Mise En Scene - The Purge

I watched The Purge and analyzed the key aspects of mise en scene throughout the movie. This mainly consisted of staging, setting, lighting, and costume.

Staging

Staging plays a pivotal role in this movie as it does in all movies that rely heavily on narrative and dialogue. The performance style use throughout this film is most likely method acting, as the actors embody the characters and take on their personas, making the movie more realistic. The actors' of such performance often helps the influence the emotions of the audience during the film.  This is easily shown in two different instances: during the day and during the night of the purge. During the day, there is an almost safe and comfortable demeanor resounding from the characters. This changes, however, once night time roles around and the purge begins. The characters are then terrified and alert, which in turn makes the audience terrified and alert as well.

Setting

The setting contrast that is most noticeable in this film would most definitely be the stark difference in the type of environment during the day and at night during the purge. The home during the day gives a certain feeling that doesn't sit quite right with the audience, leading the audience to believe that while the house is relatively safe now, it will not be this way for much longer. This leads into a transition from day to night, as the purge begins. The house only seems relatively safe at first because of the light inside, until the antagonists trying to break into the house and murder the people inside cut the power, giving the home a dangerous and scary feel. The setting is change entirely in the moment that the perpetrators disable the power, as the home seemed relatively safe with power, but is rendered completely unsafe by both the characters and audience alike once the power is disabled.

Lighting

Lighting, in my opinion, is one of the most crucial portions throughout the movie. The movie utilizes both high-key and low-key lighting to show changes in emotions incited in characters as the movie progresses. This is most easily recognized when the movie switches from the comfortable, happy, daytime setting, to the ominous and desolate night of the purge. This stark contrast shows how high-key lighting is used to incite comfort and happiness and most importantly safety. Whereas the low-key lighting is used to incite fear and likely foreshadow the demise of one of at least one of  the protagonists as the film progresses (pun intended). 

Costume

Costumes are very important throughout this film, as the creepy and terrifying emotions that the movie incites within the audience would most likely no be as noticeable without the use of the scary attire. The gory masks and disturbing clothing along with props such as the different weapons the antagonists attempt to murder the protagonists with all contribute to the emotions incited in the audience. The choice of clothing and weaponry gives the audiences and overarching terrified feeling as the props only contribute more frightened emotions in addition to the other instances of mise en scene present throughout the film.