ESSAY WINNER

Inception was a very interesting movie because the plot was about an idea that is unknown to the audience called “inception.” Because the idea is unknown and fictional, the movie director must weave the concepts of mise-en-scene and cinematography within the plot in order for the audience to understand the story and become interested in the movie. The director incorporates mise-en-scene and cinematography well with the plot which helps to emphasize particular scenes of great importance. This is effectively demonstrated when Cobb interacts with his wife, Mal and when Cobb interacts with his partner, Arthur. In all of these scenes, the director makes good use of the key concepts discussed herein to communicate the plot and apply a certain level of significance to a particular character or characters.

In summary, Cobb was found guilty of the death of his wife, Mal. It was believed that she was murdered by Cobb, when in reality, she committed suicide. Cobb was forced to flee the country and leave his two children. Throughout the movie, Mal appears, becoming a problem for Cobb. He cannot let go of her and she continually says that they can live together in the dream world, instead of reality, where she no longer exists. Whenever Cobb encounters Mal, the scene is very still and dramatic. The shot is always a medium shot, a medium close-up, or a close-up of Mal and Cobb. Because of this, the audience can infer that she is a very important character and has a huge effect on Cobb and his life. Her choices have affected Cobb’s life forever and they are choices that cannot be undone. When analyzing the mise-en-scene of these scenes, the audience is able to understand that Mal is not necessarily a happy, cheerful character. The figure behavior of Mal lets the audience know that she is somewhat of a psychopath, which is justified by her many attempts to kill Cobb.

The relationship between Cobb and his partner Arthur seems to be very tense. As dream invaders, Cobb definitely seems to have more experience than Arthur. Arthur seems to be pushed around like a “test dummy” running errands and experiments and following instead of leading. Whenever Cobb speaks with Arthur, it seems as if he does not value his opinion. This idea is justified by the scenes in which Cobb makes decisions without Arthur’s incentive. The mise-en-scene of the scenes in which Cobb interacts with Arthur is very simple and straight forward. There is one scene in which Cobb is dressed in a suit, seeming to be very distinguished and business-like. Arthur, on the other hand, is dressed in a white coat running tests and experiments. The cinematography of this scene shows the two characters at different distances from the camera. Cobb is more close-up whereas Arthur is more at a long shot. Because of the mise-en-scene and cinematography, the audience may realize that Cobb is at a higher position than Arthur is. Because of this higher authority, the audience can also infer that Arthur is not respected the way he would like to be; this is communicated through scenes in which Arthur talks about the fact that there are many unknown secrets that Cobb hides to himself.

Mise-en-scene and cinematography effectively help to communicate the plot of the movie Inception. Without the use of concepts, the audience would be left confused and the central characters would not be established. Mise-en-scene helps us to understand the scene displayed on the screen. The cinematography helps the audience to infer things about certain characters and emphasizes other characters. With this emphasis, the audience can focus on the correct characters and forget about the other less important characters. In the end, the audience will be able to understand the movie in its entirety, thus promoting positive reactions and happiness.