"Flash Gordon" - Ferraro

Dir: Michael Hodges
Year: 1980

"Flash Gordon"

Another "On Demand" pick. I chose this movie because after what I read in the book, I figured this might be a good example of the whole "mise-en-scene".

Speaking of which, since that's the topic this week, I won't mention anything about the lousy writing and the lame acting. Let's just talk about what creates the movie. This story is set in where else but the famously visited outer space. Obviously there's no movie sets on Mars, so you go to the next best thing: studios. The entirety of the film takes place on various planets, with geologic structures that are clearly not of Earth's (take the pointy mountains on planet Mongo for example. Reminds you of Transylvania, but surely we have nothing like that anywhere in our world). Color also plays an important part with the setting. In the beginning of the film, football legend Flash Gordon is waiting for a plane ride home, flirting with eventual gal-pal Dale Arden, in regular everyday Earth life. The tone here is set as if it were any other average film that wasn't sci-fi; normal ground, normal air, specifically normal coloring. Even the coloring filter is desaturated to present "normal" life. It isn't until the Earth is under attack and our heroes are sent into space by Dr. Zarkov is when the colors become vibrant, and even symbolic. The change from "normal" desaturation to "colorful" high intensity indicates the change from regular Earth to the comic-book world that the Flash Gordon character is associated with, from the multi-colored skies to the shining, colorful costumes everyone wears. Colors here even describe the settings: Emperor Ming's castle and planet is red, which represents evil (furthermore, his daughter Aura started out wearing red leather outfits as she followed her father's orders, and even when it came to seducing Flash. But near the end as she starts leaning towards Flash's side, the color of her clothing begins to lighten up. Before the wedding she is wearing pink, and at the end, now on the side of justice, she is wearing pure white). The Hawkmen's planet is blue with a crystal white palace, clearly representing the good guys. Finally, there's green, which obviously represents Prince Vultan's forest-like planet.

Aside from seizure-inducing color themes, this movie also includes human figures. Michael Hodges casts Sam J. Jones as the title character. Jones is tall, blonde, athletic, and every bit masculine. A skinny, nerdy, nervous type man wouldn't pass as a hero who will "save us all." His girlfriend, Dale Arden, played by Melody Anderson, is beautiful, busty, and always scantily dressed with big heels (appropriate attire in an apocalyptic situation). She doesn't pass as the damsel by looks alone. She is also clingy and is always grabbing onto Flash in a frightening situation, or if he isn't there, she even needs the protection of touch of Dr. Zarkov, who moments ago, she considered "a crazy scientist". Therefore, she passes as the pitiful woman.

Hodges also makes good use of figure placement: Near the beginning, Ming briefly takes control of Dale's mind. The camera is placed behind him as he faces Dale, moving his hand to control her body movements. During this, the hand is floating over Dale (who is actually set in the center of the stage) so it looks as if he's literally got her by the palm of his hand. It clearly states his control over her. Also, Hodges makes use of lighting here, focusing on Dale being mind-controlled as Flash and Zarkov stand in the dark background watching helplessly. Lighting can be seen in the dungeon scene as well. Clearly, Flash is the focus as he is tied up and has his head covered. The light is focused on him, but everyone else is in the shadows, their only source of light coming from the torches.

Although this movie is laughably lousy, I will admit that Hodges makes great use of the mise-en-scene structures to bring this movie alive.