1934 Film the Goddess Directed by Wu

¶ … 1934 film The Goddess directed by Wu Yonggang, uses the film elements mis en scene and cinematography in order to compose and deliver a moving and dramatic narrative. This short clip tells the story of a woman who suddenly discovers that her savings are missing. Upon learning this she exits rapidly to find the culprit, but not before comforting her young son. The main elements used in mis en scene are the following: setting, props, costume, performance, lighting and composition. The main elements used in cinematography are: framing, shot distance, length of take, camera movement, camera angle and depth of film.

During the beginning of the clip the first element that stands out is the setting. This element is carefully chosen in order to give the audience specific information about the characters. The setting is the interior of a humble and simple home. This tells the audience about the characters low social standing and financial problems. The props in the sequence all help establish the social standing of the characters; her house is simple and barren. She has very few furniture items and the ones that she does have are simple and plain. The music which also a prop help establish a dramatic feeling to the story. Her costume also works in the same manner; she is dressed very plainly in this manner she gives off a vibe of simplicity and good virtues. She is dressed like a woman that spends her time at home working hard and caring for her family. This helps establish her character and it tells the audience about her priorities during the film. Her short performance during the clip is told exclusively by her body language. She does a good job of narrating and communicating her intentions and feelings. As she discovers the money is missing, she immediately displays her disgust and anger with facial expressions. Upon opening the empty paper she looks away, and gives a deep sigh filled with contempt, she immediately after tosses the paper. She then gets up and turns to the door, in this manner she communicates the urgency of the situation. As an audience we know she is determined to resolve the issue at hand. Before leaving she turns to comfort and reassure her son, this communicates to the audience that she is a loving, sensitive and caring woman. She then re-establishes her determination and strength by walking out the door to hunt down the man that stole her money. Her performance can be classified as effective, appropriate and strong. The lighting and composition help set the serious and somber mood of the situation. The lighting is dark and opaque while the composition is simple, barren and not at all ornate, the composition does not distract from the narrative.