Margin Call: A Textual Analysis
AN: Media Terminology in
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Mise-En-Scene
As the program begins we get an opening
shot of New York. This is displayed as a time lapse, as we can tell form the speed that the clouds and cranes on rooftops are moving. The shot is
establishing, which displays the grand
setting of the
location. The large buildings
connote power and business, which is often a typical feature of thriller shows, as the idea of power and dominance is used to create tension against characters that often defy this power.
We instantly then
cut to a
shot of several men and women walking through a large corridor. Their attire, being suits and ties, suggests that they are of a high status and power within business. The expression on their faces is grave and serious, sand there is then a shot where one of the women stares towards a character off screen. This
connotes the idea that she is of a particularly high status and takes herself very seriously, holding a very professional composure and focused expression.
We can clearly see that our two main characters are established within the first few seconds of the program's start. They are set apart form the rest of the firm as they are wearing white shirts, where most people are wearing suit jackets or blazers. This suggests that their occupational role is of lesser importance, but displays the difference between them and the rest of the characters, suggesting they are to be the main focus.
Sound
Before we even get any images, the
non diegetic music fades in. This is a soft and cinematic piece that reflects the mood of the beginning of the show. The tone is sombre and slow, which instantly suggests that the nature of the following events is not going to be a typical, fast paced working environment like we often expect from somewhere with a setting as high powered as New York. We also get some
non diegetic sounds of people speaking on the phone, which
connotes the idea of business and working, reflected by the
setting.
When one of our main characters, Peter, works late into the night, we get a change of sound that is
diegetic, but
overdubbed. As he listens to music, the song he is playing is
dubbed over the sequence of scenes. This creates a sense of immersion for the audience that forces them to empathise with the character and see the situation from his point of view.
Later in the scene, as he begins to work harder into the night, the
non diegetic music changes to very deep, minor tones that create tension, suggesting that something is about to go wrong, or something is about to be revealed to the character and the audience that will feed more
enigma codes such as 'what is about to happen?'.
At the same time, we get a contrast in sound as the camera switches to the boss of the company with his dying dog, and the music becomes extremely sombre and slow to suggest sadness. Yet as the scene
cuts back to the main character, we can clearly tell form the music that he has discovered something strange as the music builds in tension and then suddenly stops.
There is also a piece of
dialogue spoken by Sam: 'my dog is dying, I'm paying thousands of bucks a day to keep her alive'. This is almost foreshadowing of the events to come, as it is revealed that the company is making huge loses and is going to have to scrape money together just to survive, yet this is impossible, much like fixing the dog's condition. This gives the audience a sense of
narrative and allows the storyline to expand, drip feeding the audience clues as to the problem at hand.
Camera
As the program opens, the camera uses an
establishing shot of the New york skyline, which allows the audience to see the grandiose of the
setting and sets the mood for one of business and professionalism.
Throughout the scene where Eric Dale is being told he is being made redundant, we can see that the power and dominance lies with the woman who is telling him that he is being let go. This is because we get a series of
shot reverse shots in which she is the one leading the conversation and the one who predominantly interrupts and talks over him. This
connotes her power over him and informs the audience that the situation is so serious that even someone who has been trusted with the company for over nineteen years is being overpowered by someone else.
One of the most interesting shot sequences is when we get a series of
close ups and
extreme close ups of Peter when he is clearly working out that something has gone wrong with the information he has. We see
close ups of his face that display his confused emotion and then sudden realisation, indicated by his widened eyes and parted lips. This conveys to the audience that something terrible has happened and leaves them questioning what it is and how it can be solved.
There is also a
helicopter establishing shot that displays the location as it is at the time of the events taking place, showing the scale and grandiose of the location at night.
Editing
The opening scene is edited as a
time lapse to show the morning rising over New York. This helps to give the audience a time scale and a sense of location.
One of the most interesting sequences is the scene where Peter is discovering that something is wrong with the figures of the company. There is a fair amount of
parallel editing used to flit between the consecutive story lines of Peter and Sam (boss). This displays to the audience that both things are happening at the same time, yet there is a distinct polar opposite mood between the two situations. Where one is mysterious and suspenseful, the other is sad and depressing.
During this scene there are a series of paired
pans and tilts that move in and out of
focus on Peter. This is particularly effective as it creates a sense of mystery and suspense, as not the
focus is constantly being
blurred and then drawn back in on the main character. There is also a
jump cut here that jumps between where Peter's hands are and what he is working on, which speeds the scene up to create a build up of tension. Then, a
long take is used when he looks up to realise the problem that he is facing. This is extremely effective as it gives the audience a beak between the speedy, confused mess of the working out process and suddenly leaves them asking what it is he has discovered,
eliciting a sense of suspense and tension as the scene drags out. Instantly, the editing reverts back to
jump cuts, which slices the tension whilst leaving the audience questioning what is truly going on.
As the character of Eric walks through the office to leave, we get a
tracking shot that follows his throughout the hall. This is a
long take that elongates the time that he is walking to convey to the audience the tension that the character is experiencing and how it almost feels as if time has slowed as he leaves. This
elicits sympathy from the audience as well as a sense of dread; we can tell from the length of the shot that he is a significant worker for the business and can predict that his departure will be an issue.
Lighting.
One of the best examples of
lighting used in this program is where we get the sequence of parallel story lines that move between Peter's discovery and Sam's journey to see his dog. Peter's face is illuminated by the light of his desk lamp and computer, yet everything around him is darkened and lit very
low key. This
connotes to the audience that something mysterious is taking place, as the
lighting draws the
focus to the character's confused expression and the work he is doing, as if it is more important than the setting around him. This creates a sense of tension and suspense, as the
low key lighting suggests mystery and suspense.
Comparing this to the lighting of the vet's room with Sam, we can see that there is a clear contrast between the two. During sam's scene, the lighting is bright, white light that suggests a clinical situation, which can be confirmed by the setting around him. The
high key lighting here is a major contrast to the
low key lighting used to illuminate Peter's face and work. This creates a jilted sense of opposition, where one problem is almost a physical representation of the mathematical other.
