Mississippi Burning Scene Analysis Essay

In this scene from “Mississippi Burning”, the viewer is drawn into an ambiguous barbershop following two characters. The dull interior comes across as homey but gives very little detail, leaving the rest to the imagination. The female seems to be in distress, as she speaks her mind to a gentleman who seems to progressively and calmly comfort her as the scene moves forward. This scene is best accentuated through its use of space and depth moreover its relationship to the foreground and background, and prominently the choice of lighting. With this in mind, the viewer is able to further analyze a deeper meaning. Nonetheless, other visual elements draw upon the scene but, on the whole, the lighting and depth attribute the most to this scene.

Immediately we are introduced to a …show more content…
The man stands abnormally far away as she speaks and is lit a stop lower than her. The use of space, foreground and background are utilized to the actress’s emotions. As he stands in the background, she stands in the foreground speaking about prejudice and racism. It's as if the man is a symbol of her words for a brief moment. The man is dimly lit and at one point completely unrecognizable. The lighting design for each character speaks to the underlying meaning of control and power in the scene; this also correlates to the use of space and depth. As the scene progresses the characters slowly become untouched by light. The lady starts off well light and expressive, the man, on the other hand, is half lit and observant. Even when the man walks up to rub her shoulders he is still half lit. Now with a change in space you would think her light should fall onto him as well, but that’s not the case. Instead, his darkness is shared with her later in the scene. This can be viewed as a form of control and power the man has on her. Depth is used in the scene as an indication to portray changing emotions as we progress. The lady starts in the foreground well lit and ends in the