https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_HuFuKiq8U

Mise-en-Scene Analysis of a TV Drama – True DetectiveCLIP FROM TRUE DETECTIVE

Rust Cohle, in an attempt to get closer to Reggie Ledoux, agrees to assist the Iron Crusaders biker gang in a raid on a projects stash house. It's a raid that always looks likely to go awry: the plan, involving the Crusaders dressing up as cops, is skeletal, with no exit strategy to speak of . Inevitably, things quickly go south, forcing Cohle to take Ginger hostage. Which leads us to a breathless tracking shot, following Cohle and Ginger through the neighbourhood as bullets and bodies whizz past.

CAMERA ANGLES

The entire scene demonstrates a 6 minute tracking shot from the start of drug raid of breaking into the first door as a gang dressed as cops to Rust Cohle, separated from the gang, keeping Ginger hostage and escaping through Marty’s car. The lengthy tracking shot is used to completely encapsulate and immerse the audience to feel through Rust’s shoes as the audience experience the frontal violence and horror in drug raid as they run through ‘The Hood’. The seamless tracking shot is further used to create fluidity to further accentuate the realism of the scene. There are no editing cuts until the end of the scene as we see a close-up of Rust’s face as he escapes the chaotic event. Where cuts could have been used the director has used panning shots such as the part when the camera pans over the sky as a helicopter flies past. This further creates more fluidity as well as acting like a master/long shot as the audience get a better understanding of the setting and what events surrounds the characters. Moreover the use of the hand-held tracking shot further emphasizes realism as it acts as an almost point-of-view shot as the unsteady camera acts as if we are another gang member raiding the houses. Throughout the scene the tracking shot moves in many directions to create separate shots such as two-shots, close-ups, framing shots.etc. This helps give a more cinematic perspective of the event whilst losing no fluidity and realism in the scene.

COSTUME

Costumes were used to identify three different sets of group: Policemen, Biker gang members and black gang members. Most of the biker gang members are wearing police uniforms as an act of scaring and intimidating the black gang members as they pass through the houses looking for the ‘stash house’. All of which are wearing except Rust Cohle who is wearing a biker jacket.This signifies the distance and separation of the philosophy of their thinking as Rust doesn't want to fully immerse himself with the biker gang members and see’s what he’s doing is only a favour and business, only do we know later and the raid had no of his intentions in the first place. Rust wearing biker clothing could also be a stunt so that the audience can easily identify which one is Cohle, especially when he is with Ginger. The biker gang members wearing police uniforms further emphasizes the extent of danger the characters are in as they take the situation very seriously and we get an almost heist-like feel. The blackgang members wear various coloured hoodies, long sleeved shirts and baseball caps to give a stereotypical representation so that the audience get a better understanding in the chaotic and eventful scene.

LIGHTING

Lighting is used in this scene to give an authentic view of the realism of the scene so that each character is lightened or darkened for the focus of the shot. This scene takes place at night and would therefore highly rely on lighting for each character where the audience are given the idea that they are coming from the porch lights and lamps inside the houses. Lighting is portrayed in the scene to create a murky and dismal feel to accurately represent to drug filled housing interior as well as giving a dark and somber feel which keeps to the shows dark theme. However due to the style of the scene they use low-key lighting instead of a higher, three-point lighting to create a more realistic feel as though the audience are experiencing the scene instead of looking at the characters. This is also emphasized when the camera pans over to the helicopter above and the torchlight stares into to the camera to give lens flares so that the audience feel as though we are looking at the helicopter.

ACTING

Acting is used in the scene to give an accurate intention of the personalities of the characters on screen as well as showingtheir roles and duties. No blocking is used in the scene as the entire scene is seen through a tracking shot, however the shot tracks the movement of Rust Cohle, so the audience are given the information that Rust is the main character and he has more power over the other gang members. Hardly any dialogue is used therefore the actions and body language of the characters have to be shown clearly. Through out the show we see Rust as a un-emotional person and this scene is the only perception we are given of his personality in a tough situation. Matthew Mcconaughey keeps to his role well as we never see many facial expressions in acts of danger, whereas the other gang members have other roles. The biker gang members are seen as more ruthless as they use there guns and arms more aggressively as they kill more people. This could also help the audience understand the difference of intelligence of the characters as Rust is taking it very seriously, whereas the other gang members are doing it for more of a thrill. Because the shot is one entire tracking shot, the actors had to keep in character and produce their own stunts. This therefore made the scene more realistic as the actors stay in character for a long period of time.

MAKEUP

Makeup is not used highly in this scene due to the mainly butch male characters. Obviously natural makeup was used on most characters so that their face can be seen clearly in the dim and dingy lighting. Some more complex makeup is used further into the scene as the raid goes on. As the characters get more active into the raid we see more sweat on the characters (especially Ginger). This is used further as we see more sweat when Rust grappling Gingers neck as Ginger rustles is head so that he can breath properly. This is also used at the end of the scene (although less clear) where Rust jumps into the car and we see a close-up of his face which seems slightly sweaty. This can help to portray the toughness and strain of the raid and the relief of his escape.

PROPS

Many props are used throughout the scene to get an accurate portrayal of the setting of the interior and exterior of the houses in the neighbourhood as well has give a sense of danger to each of the characters as they use different types of weapons throughout the scene. The interior of each house contains many stereotypical house belongings of that character class as we see cheap and worn furniture where the dim, yellow lighting gives a dingy feel over the brown coloured walls and furniture. These elements also give off a murky and dangerous atmosphere as the audience feel uncomfortable with where they are. Nearly all characters are holding some sort of weapon. The biker gang all hold new pistols and shotguns that you would see in a police station as opposed to the baseball bats, revolvers, uzi’s and ak47’s that the black gang members use. This gives a stereotypical view of each ethnical class as well as giving the audience a larger feel of danger throughout the scene as we know all the characters possess a threat to Rust.

SETTING

The setting used in the scene is to get a larger sense of danger for the characters and the audience as we see a stereotypical black orientated ‘ghetto’ which is stereotypically viewed as a gang members place of residence. Because of the tracking shot, the entire setting is given a larger does of realism as we go in and out of many houses getting a larger feel of the atmosphere of the neighbourhood. This helps portray the ethnic class within the neighbourhood as well as giving the audience a larger feel of danger throughout the scene as we know all the characters with the neighbourhood possess a threat to Rust. The interior of each house contains many stereotypical house belongings of that character class as we see cheap and tattered furniture where the dim, yellow lighting gives a dreary feel to the interior of the houses. These elements also give off a murky and dangerous atmosphere as the audience feel uncomfortable with where they are. The exterior of the houses contains a lot of graffiti which helps further portray the stereotypical view of the characters in the neighbourhood.