Staiger Article

1. Both Mala Noche and The Discipline of DE employ the use of black and white cinematography. In Mala Noche, Van Sant uses much higher contrast, creating a large stylistic difference between Discipline's even lighting. The mise-en-scene in Mala Noche is often cluttered with objects, such as all the scenes in the convenience store. Those objects are given attention by way of insert shots and close ups throughout. The Discipline of DE is very ordinary in its use of mise-en-scene, not going out of its way to show random objects in the frame. Mala Noche is much more frenetic and fluid than Discipline in its camerawork and editing. The camera is almost always moving and takes on a life of its own as opposed to the instructional-video feel of Discipline, which is mostly composed of static and observational shots.

2. While Mala Noche is essentially a story of ill-fated love, Van Sant's storytelling methods differ greatly from that of the Classical Hollywood narrative. Beyond it being a story of homosexual attraction, which is atypical of the Classical Hollywood narrative, it is told episodically, with only the love story stringing together each scene.

3. The process of creation is often done through imitation of preceding works. It is the unique combination of what's come before that gives an author his signature. An author may be considered to be a minority when his creation differs from that of the expected. It can be separated from the usual and set into a less dominant category.

4. Creation of alter egos: When the author uses characters to express his personal views.
Silence: When the author makes a statement by making a noticeable effort to not speak of it.
Repetition: Frequently recycling ideas or visuals the author finds interest in.
Recombination: Taking classical ideas and applying them to minority concepts.
Inversion: When the viewer's expectations are intentionally broken by the author.
Accentuation: Commenting on ideas by outlining contradictions in them.

5. Staiger comments on the critical over-analysis on Van Sant's intentions in using Shakespeare. This speculation may be attempting to give Van Sant's film a perspective it wasn't meant to communicate.

6. Van Sant identifies with the gay minority, but does not want to be pegged as a "gay filmmaker" since his intention is to explore more than that single aspect of his characters.

7. Using irony gives Van Sant a voice as the author. He can remove himself from the action and comment on it through his artistic choices as a filmmaker.

8. By taking the role played by the gay Anthony Perkins and giving it to the masculine Vince Vaughn and giving the gay Anne Heche a role played by Janet Leigh. Audiences are caught off-guard by these most likely intentionally unusual casting choices.