2. COSTUME AND MAKE-UP
The costumes in Scandinavian thrillers are mostly naturalistic to create
a sense of realism – simple suits, jeans, t-shirts etc. This makes the film
more tense as the audience then believe it’s a viable situation that could
actually happen. The image on the left is an example of this. However
colours of costumes are always dark and dull, using black, greys,
browns, blues etc., nothing vibrant or colourful. In terms of make-up, it’s
also very realistic with no fantasy make-up or effects. Blood is used a lot
due to the violent nature of most of the films, as demonstrated in the
image on the right below. This is intended to look as realistic as
possible. Other injuries including bruises and cuts are also often a part
of make-up in these films.
3. PROPS
As with the costuming and make-up,
this element of mise-en-scene is also
kept fairly realistic. The main usage
for props in Scandinavian thrillers is
as weapons – knives, guns etc. The
police and crime element that many
of them are based around mean that
it’s conventional for them to use
props like guns as well as case
notes, photos of bodies, even coffee
cups: all things that are related to the
crime/detective thriller genre. To the
left are some examples of props in
use.
4. LIGHTING
As a general rule, lighting is dark
and dim. Shadows are created
consistently throughout the films as
is evident in the bottom two pictures
to the right. Often only one source of
light will be used to achieve this
effect. Silhouettes are also common,
creating aesthetically pleasing
shots, but also mystery as an
indistinguishable shape is used to
confuse the audience. The first
image on the right is an example of
this, although seems to have used
unconventionally warm colours for
this style and genre; usually they
would be cooler blues and greys.
5. COLOURING
Scandinavian cinema as a whole produces films with
very specific colour tones, mostly because of the
quality of light of that area of Europe. Within the thriller
genre, the films generally appear quite bleached, the
colours whitewashed, the saturation lowered. A blue
tint across the entire film is not uncommon (see first
image to the left), particularly because the frequent use
of waterside locations means the sea and sky are often
in shot. White is another colour (or arguably lack of)
that features a lot, as demonstrated in the second and
third images. A white or pale background is often used
to create contrast within the mise-en-scene, to make a
character, prop or aspect of the location stand out.
Even when brighter colours are used in the films, they
are still dulled to a certain extent. Especially with more
recently produced films, neon colours have begun to
feature more, but it’s clear from the final image to the
left that they still seem slightly off compared to the
bright colours we might expect from American or British
films.
6. LOCATIONS: EXTERIOR
Obviously, Scandinavian films are predominantly filmed on
location in Scandinavia – the countries of Sweden, Norway and
Denmark – so they reflect the scenery of that area. As I’ve said,
waterside locations are often used, beaches (see first image),
lakes etc. but always in the cold and not in sunshine necessarily.
Snow covered landscapes are also used, (see second image), as
well as mountains, forests and woods (see final image).
Sometimes small towns or cities feature, as in the third image, but
usually these are not huge communities so that the small size
feels claustrophobic and therefore builds tension. Scandinavian
thrillers make use of open space in the exterior locations, often to
make a person or thing look isolated and alone.
7. LOCATIONS: INTERIOR
In terms of interior locations, the intended effect is claustrophobic. Small internal
spaces are used to trap the characters within their environment, which adds to
the tense atmosphere. Cars are an example of this, as seen in the middle image
below. Often interior locations are fairly ordinary as well to increase the
verisimilitude and convince the audience that these events might actually
happen because they are taking place in such realistic surroundings. The
ordinary settings also make the things that happen within them seem even more
extraordinary, and in the case of the first image below, often more horrific. The
third image is an example of how these small interior locations are often placed
in deserted exteriors to contrast the idea of being trapped in a small space with
the amount of space around outside. The wide open locations also dwarf the
smaller internal spaces, making them seem even more claustrophobic for the
characters and thus the audience.
8. OTHER ELEMENTS OF MISE-EN-SCENE
The use of the weather is also an effective aspect of mise-en-scene within
Scandinavian thrillers. Often the idea of pathetic fallacy is employed, wherein
the weather reflects the events happening or the feelings of the characters. The
first image is an example of this. Snow and rain feature frequently, and sunny
weather, if it appears at all, tends to be pale and cool.
Another interesting element is actor performance. Although the cast who
feature in these films tend to be unrecognisable to a more mainstream
audience (with the exception of those like Stellan Skårsgard who have had
success with British and American films), the performance is usually intense
and very commendable. The sensitive issues that the films handle call for
talented actors and this is almost always delivered, although of course this is a
subjective area and may be judged differently by different audience members.
