Use of mise en scene techniques in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"

One of the key themes explored in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is the tension between who we are and who we would like to be. The filmmaker Ben Stiller uses a number of interesting mise en scene techniques to show the dullness and loneliness surrounding Walter in the early part of the story as well as the contrast with the type of life he would like to have.

Towards the beginning of the film, we are introduced to Walter, who lives a dull and lonely life. In several shots the director Ben Stiller combines the techniques of an overhead camera angle and the closed form showing a confined space to convey powerlessness and a sense of being trapped. The use of muted colors adds to the sense of how dull his life is.

In another early scene we see Walter walking down the hallway of his apartment building with his back to the camera.  In this scene the filmmaker uses the technique of dominant contrast to draw the viewer's eyes to the lonely small figure of Walter walking down the hall. The majority of the shot is occupied by the broad blank wall, symbolizing how walled in his life is. The color that we are seeing is all shades of gray, which further adds to the impression his life is drab and cold.

 

The filmmaker uses techniques of superimposition of images and iconocgraphical shot, to show the difference between who Walter is and who he is dreaming about being. In one early scene, Walter is in his office hallway where he has a socially awkward "missed encounter" with Cheryl, an attractive co worker. As soon as things with Cheryl go south, Walter enters his fantasy zone and imagines himself as rugged mountain climber introducing himself to Cheryl. In his fantasy they are flirting. Ben Stiller uses the technique of superimposition of images to show the real Walter watching the fantasy Walter being successful with women. In another shot we see Walter running past a series of Life magazine covers showing many famous people. At the end of the scene Walter runs past a cover image of himself as an astronaut. This iconocgraphical choice shows both the real Walter and the fantasy of the man he would like to be in the same scene.



In conclusion, the  mise en scene techniques that the filmmaker Ben Stiller used in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" helped us understand how Walter felt trapped in a boring and lonely life, as well as how he envisioned his life and how it might become. Through the course of the movie Walter discovers how to become as brave as he was in his fantasies, and finds the purpose of life.