Scene analysis

Scenes from the movie : Girl, Interrupted 

SCENE 1: 

https://youtu.be/Gnpxe9kO_V8

camerawork is used in the opening POV shot showing barred windows and Lisa getting out of a police car, this suggests that Susannah feels imprisoned and trapped in this place, this creates a representation of mental wellbeing in the 1960s not being looked at as an actual illness and rather as a police matter. 

A zooming in close up shot of Georgina's facial expression is then seen where she looks scared of Lisa foreshadowing that something bad is about to happen and that Lisa is potentially dangerous. This creates representation of the stereotype that mentally ill people are bad and to be feared. 

Mise En Scene is used to further suggest the feeling of imprisonment through Susannah's clothes, she is wearing a black and white stripy top similar to that of a prisoner's uniform, reinforcing the representation that the mentally ill should be locked up away from society.

A low angle shot of Lisa suggests authority and dominance over Susannah, this is also shown through diegetic sound of Lisa shouting that everyone are victims meaning that they are all weak and she is better and stronger than them, representative of the women's rights movements happening in the 60s and women finally gaining a little control, We could say this was showing Lisa as an anti-stereotype as well as a stereotypical woman because women were seen as the more emotional and over dramatic gender which she clearly conforms to, but women were also to listen to orders and not be loud and aggressive as this wasn't seen as feminine behaviour, so where she is shouting and asserting dominance over Susannah this is clearly Un stereotypical for females in the 1960s. 

SCENE 2:

https://youtu.be/6VhCGQODB5U

sound is used through the intense, fast paced non diegetic music and, the overlapping voices of Susannah's shouting and the echoing laughs, this creates meaning that maybe Susannah feels like she is in a nightmare that she cannot escape as her shouting suggests she is trying to wake herself up, 

There is a cat in this scene, which is almost black, this creates meaning because black cats can be symbolism of spiritual protectors, suggesting that the cat is there to protect Susannah in her nightmare.

After Lisa reads about her eyes being empty, there is a close up shot of her facial expression where she looks up at Susannah with an evil look her eyes suggesting that she feels betrayed and wants to hurt her.

Mise en scene is used when Lisa walks into the light, she is wearing an all-white nightdress with the light shining down on her, this could be compared to an angel however, this idea is juxtaposed when she says, "I'm playing the villain baby, just like you want". This then further touches on Susannah's feelings of being in a nightmare. 

camerawork is used when it follows Susannah running down the hall looking for an escape whilst Lisa chases after her, this is common theme in nightmares when someone is chasing you, suggesting that Susannah feels trapped in her own mind.