The Use Of Mise-En Scene In Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion '
524 Words3 Pages
From the beginning, Dazed and Confused is told by a majority of mise-en-scene. There is no dialogue in the opening scenes of the movie. One is shown a school that is seemingly demolished, and kids running wild. Through mise-en-scene, this movie shows the development of plot, the progression of characters, and subconsciously keeps the story running.
As the opening credits come across the screen, Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion” comes through the speakers, and a girl is rolling a joint. The first ten seconds of film displayed in this movie set the viewer up for the next hour and a half. This is a stoner movie. Before any interior noise come from the movie, the theme is set. Two groups are shown smoking, one character is making a paddle, many groups…show more content… It is the last day of school. All anyone wants to do is party, and of course, continue on the tradition of initiating 8th graders. Mise-en-scene is shown by the seniors asserting their dominance over the incoming freshman. This is more obvious with the senior women. They are shown wearing shirts that say “Seniors”, and to further their dominance, they make every incoming freshman wear a pacifier, in order to show that they are in line to be the babies of the high school.
Though the senior girls essentially haze the freshmen by forcing them to do numerous air raids, they do not have it as bad as the boys do. Every senior has a unique paddle, and every senior wants a chance to use their paddle on as many of the incoming freshman as they can, especially on Mitch Kramer.
Mitch is first shown in his junior high classroom. He and his friends are doing all they can to avoid their inevitable punishment from the seniors. Eventually, Mitch gets caught and takes his punishment, which was the most brutal of any beatings given to freshmen. Mitch catches a break when Randall Floyd, the quarterback, gives Mitch a break and takes him home, and then invites him out to hang out with the older guys. This was the coming of age moment for Mitch. When he is picked up by David Wooderson that night, he is wearing a button up shirt, like most of the other high schoolers were. Mitch was ready for the night; where he would stand up to an upper classman, hook