Described by C.H Newell as ‘a surreal journey through the lifestyle of the rich and the bored’, Frank Perry’s The Swimmer (1968) is a film that explores the life of Ned Merrill (Burt Lancaster) and his quest to swim back home through the series of swimming pools that punctuate his neighbourhood. Simultaneously we witness the reality of Ned’s s social descent into the lower classes and his refusal to believe so.
The sequence featuring the large party uses mise-en-scene figuratively and literally, shaping and emphasising the theme of social class. The scene begins with Ned looking across at the pool party, witnessing guests enjoying themselves not only around the pool itself but also under a massive glass conservatory (Fig.1). Through this décor, along with the clearly visible bartenders, social status is immediately established. An important aspect to point out during this shot is the use of framing. Ned is directly staring at the busy on-going party with multiple guests, yet nobody acknowledges him despite him being out in the open. It is as if although Ned is present, there is still a sense of detachment between him and everybody else. This use of mise-en-scene can be interpreted as the disparity between Ned and the upper middle class to which he once belonged. Newell highlights how the guests are so consumed by their carefree, decadent lifestyle, so completely engulfed by the idea of status that Ned is ‘openly ostracised’ whilst he is there (Newell). In some sense this can be regarded as almost parodic. It’s as though he is mocked for even setting foot in such an exclusive and bourgeois party.
The sheer exaggeration of the décor and props such as the overrsized bowl of caviar the guests seem to be fighting over and the huge conservatory above is also satirical and is what we instantly notice. It is a constant reminder of the conspicuous wealth of the suburbanites. The overly extravagant use of this mise- en-scene is what further accentuates the distance between Ned and that upper middle class lifestyle but also reminds us that Ned was also once part of that group as he attempts to re-integrate himself within it.
This point of being so occupied by status is reinforced through framing once we see Mr. Biswanger flaunting his wealthy lifestyle to four other guests as the conservatory above dominates the majority of the frame (Fig. 2). The lowered positioning of Mr. Biswanger and his guests draws attention to the towering structure above, further accentuating their wealth and how almost obsessed and immersed the characters are within the idea of social status.
As the sequence continues, Ned’s misfit position and detachment from the upper middle class becomes more apparent and Burt Lancaster’s performance during this scene disarmingly emphasises that. He casually wanders into the party and while interacting with Mrs. Biswanger, Ned expects her to be happy to see him. He maintains full eye contact and responds promptly to her comments but she quickly disregards him (Fig. 3). His eyes then begin to look away, around the area and the delivery of the dialogue becomes slower with more pauses, creating an uncomfortable moment. John Gibbs describes how ‘a great deal of significance can be bound up in the way in which a line is delivered or where an actor is looking at a particular moment’ (12), and Ned’s actions are a clear indicator that he is beginning to feel more and more of an outcast.
His awkward acting not only bleeds into the remainder of the time he spends at the party but remains until the end of the film as he slowly discovers reality. Ned’s encounter with one of the guests at the party called Joan further reinforces his inability to fit in and reintegrate. Towards the end of their conversation Joan is pulled away from Ned who is left again shown feeling like an outcast through the awkward movement of his eyes and body language as he returns to wandering around before finally diving into the pool. However, despite these awkward interactions and his clearly uncomfortable body language, Ned continues to repress and avoid acknowledging the real situation he is in, which contrasts what he ostensibly says.
Another aspect to consider is Ned’s lack of clothing. His costume consists of just a pair of navy swim short forces him to stand out amongst the party guests who are all fully clothed. This use of mise-en-scene makes him appear vulnerable and coupled with Lancaster’s awkward performance continues to portray him as an outsider. In some sense, this costume choice also symbolises Ned’s loss, foreshadowing the ending of the film. His nudity links to the loss of his family, home and his social milieu at the film’s conclusion.
Benshoff and Griffin describe how ‘America takes pride in considering itself a ‘“classless”’ society’ through this idea of the ‘American Dream’ yet ‘it is wrong to think that nation has no class issues’ (168). The Swimmer explores and deals with this very real topic. The film as a whole demonstrates Ned’s social decline and this sequence in particular portrays and emphasises that gap between him and the upper middle class through the mise-en-scene. Despite his attempt to continue to cling to his former lifestyle, he struggles like many others in reality and ultimately is outcast, the fact that is confirmed at the end of the film.
References
Benshoff, H. and Griffin, S. American on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality at the Movies. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
Gibbs, John, Mise-en-scene: Film Style and Interpretation. London: Wallflower Press, 2002.
Newell, C.H. ‘The Swimmer: Decadence, Decay and The American Dream. filminquiry.com. 2016. Web. 14 Mar. 2020.
Ishita Sharma is a BA Hons Films Studies student at QMUL. From London, she is a founding member and the vice president of the Queen Mary Cinema Society. She plans to produce films while also work in film research and is a classical pianist.
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