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Although the average viewer is rarely conscious of it, mise-en-scene is both a powerful and important cinematic technique in film. Mise-en-scene allows the director to guide the viewer s attention to what they should be looking at so that important details are not missed and trivial details are not focused on. Many effective elements of mise-en-scene are illustrated in the white room scene in The Matrix, in which directors Andy and Larry Wachowski use only minimal setting, costume, and staging in a very effective way. Quite often, film scenes are filled with a variety of props and have rich, textured backgrounds. This scene, in contrast, is played out in an empty, white room with minimal props; two chairs, a television, a table, and a remote control. The television looks like an old set from the nineteen-sixties, perfectly normal except for the fact that there are no wires coming out the back.
The old, Victorian red leather chairs have wooden faces carved into the ends of the arms. The props are placed symmetrically in a small part of the white space. The chairs are on either side of the television with the small table sitting between them. The Wachowski brothers rely on a limited palette of colours in their setting; the dark reds and browns of the set pieces create a startling contrast with the stark white background. The background plays with the viewer s sense of depth, as well. The television is in the foreground with the table and chairs behind it, but with no horizon line it is impossible to tell where the space ends, if it ends at all.
It also provides a contrast to the next scene, in which the same props and characters are dropped into the present-day earth, with a grey and black background. This contrast corresponds with the theme of illusion versus reality in the film. Despite it s sparseness, the setting makes a significant contribution to the mise-en-scene. Another important element of mise-en-scene is costume. Neo is dressed entirely in black while Morpheus is wearing an expensive black suit with a green tie. The green is part of a motif in the film.
Green is used heavily in early scenes to represent the artificiality of the world; the matrix code is written in green. Morpheus tie is a reminder of the artifice of their world. Morpheus is also wearing a pair of sunglasses with mirrored lenses. When Morpheus and Neo are talking, Neo s reflection can be seen in Morpheus sunglasses. The dark costumes, like the props, stand in contrast with the white background. They also blend in when they are dropped in present-day earth, although like the props, they look incredibly out of place in the drab, dead surroundings.
The staging of the actors also has an effect on mise-en-scene. When Neo enters the alternate world he is standing completely alone until he swings around to find Morpheus standing far behind him. For the majority of the scene Neo and Morpheus are standing incredibly far apart, with one character in the foreground, while the other is in deep space. Morpheus is often seen standing at the far end of the shot while there is no one standing where you would expect Neo to be. This plays with the symmetry of the scene. When Neo finally does enter the space they are standing at opposite ends of the shot.
The staging of the scene is clearly meant to reinforce the distance between the two characters, particularly Neo s uneasiness towards Morpheus. Mise-en-scene is essential to any film. In the white room scene in The Matrix, the stark white background, anachronistic setting, and green and black costumes reinforce the emptiness and artificiality of the matrix, while the distance in the staging of Neo and Morpheus underlines Neo s reluctance to trust and believe in Morpheus. Working together, the setting, costume, and staging demonstrate that even the most minimal mise-en-scene can create a powerful effect.
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Research essay sample on Mise En Scene Present Day
