The document analyzes the mise-en-scène, lighting, props, costumes, locations, and sounds used in two scenes from the film The Descent. In the first scene, Jessica's birthday cake scene, the warm lighting and solitary cake represent Jessica celebrating alone after her death. The lighting then fades as the candles are blown out. In the second hospital scene, the green lighting creates an unsettling atmosphere as Sarah wakes up alone and is chased by something in the dark, represented through changing lights and sounds of her heartbeat and running.

1. +
The Descent
Micro Analysis

2. +
Mise-en-scène
Lighting
In the Cake scene you that the lighting is
very warm to make the audience feel
welcoming, the reason this type of lighting
is used Is because Jessica the character in
the scene has passed away an is not able
to have the party she wanted and invite her
friend, While the darkness around her is to
show that she is alone.
The lighting then starts to fade away as the
candles are blown out to show, how
Jessica is now dead along with her dreams
and wishes.
Props
The cake reads “Happy birthday Jessica”
this is to represent the birthday party that
Jessica will never have because she has
died.

3. +
Lighting
In the Hospital scene when Sarah first
wakes up the lighting is slightly green
giving the idea that something is not
normal about her surroundings and is
different from reality.
The lighting is also used to give the idea
that something is chasing Sarah by turning
the lights off behind her as if she can’t
escape.
It then transitions to a much brighter scene
where everything seems a lot calmer as if
she’s returned to reality away from the
darkness.
Props/ Costume
During the hospital scene you find that she
is running away from something in the
darkness and also the fact that she is
dressed in a patients gown makes her
seem quite vulnerable and defenseless,
along with the face that she is alone in a
hospital bed attached to a heart rate
monitor.

4. +Location
The location the two main location used in the clip are the Hospital and
by the birthday cake.
The scene where Jessica is beside the birthday cake is completely dark
except for light that the cakes candles are emitting, this gives the idea
that Jessica is no where and it is Just something that Sarah is
imagining.
Sound
In the beginning of the clip when Jessica is beside the cake, to give the
idea that there is nothing around her only thing you can hear in the
scene is the sound of her blowing out on the flames on the cake, along
with a eerie Non-Diegetic sound.
In the next scene when Sarah wakes up in the hospital bed all you can
hear is the sound of the Heartbeat monitor beeping which stays on once
Sarah gets out of the bed.
In the hallway when Sarah begins to run away from something you start
to hear a buzzing sound as the lights turn off to make the sound more
dramatic, while also focusing on Sarah’s breathing as she runs away.