Opinion Piece: Dissecting In Order To Not Be Here

The experimental film, In Order Not to Be Here (2002) makes use of mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound design in order to establish the universal theme of escapism where everybody is constantly trying to escape the hardships and suffering of reality.  The plot of the film revolves around a runaway criminal involved in a shooting. At the end of the film, it is established that the running man that is featured is the criminal trying to make an escape by putting the house on fire and running away from the scene.  These elements can be interpreted symbolically, allowing the running man to represent the individual self and allowing the police that he is running from to represent the suffering of reality itself; we are constantly trying to escape the hardships and unhappiness of life.  Celes states “escapism occurs when you try to avoid something… some people escape by… activities such as sleeping and playing. Some drown themselves in work. Some immerse themselves in addiction, such as emotional eating, smoking, alcohol or even drugs”. 

Through the use of mise-en-scene, the film helps to provide a visual depiction of the hardships and suffering that one is constantly trying to escape.  Lighting is a very important element as it helps to establish a contrast between reality and fantasy through juxtaposing shots of the exterior settings and the interior settings.  The shots that take place indoors are well lit and bright whereas the settings outside are more dark and eerie having very low or subtle lighting.  The indoor settings have a symbolical meaning of a fantasy world, a world in which one goes to escape the hardships of reality.  In one shot, the view of the inside of the home is shown from the perspective outside; the interior is well lit and the blinds are pulled open to reveal the inside of the home while the outside is pitch darkness with the only lighting coming from the home.  This shot clearly defines the contrast between the outside world and the inside through the differences in lighting, allowing the inside to represent an intangible safe haven for the viewer.  Through the idea of escapism, people attempt to leave their everyday struggles through acts like drinking, smoking, partying, and sex.  According to Stress, Escapism and Patterns of Alcohol and Drug Use, “Escapist drinking is thus learned, intentional behavior.  The drinker wishes to escape from an external situation or internal state…becoming intoxicated may lead to a pleasant emotional change” explaining that in order to “escape” or “run away” from the real world, people result to alcohol and or other methods of temporary happiness.  By involving oneself into these acts, they are able to obtain this fantasy world: the bright interior, escaping the pure darkness of reality: the outside world. 

Cinematography also plays a big role in expressing the concept of escapism within the film.  Many of the shots are done by handheld which allow each frame to be slightly unsteady, giving off uneasy tension.  Within one scene, Straton uses a following shot in order to display the point of view of the searching policemen; the camera is following the searchlights around the house. In reference to Einstein and Horror, Oeley states that “What appears monstrous to a character in the fiction can also take shape through what appears monstrous to the critic – the iteration of an oppressive logic of identity that inhabits the very codes of the narration, enabling it to create, out of logic’s disturbance, the story-world monster”, explaining that the audience is able to put themselves into the perspective of the main character, allowing the fear of the characters to become their own fears.  In this case, this following shot allows the audience to see the perspective of the criminal, evoking the fear of being found. 

Works Cited

Sadava, S. W., R. Thistle, and R. Forsyth. "Stress, Escapism and Patterns of Alcohol and Drug Use." Journal of Studies on Alcohol 39.5 (1978): 725-36. Web.

@celestinechua. "What Are You Running Away From? (Dealing with Escapism)." Personal Excellence. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.