Mise-en-Scene Written Analysis - American Beauty

Mise-en-Scene Written Analysis

American Beauty

Colour:

The colour of the woman's clothing on the left represents a link between the situation with in the scene and the Mise-en-Scene that is present. The character appears to be wearing blue which can symbolise depression. The type of clothing is formal and therefore shows that she has responsibility. Additionally, the layout of the table such as the cloths can suggest that the character prepared the table and the meal. This represents the character as inferior as the character is to follow a stereotypical domestic housewife lifestyle by preparing the family meal as well as dressing to please the family, especially the husband. However, the clothing of the characters are all dark in colour which could represent that there is a tension with in the family. This could suggest that they are of less importance in this specific scene and they are not meant to be focused on. The daughter in the centre of the image however is wearing slightly brighter coloured clothing compared to her parents, which suggests that the focus of the scene is on her. Bright colours could suggest she is of higher importance in this specific scene and that we are meant to give our attention to her. The red flowers in the middle of the table may suggest that the young girl has poor mental state. This is because red is a colour that is often associated with evil, anger or pain. The grey colour of the background represents a dull theme and or could also emphasise the importance of the young female character as the colours of her and the background are separate. 

 

Facial Expressions:

Facial expressions of a character expresses how they are feeling. As there are but three characters in the still image, three different facial expressions are portrayed. The mother in the picture appears to be very uncomfortable as she has a blank, but slightly aggravated facial expression as she stares at the father/husband. This shows that there is tension in the marital relationship. The daughter in the centre of the image appears having an agitated and aggravated facial expression, similarly to the mother. The character is directing herself right back at the father again which emphasises that she might be involved in the tension with in the family. In comparison to the female characters, the father character appears to have a joyous facial expression. This is due to the character smiling which could suggest laughter. This emphasises that the character is either trying to lighten the mood with laughter and fun, or is not taking the situation revolved around the image seriously.

 

Framing:

The characters are all within the frame and are clearly displayed in the image. All the characters are sat around the same table. The table consists of the mother positioned on the far left, the daughter in the centre and the father on the far right.  This gives us the idea that their is discomfort between the family and that the girl is caught in the middle of arguing between the parents. A reason to why the characters have such a large distance from each other is probably because the young female character appears sinister and mischievous, therefore the parents are aware of this and attempt to keep their distance from their own daughter. This links to the idea of there being tension within the family.

 

Lighting:

The lighting used in the image highlights which characters are of high importance. The daughter, who is positioned in the centre of the frame is clearly being lit up by the candles placed in front of her. The lighting suggests that she is of most importance and is the soul of the family. Whereas the parents, who are positioned to the far left and right of the image are sat within the darkness which emphasises the negativity of the relationship. The darkened lighting surrounding the parents suggests that they are of less importance compared to their daughter. Again, this shows that the only light of the image is the candles reflecting the light upon the daughter making her of high importance.

 

Body Language and Posture:

Each character in this image posses their own body features/posture. The young girl in the middle has her elbows on the table may suggest that she has bad manors, especially since she is currently at the dinner table eating. In contrast to this, both of her parent's arms are positioned lower down with their elbows avoiding contact with the top of the table. This suggests that they have much better manors that their daughter. Both the daughter and her father are avoiding eye contact with the mother which suggests that she is emotionally rejected by the rest of the family. Finally, in terms of body posture, he father's fists are clenched. This is suggestive of the idea that the father is not presenting his true emotion upon his face. He appears to smiling ad enjoying himself yet his hands would suggest anger or rage.

Props:
There are only a few essential props within this scene. The first is the wine bottle. It is located very close to the women which may suggest that she is a heavy drinker. This may be due to a failing relationship with her husband or the fact that it appears her daughter is rejecting her. The positioning of the flowers in front of the young girl give us the idea that she is the only life on the table but requires looking after. A lot of the items on the table appear to be crystal or glass, this suggests that the family is likely wealthy. 

Hair and Make-Up:
The hair and makeup of the mother suggests that she may spend a considerable amount of time on making her self appealing. This can be identified by he short haircut and contrasting makeup. In contrast to this is the daughter in the middle. She has a very simple hairstyle (pony tail) and very simple makeup. This may suggest innocence however the bright red lip stick is quite sinister. The fact that she is wearing makeup at all may suggest that she is to act or at least appear as an adult. The man has a short and formal haircut which h may suggest that he is a business man. It is clear that his hair is receding which makes it clear that he may be under a lot of stress either due to his job or his family.
Clothing / Costume:
The final factor is clothing. Both of the parents are wearing very formal, plain and colourless clothing. Even though this may suggest that they are boring people or that they live a dull life, it may also hint at the idea that they possess a high quality of wealth. The clothing of the young girl is typical of a child. It is brightly coloured and very casual, especially compared to her parents.