AKIRA KUROSAWA'S MISE-EN-SCÈNE DESIGN: THE EXAMPLE OF THE FILM "DREAMS"

Abstract

This article examines Akira Kurosawa's film "Dreams" through a qualitative mise-en-scène analysis that focuses solely on its visual and cinematographic choices. Two episodes selected from the eight dream episodes in the film were chosen as the sample for the study, and each episode was analyzed systematically based on two main parameters and their subcategories: (1) Framing, Composition, and Spatial Arrangement, (2) Lighting, Color, and Visual Arrangement. Coding and scene analysis of the selected shots reveal that Kurosawa constructs the dream experience not only at the narrative level but also through the design of the frame, the color palette and the dramaturgy of color, and the position of the camera.