Mise-en-Scene is the collective term for the attributes of a film that tie a scene together, including the setting, costume and make-up, props and other less obvious details that characterise the spaces filmed such as lighting.
To develop our understanding of this concept we applied it to the opening of Baz Luhrmann's interpretation of William Shakespeare's 'Romeo & Juliet'. The first thing I recognised upon watching the opening was the fact that the writers had chosen to set the film in Verona Beach. I think that they chose to do this because
it reflects the original Shakespeare play, which is
set in Verona, Italy. Immediately this sets the scene in a modern environment and shows the audience that this film is going to be a modern day version of the original.
In Luhrmann's interpretation of Romeo & Juliet distinct costume is also used in order for the audience to be able to tell the Shakespearean houses apart. Members of the house of Montague are seen wearing bright, fluorescent colours and would appear in limited clothing, often only a Hawaiian flowery shirt and shorts/jeans. On the other hand, people associated with the house of Capulet appeared to wear more sophisticated outfits, usually based around dark reds, blues and blacks; indicating affluence.
Luhrmann also effectively uses props to subconsciously explain the goings on within a shot. For example, during the opening scene of the shoot-out between the two houses, a sign saying "Add more fuel to your fire" is continuously featured in in-between shots, after either house Capulet or Montague have been in shot. "Add more fuel to your fire" suggests that this brawl between houses will only add to the chaos of the existing feud, indicating to the audience the path which the film is going to follow.
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