In ‘The Godfather’, mise-en-scene is sometimes used to express the impact of a certain scene on the overall narrative of the movie. For example, in this scene, the godfather is shot by a rival gang member. The birds eye view shot highlights the movie’s setting in New York (classic New York sidewalk and drain), this reinforces the affect in which the Godfather getting shot will have on the streets of New York. The visceral imagery of the fresh oranges spilt over the street floor may reflect the disruption in order/ formality that the shooting may cause for the Corleone family.


In this scene, Coppola uses mise-en-scene to develop the characterisation of all the characters involved, however, most importantly the Godfather. The lighting within this scene is quite dim, casting shadows over much of the room. This causes the characters to come across as sombre and serious, as the lighting also offers an almost judging and suspicious undertone. The furniture used within this scene demonstrates the opulent lifestyle in which the Godfather lives. In addition, the placement of the characters within this scene insights into the workings of the Corleone family; the Godfather is placed in the centre of the screen, highlighting his importance above the others. He is also the only character facing the camera, furthering the idea that he has the most power over that scene. Lastly, the costumes used within this scene (extremely smart suits) adds to the sombre tone, with an almost complete lack of colour except for the Godfather’s rose attached to the lapel of his suit. This rose may connotate love and passion for his family, above his dark personality (or black suit).

Mise en Scene is presented in The Matrix through the pale-green lighting through out the whole movie, triggering an uncomfortable mood in the audience and eerie atmosphere. In the slow-motion bullet fight scene, mise en scene is used with how Neo’s costume is presented. The black suit and glasses give a sense of control and confidence in the character’s way of handling the situation while the camera’s focus on the bullets highlights the danger while his posture implies how much security he has over the situation. The background being almost empty makes the audience focus on Neo and the bullets and makes them stand out instead of focusing on other objects around the room. Neo’s presence in this scene also gives a sense of power due to his calm personality and approach while handling this situation.

One film that I believe features excellent techniques and Mise-en-scene is Joker.

One method the director used throughout the film was low-key and Chiaroscuro lighting in scenes. Doing this creates a dark environment and adds to the character’s personality. The film also uses dark blues and reds to convey the emotion of sadness and anger, which the character significantly represents.

This film also uses long shots throughout the whole film. However, they were used at the beginning to show the audience how lonely and isolated The Joker is. While at the end of the film, they had long shots to show the audience the number of people supporting him and the crimes that he has committed.

Another way that the director used Mise-en-scene to convey emotion is through costume and makeup. The use of the Joker’s costume (a suit) gave a sense of false hope that he is sane and well put together. However, his clown makeup gives a sense of lost childhood and immature nature.

Another forte that the director did well was the use of props. One of the most wildly used props was the help of a mask. This was to show the audience how The Joker was hiding behind a mask for most of his life and that now the mask has become who he is.

The last thing that the director did was help the actor portray emotion through facial expressions. Using his fingers to create a fake smile effectively shows the audience how he does not know how to feel emotions and makes the audience feel very uncomfortable.

Using all of these micro and macro elements, the director was able to successfully create a memorable character and a beautiful aesthetic movie.