Commenting on the wonders of Mise-en-scène :)
When watching a movie one just watches, enjoys it or hates it, but we don't really put much thought into it. We don’t say “wow that costume is so accurate to the times'' or “That type of metal, seat, technology, etc. has not existed yet.” These little things that truly make the film are never noticed by a regular viewer. You know why? The production designers, makeup artists, costume designers, set builders, director of photography, etc., make the movie feel so natural and authentic that the viewer won't catch on to the little things. This is where we see Mise-en-scène. The wonderful stage design and arrangement of everything in a film thanks to people such the ones stated above creates the feeling from Mise-en-scène. That is why today we are going to be talking about somethings that contribute to this, but more specifically in an episode of the famous WandaVision.
In todays review, however, I will be commentating on only one episode; episode 3 “Now in color.” Just to give you a brief overview of the show (SPOILERS AHEAD), Wanda is a young Avenger or Superhero, who has just finished fighting a massive war with the rest of the avengers. Unfortunately, in one of the previous wars or battles, she loses her love interest, Vision. Vision is another avenger, which is an android (don't ask). Vision sacrificed himself to hopefully win the war but that did not cut it. In this show we see Wanda post war trying to deal with her emotions and work through them. Each episode has a different decade style. It starts in the 50’s all the way to 2010. In every episode you see different costumes, different furniture, accents, ways of shooting, etc. In this episode that I'm talking about we are looking at the 70's and pregnant Wanda. (How do a human and an android have a baby? Again. Don't ask.)
This poster is specifically for this episode. |
Essentially, I chose this episode and this show because of multiple things. Primarily, the show is considered a drama and my future project will most likely be a drama film. Moreover, Wanda is trying to live this perfect life even though it isn't perfect. (To help you understand, Wanda holds a small town hostage with her powers and makes them act as he friendly neighbors and follow this “script” she has. She does this since she just wanted to have a normal life with vision. ) Lastly, I chose episode three because it has one of the biggest transitions from episode two which is the 60’s so it was in black and white to the 70’s with a bunch of vibrant colors. Ok so now that you have a general understanding of what is going on, let's start looking at mise-en-scène.
Setting:
Welcome to the small town of Westview, New Jersey. (Where Wanda is keeping all these people hostage.) The time that this episode takes place is during the 70’s. We can tell due to the costumes, that later on I’ll comment on. Moreover, the use of technology and things that do or don't exist. Also the comments that are made. Knowing the season is a bit more difficult but one can imagine it could be fall or spring due to the attire of the characters. The main location during this episode and most episodes is their house. We see their yellow house and how it is furnished on the inside, which I will touch on in the staging section. Little details such as the old fashion cars are very important as well. You can't see a tesla in a 70’s show, that's just wrong. Bikes were also essential. For instance, we see Wanda and Vision riding a two seater bike, which is not as common nowadays, and later on we see Agatha with the picture perfect bike. It had a basket in the front with flowers filled to the brim. These all give you the cheerful emotion and also can insinuate that the town is small if you can use your bike to ride around. Moreover, we see little details around the location that make it feel like a town. Seeing some of the exterior of the buildings and the outside helps the audience understand the atmosphere of the small town. For instance, in the center of the town there is a gazebo making it feel very small and quaint like. In addition we see an ice cream man in the middle of the town and handing out ice cream fitting the perfect image of a small nice town. We also see the exterior of a baby store which is necessary so you understand that the couple is excited for their baby to arrive. The exterior of the baby store building had green trimming which is something we don't really see today so it sends you back into those times. Furthermore, the setting of the outside area where the neighbors’ live is completely different from those of Wanda's house. The neighbor’s houses in this episode are backdrops. They make this on purpose for the aesthetic of the 70’s sitcom look. This can seem like a regular detail, however, this detail contributes a lot to the old fashioned and less modern technology that we used to have when filming shows. It also presents the neighbors as people of unimportance and side characters, not main characters such as Wanda and Vision. Later on we see the setting of a filed, right outside of Westview, however, the audience at this point doesn't really know what or who is there so, the setting at this point is almost a mystery. All in all, the setting is very important because it is almost like an introduction to what is surrounding the character and how they relate to this location.
Costumes/Props:
We know how each decade has its looks, trends and styles, but we definitely know that the 70's had a very fun time with their clothing. Common things we see are vibrant colors, a lot of patterns, and longer hair lengths for both genders. Let's specifically start with Wanda and her outfits. To start her hair had changed from the 60’s. We see her hair become very long and straightened. This hairstyle was very common in the 70’s. Moreover, in the intro of the show we see her with pigtails as well. Now to the clothing; she mainly wore pinks, reds, blues, and yellows. The clothing would always have distinct patterns such as plaid and stripes. Another detail that I saw throughout all the women, if they were wearing earrings they were hoops whether it be small or big. However, these hoops were thicker and not thin like nowadays. She in particular had gold hoops. Her main outfit in this episode is a bright striped flowy dress with some high brown boots. Her makeup for the most part was pretty simple and natural. Is this accurate I don't know since other characters had makeup like hers and someone had more extravagant looks. Another, very important detail was Wanda's belly bump. The actress Elizabeth Olsen was not pregnant, but they have to make her stomach look real and not fake. Moreover, since she is the beginning stages of pregnancy's and at the end she gave brt, they must have different belly sizes for the corresponding time she is at. Finally, a little detail I noticed was that she had her wedding ring on too. These little details can be hard to remember, but they make her’s and vision’s relationship more accurate and authentic.
The show was inspired and by some sitcoms. (The Brady Bunch) |
Now time for everyone's favorite android, Vision! We also see how vision has changed from the previous decade. When in his human form, we also see how his hair has also become long to the point of his shoulder, and has a much more shaggy, relaxed look. It was a lot less posh. One thing that I saw with not every character, but a lot of them is layering. While some would just have one piece of clothing another had multiple layers of clothing. For instance, Vision was usually wearing a turtleneck and a coat on top. Sometimes even a tie tucked into the sweater. Moreover, vests were very common, more specific like wool or cotton ones. Although his clothing was more subtle than Wanda’s it was more colorful than the previous decade. Furthermore, he also had his wedding ring on (Wanda is making sure people know!) Now let's get into his android form. Although he still wears the same clothing, we do see how his face and hair change. When in his true form, he becomes bald and his face turns into red and silver to insinuate that he is a robot. Although the face painting is a part of the costume, a lot of these facial features are touched on in editing. We also see the mind stone (This keeps vision alive) in the middle of his head. The yellow of the mind stone contrasting with the red of his skin, makes it stand out and has the audience take notice that he is alive (which in reality he isn't.) Finally, a thing the audience may realize is that Vision's true form is not shown in front of his neighbors and he only shows it when he is at his house or with someone who he confides with, which is Wanda.
The last character I want to talk about today is Monica Rambeau. She becomes a very important character after this episode. We see a different style of hair on her. Since Monica is an African American woman, we see her with this natural big afro. (It's amazing by the way) She also wears things with distinct patterns. Furthermore, she has jewelry, such as long beaded necklaces, and chunky rings. However, she has a main look in this episode that is great!. She is wearing this denim vest on top of this white long sleeve lace shit. Moreover, she has these bell bottom pants with a fish pattern on them (which is a funny detail later on). Her makeup in this look is more featured, by her wearing bright blue eyeshadow. Moreover, we see her wearing a chunky ring and long necklace again. However, when Wanda looks at this necklace she notices that it has a symbol of S.W.O.R.D. (an association, like the FBI) This piece of her costume is essential to the story line as Wanda’s notice this and is one of the reasons why Wanda throws her out of this fake town. We realize how powerful costumes can be and how they can convey messages. Overall, the men and the women of the town had similar looks and looked like they were part of the 70’s.
Lighting:
I am still not an expert at knowing what exact lighting techniques are used in films however, I think I can provide you with a brief description. Throughout the film we mostly see three point lighting. I say this because we know that three point lighting creates a distinct image of the character from the backdrop. However, I do notice that this type of lighting is mainly in the inside of the house. This lighting is good because it makes the quality of the film usually better, however, since the quality is so good it does take out that feeling that is placed in the 70’s. Moreover, another type of lighting that is mainly used is high key lighting. This makes sense since usually sitcoms want the lighting to be bright and fun. Moreover, this fits the perfect vibe or atmosphere for Wanda’s reality. We also see high key lighting when the characters are outside in the driveway of their house. For instance, The neighbors' houses and area is a backdrop and it is noticeable. It looks so artificial so the adding of high key lighting to create the sunny feeling and artificial, not real look is perfect.
We see the lighting contrasting in a scene of the episode. In the scene where Wanda’s contractions are connected to the chaos that is going in the house such as the machines turning on and off, the faucet going on, the vacuum turning on, etc, we see how the lighting was changed in seconds. The chandelier had this bright, and I mean BRIGHT light, on the screen to resemble a very chaotic ending to this contraction she was having. Once that bright light goes away everything is normal. I don't know if it is because the previous light was so bright or if the director of photography made the lighting different once everything settled. In my opinion, it seems that they lowered the intensity of the lights to create an even bigger contrast between the lights. These little details are very important. This chaos of Wanda’s contraction also affected her neighbors' houses. We see in one neighbor's house the lighting goes out, however, the director of photography uses low key lighting that way you can still see the characters.
Lastly, we see a major shift in the lighting when we see Monica being kicked out of Wanda’s small town and into the real world. The lighting is much more low- key due to the time being at night. Moreover, we see Monica in the middle of a field in the dark, which creates this confusion and panic for the audience since they don't know where she is, however, we then see bright lights from cars, helicopters, and this lab a bit behind her. An important thing we notice is how the light in this scene frames Monica. The helicopter light circles Monica in the dark field, creating this contrast and bringing the audiences’ attention to her. Overall, the lighting is essential for the vibe and the purpose of the episode.
Staging:
I chose this episode of this wonderful show because the colors are so vibrant and saturated. As many of us know color psychology is a real thing and has a big effect on us. The fact that color can differentiate our moods, class, decade, etc is insane but impressive. Primarily, we see very light and pastel colors when the episode opens. Around the town we see Wanda and Vision wearing pinks and greens. Moreover, we see men with pink shirts and women with mint dresses. Monica had a yellow outfit. Immediately, you can tell that the majority of the town is happy and cheerful. Later on, we see the color inside the house and the furniture. From going to a black and white episode to a colorful episode is a drastic change. For instance, in this house we have a lot more colors, like the couch being green, patterned pillows, colorful pieces of artwork, and some bright glass panels at the top of the wall. Moreover, the house has a dark wood tone but it goes well with all the bright colors as it creates balance. I also believe that dark browns was a color that was popularly used back then. The stairs had simple brown banisters, the doors were brown, the coffee table was brown, the dining table, etc. We also see some gray stone touches and a little bit of a very faint red brick. Giving it this more homey and rustic feeling. Lastly, in the living room we also see some mini green shrubs, again proving more of that homey feeling. We then transition into the nursery. In the nursery we see lighter colors such as a striped wall with blue and white stripes. We also see the paint buckets and brushes that Wanda is using to paint the room. The room includes a crib, boxes, paint, paintbrushes, a rocking chair, a stuffed giraffe, a teddy bear, a light wood dresser, and a changing table. All these objects help the room feel like a true nursery that is being worked on. The pastel and light colors also contribute. Moreover, the painting of the stork is very important as it has an impact later on in the episode. The other location that has the most drastic color change is when Monica gets kicked out back in the world. The world is dark, gray toned, and blue. This has a completely different effect on the audience as they can tell it is not this saturated, vibrant, fun town. The dull colors almost make it look more real and more mundane like real life is. Overall, the colors were a major contribution to the episode.
Another big thing for staging is framing. We would see some constant framing patterns and sometimes unique ones were thrown into the mix. For instance, a common one that I would see was people being framed by a doorway. They would be in the middle of it having a conversation, it was a way of entrance or to even introduce some characters. Another one we see is the comparison of Wanda’s belly compared to fruit. For instance, we see Wanda about to knock off a fruit bowl, and before she about to drop one of the fruits, Vision catches it and it was a papaya. He makes a dad joke but it makes sense since the baby in her stomach at that time is probably the size of a papaya. We see this later on when she is cutting a pineapple probably to resemble the growth of the baby. Moreover, when she is trying to hide her pregnancy from Monica, she hides her stomach by using the whole bowl of fruit in front of her. Another example of framing we see is when the house is being chaotic due to the connection of Wanda’s contractions, it starts to train in the house since her water broke. We see the couple soaking wet and hiding under their dining table. Earlier on, the dining table had a total of 8 chairs, 3 on the longer sides of it. When taking this shot of the two underneath the table, you see that the three chairs are no longer there. Realistically this wouldn't happen, however, the director wants you to have a clear view of the characters but this framing shows how it's fake and not real life. Later on, Wanda finally gives birth. Her position in this scene is crucial. For instance she is behind the couch and you can only see her from the waist and above. The rest of her is covered by the couch that way no one would see the actual birth of the babies. Again unrealistic but it fits the goal of the episode. Lastly, another important framing that the director did was when he framed Monica at the last scene of the show. Once she is laying on the field we see half of her face and from behind the cars pull up, which lets the audience know that someone is here and is waiting for her. Moreover, when the helicopter has the circle light on her, that is an important detail since it draws the audience's attention towards her. Overall, framing is very important because it tells the audience where to keep their eyes, although sometimes framing can be used to trick the audience when they should actually be looking somewhere else.
Overall, I had a great time trying to find the little details and features that contribute to the mise-en scene of the episode. This makes me have so much gratitude and respect to people that work in all of the departments of filming because they have to focus on maintaining every little detail to the t and to be true. Moreover, the mise-en-scene was the perfect balance of being realistic to the time frame, but fake to the point that the audience can realize that something is off with Wanda and question what's going on. I hope you had a great time seeing me point out all these little details. Thanks for stopping by and see you next time. :)
- Love, Lucy <3
Quote of the Day: "I can't wait to be a proud papaya."-Vision
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