How is the character of Pinkie established with the use of mise-en-scene?

Mise-en-scene is everything that is placed in front of the camera which is there to set emotions and themes for the audience. This includes setting; lighting; costume and make up; figure expression and props.

Mise-en-scene is used to establish the character of Pinkie in Brighton Rock by the use of costume. He generally wears a suit and a trench coat. The coat has a popped collar which hides his face. This indicates that he is a mysterious character who is hiding himself from people as in reality he is part of the "mob". He has a slicked back hair style which can mean that he is all about the business.

Also, the use of lighting can reflect on the character. Most of the time, Pinkie is hidden in the shadows and if he's not - he's hiding behind his popped collar. This shows that he is not open to people and doesn't want to interact with others much. When he murders a man, the lighting goes from bright to dark which is known as a pathetic fallacy. This means that something bad has happened/is going to happen in the future.

Pinkie is also shown to be dangerous because of the things he carries around with him. He's seen wielding a switchblade which symbolises who he is. He's obviously part of the underground and dangerous groups in Brighton but he has to keep this hidden from day to day people - a lot like the knife. It looks okay until the blade pops out.

The setting is ironic. Brighton is considered a happy and bright place but this film has very dark themes and ideas. There is a scene in which Pinkie is murdering a man underneath the Brighton Pier while everyone goes about their average lives.
In conclusion, Pinkie is a very dark character who is a bit of a maverick. He's erratic and doesn't think about his actions but he is very dangerous and can and will hurt a person if he needs too.