Intro to Mise en Scene of 'The Piano'

‘The Piano’ uses Mise en Scene to create various tones throughout the film. Mise en scene is how the cinematographer or the director frames the shot and everything in it. It is particularly prevalent in the scene happening at 01:32:02. In this scene Alisdair hacks off Ada’s finger with an axe after he learns she has seen George again against his orders. The scene is a very important and is, depending on how you look at it, the climax of the film. Through lighting, costume, props and performance the scene creates an impacting scene by the means of mise en scene.