggy clothes, and all the other people in the scene who typeface as though theymight be Capones men. The lighting in this scene is a little bit dull, butgets darker when Capone shoots his gun at certain points of the scene.The take to movement and expressions in this scene are normally paced,excluding the woman desperately struggling to get her baby carriage up thestairs, until the gunfire starts. The scene turns into soggy motion and panicarises as the shooting b egins and the baby carriage is released and slowlystarts descending down the stairs. The mothers face is panicked and you can seeher mouthing the words My indulge. Then you see the innocent face of the babyand then the carriage plummeting to the bottom of the stairs. The expressionson Capones men are uncaring and crazy looking where as the expressions of thecops were determined looking. Also, the book keepers face is very frightened.