Introduction
Ingmar Bergman’s Persona is a drama film that tells the story of a nurse named Alma who is tasked with caring for a famous actress named Elisabet. Alma quickly realizes that Elisabet has mysteriously stopped speaking and has withdrawn into a catatonic state. As Alma tries to understand what caused this change in Elisabet, the two women form a strange bond. The mise-en-scene of Persona is essential to understanding the film’s themes of identity, communication, and isolation.
Analysis of Mise-en-Scene in Persona
Symbolism
The film’s opening shot is a close-up of a human eye, which immediately sets a voyeuristic tone. The camera then cuts to a close-up of Elisabet’s face, which is expressionless and blank. This shot establishes Elisabet as the film’s enigmatic protagonist. It uses a variety of symbols to express various concepts.
Hands and eyes are two of the most often used symbols. The concepts of love, communication, death, truth, and falsehoods are all represented by hands and eyes, respectively. The film’s symbolism is crucial since it aids in the profound creation of meaning and comprehension for the audience.
Hands
The hand shot could symbolize many things. Hands can create a sense of intimacy or distance between characters. In Persona, Bergman uses hands to create a sense of intimacy between Elisabet and Alma. Alma is shown washing and caring for Elisabet’s hands throughout the film. This use of hands creates a sense of intimacy and connection between the two women and highlights Alma’s care and concern for Elisabet.
Hands also symbolize the connection between Alma and Elisabet, the fragility of life, or the power of communication. In the context of the film, the hands likely represent the deep connection between Alma and Elisabet (Textbook, 49). Alma starts to experience a profound bond with Elisabet, highlighted through a close-up focusing on their hands. This framing underscores both the delicacy of life and the vulnerability of the hands. Alma has witnessed Elisabet’s comatose state. The power of communication can also be shown by hand. This is supported when the shot is shown in a close-up, emphasizing the importance of the hands, after Alma has begun to feel a deep connection to Elisabet.
Eyes
The second symbol seen in Persona is that of eyes. Eyes are often shown in close-up films and are used to express various emotions. For example, Alfred Hitchcock’s cinematic language video explores at around 1:12:00 the use of mirrors as discussed in the materials on Persona, in that Elisabet is shown looking at her reflection in a mirror. She has a blank expression, which could symbolize her internal turmoil and her lack of emotional connection with herself. In another scene, Elisabet looks at her son in the hospital. Her eyes are filled with tears, which could symbolize her grief and her sense of helplessness.
Boy
The boy in Persona may symbolize the innocence and potential of youth. He is shown in the film as being carefree and playful. He represents a time when anything is possible, and the future is full of hope and possibility. The boy’s innocence is contrasted with the dark and troubling experiences of Elisabet’s past. In this way, the boy may symbolize the hope that Elisabet clings to as she tries to make sense of her life.
Conclusion
Hands and eyes are used as symbols, as best seen in the scene where Alma attempts to converse with Elisabet. Alma gazes into Elisabet’s eyes while holding her hand. A close-up of their faces in the photograph conveys Alma’s helplessness. Both hands and eyes are used as symbols; hands stand for communication, and eyes stand for truth. The scene is crucial to the story because it gives the audience something to think about and grasp.