MUSTANG/TIMBAKTU

MUSTANG

A2 FILM MOCK EXAM COMPONENT 2 

Thursday 16th January pm

1.With close reference to the films you have studied, explore how either sound or mise en scene create meaning.

In the following paragraphs I will analyse how the mise en scene in the lemonade and apple garden scene in ‘Mustang’(Erguven,2015) and the opening and fisherwoman scene in ‘Timbuktu’(Sissako,2014) create meaning.

In ‘Mustang’(Erguven,2015) There are many biblical references used in the apple garden scene where the location itself it’s a reference to Adam’s garden since the girls entering the garden and start “stealing” apples like Eve did. This foreshadows that the girls are going to be punished or face consequences for their actions (going and playing with the boys at the beach). Besides, later on in film an old man appears in the centre of the frame in the film, holding a gun threatening the girls. The gun was used here as a prop to portray that elder men hold power over women. In Turkey it’s a tradition for men to be the head of the family approve whatever their women are doing.

Furthermore, another aspect of mise-en scene that is highlighted in the film is the appearance of characters and their costumes. For example all the girls in the Garden scene have long hair whooshing through the wind like a mustang and they are wearing school uniforms, that  are associated with freedom because the girls are not only getting they’re education but their able to show skin, wear their uniform however they want after school (unbuttoning their shirts, wearing their ties on their head ),this is seen as the liberal side of the society. However, in the lemonade scene the stereotypical view of a conservative religious life is portrayed since the girls are banned by their uncle from getting their education and are  forced to become wives and look pure and virgin  by  wearing: dull, shapeless and natural coloured or as Lale says “Shit coloured” dresses and their hair is “tamed” and braided. This also raises awareness about the fact that a woman’s life is controlled by a man, they are not allowed to work to support themselves, therefore they have to depend on someone else.

In the same scene their grandmother has taken them out for “lemonade” to show and prove to the neighbourhood how discipline, pure are virginal her granddaughters are. All five of the girls and their grandmother are walking down narrow streets and are all in one frame which made me as a spectator feel how uncomfortable the girls felt and claustrophobic. Especially when the camera was panning to different windows of people watching them like they were being displayed for them to see. Also, towards the end of the scene there is a close up of the elder sisters and then a long shot of the grandmother and the aunt; making it seem as if this is going to be them in the future.  This scene shows how important it is for a woman in Turkey to prove that they are virgin in order to get married, since there is tradition on their wedding night to have an intercourse and then show the grooms family the bloody sheets for proof of virginity.

 What inspired the director to make ‘Timbuktu’(Sissako,2014) was a story of a couple being stoned to death after Al-Qateda took over Timbuktu .At first he wanted to shot a documentary however he did not succeed because he was not allowed to go there and if he sent  a camera in the Jihadist would take it and use it to their advantage. He then was allowed to go back there 2013 and spoke to people and listened to their stories, but a suicide booming happened, and it was not safe for people. Therefor he ended up shooting a fiction film in a neighbouring Country of Mauritania, but the film is set in Timbuktu.

The opening scene opens with a tracking shoot of a gazelle running in the desert trying to escape the Jihadist that are shooting at him and want to “tire him”. The opening and closing shot are both running shots of a gazelle and Toya running toward no one and nothing; foreshadowing their capture. Many props are used in the opening scene to foreshadow what is about happen and establish the context. The spectator first gets introduced with the Islamic fighters with a CU shot of their flag which is black connotating evil and death. Then we see them shoot historical African relics that are a metaphor for the occupation in Mali. It’s like the camera movements and the framing are giving the spectator a summary or trailer of the film; a shot with all the relics being shot down, a CU of a relic with smoke coming out of his mouth and last shot is a CU of a male and a female relic that have been shot .Foreshadowing the last hellish breath of people (them having enough),people dying because of their culture and the death of Kidane and Samira.

Later in  the fisherwoman scene ,which set in the urban narrow sand streets that is a contrast with the desert in the opening scene. Makes the spectator feel like the people are trapped in a physical and political maze. Additionally, there is a lot of contrast between the costumes of the characters. The Jihadist are wearing vivid coloured turbans and carrying their guns like accessories; showing that they have power. Also the contrast between the fisherwoman and the lady next to her.The fisherwoman  does not wear gloves like the other woman does and instead of wearing an all-black hijab she wears a red coloured skirt. Portraying that she has had enough of being oppressed for humorous things like  wearing gloves while selling fish. This scene emphasis is on female oppression because of the Sharia law.

Coming to the conclusion that in both films’ mise en scene is used to create vary powerful meanings. Most of the props and costumes like the gun for example being held by a man show who is in power. Furthermore, the settings of both films opening with an wide open space like a garden and a desert and then in the following scenes showing narrow street to show how people are controlled.