Mise-En-Scene In The Running Man

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The film “The Running Man” visually reveals the character and shapes the audience through the use of mise-en-scene. One of the key aspects of mise-en-scene in cinematography is the use of colors to portray an underlying message. For instance, red and yellow are used in the Running Man to provide a visual representation of the personalities of each of the main characters as well as describe the literary conflict of man vs. society. The main protagonist, Ben Richards, wears a yellow jumpsuit throughout the film which demonstrates his optimistic personality, as yellow is typically used in cinematography to relay characteristics such as joy, and hope. The color yellow also represents betrayal and deceit, which is how the government tries to portray …show more content…

The fact that Richards’ two companions are clothed in red jumpsuits foreshadows their gruesome deaths. The use of lighting captivates the audience’s attention throughout the movie. For example the use of dim lighting during the subzero scene conveyed a feeling of confusion and mystery to the audience which is adequate to how the protagonist must have felt as he was enduring the situation of being thrown into an unknown environment. The mise-en-scene in this situation really connects the audience to the characters within the film to the point of having the audience feel as if they are experiencing the same emotions and feelings as the characters on screen. Another function of mise-en-scene in “The Running Man” is the utilization of lighting and crowding. During the scene where Damon Killian was entering the plaza to his work, it is well lit and sunny outside, as well as open and clutter-free. However, the lighting is the exact opposite during the night scene in which the screen was crowded with people and very dimly lit aside from a giant television screen. During the day, the crowd that had gathered to greet Killian consists of the upper-class and occurs in a clean and organized

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