The Role of Mise-en-Scène and Lighting in Creating a Mysterious and Enigmatic Atmosphere in David Fincher's Crime Cinema (Films: Se7en, Fight Club, and Zodiac)

Abstract

The central issue of this study is to examine the role of architecture, lighting, and mise-en-scène in creating suspense and psychological instability among audiences of David Fincher’s crime cinema, with a specialized focus on three films: Se7en (1995), Fight Club (1999), and Zodiac (2007). The statistical population consisted of 278 expert audiences in the fields of cinema, architecture, and psychology, selected through standardized environmental anxiety assessment questionnaires, as well as 12 semi-structured interviews. The sampling was purposeful, drawn from among graduates and professionals related to the subject areas. The research employed a mixed-methods approach (qualitative–quantitative) and utilized tools such as structuralist semiotic analysis, Gestalt psychology, Freud’s theory of the uncanny space, and Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space. Questionnaire data were analyzed using descriptive and qualitative statistical tests, while the interviews were examined through thematic content analysis. The findings indicate that the use of low-contrast lighting, tight framing, narrow and repetitive architectural spaces, cold color palettes, and industrial set design significantly increased viewers' feelings of anxiety, suspense, and cognitive engagement (p < 0.01). These findings confirm that architecture and mise-en-scène in Fincher’s works do not merely function as a background, but actively contribute to narrative development and the viewer's psychological experience. Moreover, field data reveal that audiences associated these cinematic spaces—even outside the filmic context—with feelings of insecurity, threat, and criminality. This feedback suggests that cinematic representations of enigmatic spaces can have implications for urban planning and architecture, serving as a cautionary tool to avoid reproducing unsafe environments in contemporary cities. These results are applicable in set design, film criticism, environmental psychology, and the design of safe urban and architectural environments.