WCC FILM 100-RAISING ARIZONA SCENE ANALYSIS

1. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE
 Watch the scene in class and take brief notes on these elements of MISE
EN SCÈNE. We will then discuss how they converge to create a unified
sense of visual style and meaning supporting the idea that RAISING
ARIZONA is presented as a “LIVE-ACTION CARTOON”
 LIGHTING
 FIGURE/OBJECT POSITION
 CAMERA ANGLES & MOVEMENT
 SET DRESSING/PROPS
 COSTUMES, MAKE-UP, & HAIR
 ACTORS – PERFORMANCE STYLE & PHYSICAL QUALITIES
 WHAT ELSE DO YOU OBSERVE ABOUT THE MISE EN SCÈNE
THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE “LIVE-ACTION CARTOON”
IDEA?

2. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE
 LIGHTING:
 Lighting is used throughout this scene to create a sense of heightened
reality and contribute to the film’s overall “cartoonish” visual style. One
clear example is when Hi is menaced by the dog in a backyard; low-key
lighting is used to establish the dog coming out of the pitch blackness.
And then it is also used to great effect when the dog nearly connects with
Hi’s face; low-key lighting is used so there is nothing visible except Hi, the
dog, and the dog’s chain snapping taut; this gives the shot a very
flat/cartoon panel effect.
 LOW-KEY LIGHTING = When the fill light and the back light are much
less intense than the key light; some areas are brightly lit while some are
in deep shadow/blackness
 HIGH-KEY LIGHTING = When the fill light and the back light are nearly
as bright as the key light. Shadows are diminished and the effect is of an
evenly distributed light source in the entire shot

3. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE

4. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE
 FIGURE/OBJECT POSITION:
 As with lighting, figure/object position is used throughout this
scene to create a sense of heightened reality and contribute to the
film’s overall “cartoonish” visual style. One clear example is when
the convenience store clerk raises his gun so it’s huge in the
foreground; this gives the shot a cartoonish feel because the gun
looks ridiculously long. Another example is Hi going through the
windshield; we see it from inside the truck and his butt is literally in
our faces and then he flies through the window in a ridiculous way.
 FIGURE = A broad term that refers to any object within the film’s
frame, including architectural elements, natural elements (such as
trees or mountains), furniture, people, animals, etc.

5. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE

6. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE
 CAMERA ANGLES & MOVEMENT:
 Camera Angles and especially camera movement are big components
of this scene as well as Raising Arizona’s VISUAL STYLE/MISE-EN-
SCÈNE. There are many examples of this in the robbery scene along,
including the tilted handheld movement and fast push-in of the
camera when Hi exits the convenience store to see that Ed has driven
away, the POV of the dog running toward Hi, the frantic chase of the
police after Hi through a suburban home, Hi and the shopper in the
supermarket being pursued by the pack of dogs. These and many
other sequences in both this scene and the movie as a whole
reinforce the cartoonish quality of the film and its commitment to over-
the-top action that is anything but realistic. In fact, the entire scene is
one long cartoonish chase with very little stopping at all; this constant
“crazy” movement, especially coupled with the light-hearted
soundtrack, are key to its stylized cartoonish quality.

7. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE

8. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE
 SET DRESSING/PROPS:
 The REPEATING PATTERN/MOTIF of HUGGIES becomes a
major comical “character” in this sequence, being both the
literal item Hi wants and the symbolic item he wants; the very
word “HUGGIES” denotes love, compassion, and family
which is what Hi desperately wants to protect and keep in his
life, even if he is breaking the law to do so. He even uses
HUGGIES as a weapon at one point; it’s his defense in this
world. Also, he gets them in the end, but only once he’s
reunited with Ed.
 Examples of cartoonish props include the convenience clerk
reading “Juggs”, a pornographic magazine with a ridiculous
title, and the grocery manager also wielding a ridiculously big
gun.

9. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE

10. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE
COSTUMES, MAKE-UP, & HAIR:
Costumes and hair play a large part of the
“cartoon” nature of the scene, especially with
several women shopping in the grocery store
all wearing big pink curlers in their hair and
“suburban” clothes (polyester pantsuits, etc.).
Another example is how Hi’s pantyhose mask
only makes him look ridiculous, not scary.

11. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE

12. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE
 ACTORS – PERFORMANCE STYLE & PHYSICAL
QUALITIES:
 The rubbery faces and over the top performance of all the
actors – especially Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter – are
completely in step with the cartoonish quality of the scene
and film; they simply don’t seem like “real” people but rather
exaggerated ones. Another actor who stands out for his
performance and physical qualities are the babies who play
Nathan Jr.; never once do we see this tiny person scared –
although he’s often in the middle of action that is death-
defying and crazy, we never once feel as though he’s in any
real danger; much like a cartoon, it’s pretend and silly.

13. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE

14. FILM EXAMPLE: RAISING ARIZONA
“ROBBERY” SCENE
 WHAT ELSE DO YOU OBSERVE ABOUT THE MISE EN
SCÈNE THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE “LIVE-ACTION
CARTOON” IDEA?
 Again, the overall sense of cartoonish visual style of the
scene/film is supported by the various elements of its MISE-
EN-SCÈNE; everything is chosen and decided to contribute
to the film’s visual storytelling. Of course some elements like
the costumes, performances, and, especially, the camera
movements are more prominently “cartoonish” than others,
but they’re all heading in the same direction with the same
storytelling goal.