mission impossible

1. Mise-en-scene
Mission Impossible opening scene

2. Positioning
• The two characters are positioned
in a way which makes them seem
distant even though they are close
together. They are both positioned
either side of the light making it
seem like a divider between them.
It also has Jon Voight’s character
Mr. Phelps sitting down to show his
relaxed attitude to the situation as
if he is used to missions such as
these.

3. Lighting
• The lighting in the scene is dim
with shadows around the cabin.
This reflects the secrecy of the
operation and also shows the
thriller genre as the darkness
creates suspense. The light is also
focused on Mr. Phelps this shows
that he is the main subject of the
scene and important to the plot
of the film.

4. Acting
• Mr. Phelps and the stewardess
converse in a casual way yet their
conversation is odd. This is because
they are speaking in code. The actors
playing the parts play the conversation
in a calm way as in the story they
wouldn’t want to be suspected,
therefore they talk as if they were just
having a normal conversation, however
as the audience we know that they are
talking about something more
important.

5. Costume, Hair and Make-up
• Mr. Phelps is wearing a suit in
this scene to show that he is
someone of importance and
of high status. It also shows
his status over the stewardess
as she is just in her normal
uniform. Phelps’ suit is also a
plain grey showing that he
may be trying not to stand
out and he may want to blend
in, this suggests he has
something of importance to
do.

6. Expression
• Mr. Phelps keeps a casual calm
expression through the scene,
this shows his experience with
dealing with situations like
these. He also has an almost
amused/knowing expression
this shows that he is either
pleased with what's
happening or just so used to it
its just routine to him.

7. Setting and Props
• The scene is set on a plane,
this shows the danger of the
situation indirectly and the
separation of the mission from
normal operations. A cigarette
is used by Mr. Phelps this
shows that he is at ease and is
happy to relax despite the
importance of the situation.