The document analyzes the mise-en-scene, or presentation, of a cave scene in the film The Descent. Lighting is dim throughout the scene to create a sense of entrapment. Props of animal bones and bodies eaten by the crawlers convey what kind of creatures they are and a sense of danger. The closed-off cave location implies the characters are trapped and vulnerable. With little lighting, sound effects of character movement and crawler footsteps are used to inform the audience of what is happening.

1. +
The Descent
Micro Analysis 2

2. +
Mise-en-scene
Lighting
Throughout Cave scene where the
characters first make contact with the
crawlers there is very little lighting
used to give them the sense of being
trapped, the only light that is used is
from the helmet torches to show what
the characters are looking at.
Props
In the scene you can see various
different bones and bodies from
animals that the crawlers have killed
and eaten, this is to give the
audience an idea of what kind of
creatures they are. You also find that
Bones also tend to represent death
this is used to give a sense of danger
to the characters.

3. +
Location
The main location used in the clip is
located within the cave which seems to
be closed off, this is used to give the
idea that they are trapped and can’t
escape making them vulnerable to the
crawlers. This idea of being trapped is
used to give them fear and follows the
genre of Horror
Sound
Throughout the scene you find that
because there is little lighting sound is
used to give the audience some idea of
what is happening within the scene for
example, as the characters are
maneuvering through the cave you can
hear them struggling, another example
of where sound are the foots steps of
the crawlers that are running through
the water