Summer Reading: The Five Elements of Mis En Scene in "The Namesake"

Settings and Props: The opening scene of the film is set in the hustle and bustle of the Calcutta train station; a railway porter is carrying a large suitcase (and larger bundle is stacked on top of it) over his head that reads “A. Ganguli” and “Calcutta” in smaller letters underneath of it.  Once inside the train, the interior of the train appears old and worn; the seats are wooden. Ashoke is seen placing his four-layer tiffin carrier in the bunk above. The woman seated next to him is fanning herself with a hand fan (conveys an uncomfortable environment with the heat and mugginess) and her daughter holds a porcelain doll. Ghosh takes out a bottle of cologne and carelessly puts some one his neck. Ashoke is then seen holding a tattered copy of The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol and the woman is reading as well as Ghosh engages in conversation with Ashoke. There are short nature shots of the rural land that the train passes by. Later on Ghosh is carrying a toothbrush and a washcloth as he makes his way back to his seat. He is later seen holding a flask and takes a big drink out of it. When the accident occurs we see a light flashing, Ghosh’s flask, and belongings tumbling down.

Costume, Hair, and Makeup: All the railway porters are dressed in red tunics and light colored turbans. Everyone else including Ashoke is dressed in casual clothing. On the train, the woman seated by Ashoke is wearing a red sari with yellow, brown, and light colored stripe and Ghosh is wearing business casual clothing (and some wire-rimmed glasses)—signifying his status as a businessman. The woman is wearing a modest amount of jewelry (a single bangle, a watch, and a few rings) and minimal makeup. Ashoke appears to be dressing for comfort as his shirt and trousers are loose fitting and made of a soft fabric. Ghosh, although of a higher status, does not appear to be concerned with his appearance as he undresses to his undershirt and some loose fitting pants later on in the evening revealing his potbelly.

Facial Expressions and Body Language: Ashoke holds a mild facial expression for the most part, however, at some points, he faintly laughs in response to Ghosh’s questions and remarks. The woman seated next to Ashoke has a blank expression (as she puts her hand on her daughter’s shoulder, this is the intimate zone reserved for family) probably due to her daughter’s feelings. Her daughter is lying down with her head rested on her mother’s lap and her expression conveys boredom, tiredness, and despondency. Ashoke sits upright and cross-legged at first as he is reading his book, but lies down on his side later on in the evening to get more comfortable. Ghosh and Ashoke speak rather loudly because the sound of the train is overwhelming. Later on in the evening, Ghosh leans in closer as he talks to Ashoke (when Ashoke is lying down) and uses his hands as he talks (widening the space between his hands as he talks about England and America). As he says, “it was like a dream” he turns his head off into the distance and the audience sees a glimmer of light in his eyes, appearing dazed by his memories. He smiles occasionally as he speaks and Ashoke looks at him in astonishment. As he says “to each his own” he raises his flask to show courtesy. As the accident occurs, everyone is screaming and struggling to escape, thrashing and flaying their bodies.

Lighting and Color: The lighting used is low-key lighting as the entire clip consists of Ashoke’s flashback to a horrible accident.  The lighting becomes even darker as night falls (there is sharp contrast between light and dark areas), foreshadowing the impending accident.  As the accident occurs, the lights flash and chaos ensues, then suddenly, there is silence and the scene cuts to black signifying the end of the flashback.

Positioning of Characters/Objects within the Frame: The opening scene is a point of view shot from Ashoke’s view as he is walking in the crowded train station with the porter walks in front of him, holding his luggage. Then there is a medium shot of Ashoke to show his struggle to makes his way around the huge crowd that surrounds him. Throughout the train ride, there are frequent long shots of the rural land that the train is passing through. Inside the train, the audience sees a medium shot of the seating area and then a subsequent close up of the little girl who is falling asleep. During the dialogue between Ghosh and Ashoke, a combination of medium and close up shots are used. A medium shot interrupts the scene as Ghosh as is walking through the aisle on the train (probably making his way back from the bathroom). A shot of a different surrounding outside is seen, as the train is moving quickly, the lights outside are flashing by in the night. There are frequent over-the-shoulder shots of Ashoke during his conversation with Ghosh. As the accident occurs, the camera switches angles multiple time from close ups of the ceiling light, to Ghosh’s flask, to medium shots of Ghosh, and Ashoke. The swift changes between angles as the train is shaking feverishly helps capture all the chaos.