Even if you have never watched The Lion King (1994), given the image above, one could guess that the character depicted possesses evil qualities simply by analyzing the visual elements in this particular scene. This power lies in the technique of mise-en-scène: the visual orchestration of setting, lighting, costume, and performance (Bordwell 113).
This week’s reading took a deep dive into exploring the technique of mise-en-scène. Mise-en-scène is introduced as the arrangement of everything that appears in the frame of a film, including elements such as setting, lighting, costume and makeup, and staging and performance. As discussed in Chapter 4, mise-en-scène represents the director’s control over the visual elements of a film and plays an important role in shaping how audiences perceive characters, themes, and tone.
After reading, I found myself thinking about how mise-en-scène operates. The chapter emphasizes that mise-en-scène offers filmmakers four general areas of creative control: setting, costume and makeup, lighting, and staging/performance. These elements, when combined, allow directors to guide the viewer’s response and understanding of the story. For example, the reading discussed how lighting can influence the way a character is perceived. Casting shadows can create a sense of mystery, while bright lighting may convey warmth. Recently, I rewatched The Lion King (1994) and noticed how mise-en-scène is at play even in animated films. Take, for example, the following scene(s).
In early scenes of the film, Pride Rock and the surrounding lands under Mufasa’s rule are depicted using a lively, earthy color palette, such as browns and lush greens. This use of color suggests prosperity and balance. However, when Scar takes over, the entire landscape becomes a desaturated monochromatic color design of grays and blacks. This dramatic shift in color and the use of monochromatic color designs is a clear example of how mise-en-scène is used to visually convey messages. Here, the audience is shown, through setting and color, that Scar’s rule is bad.
In another scene, the filmmakers use the element of lighting to emphasize character transformation. When Mufasa’s spirit appears in the sky to speak to Simba, a beam of top lighting shines down on Simba, creating a “glow” that covers him. This moment uses top lighting to visually mark a turning point in Simba’s journey. Here, Simba begins to reclaim his rightful place as king, and the mise-en-scène enhances the storytelling.
These examples helped me better understand how filmmakers use mise-en-scène to execute ideas and tones in a film. What I found interesting is how many of these visual elements operate on a subconscious level. Most viewers may not actively notice the shift in lighting during a film, but they still feel the significance of this choice. Personally, I know the first time I watched The Lion King (1194), I did not actively notice the mise-en-scène at play. This raises an important question for me: how much of mise-en-scène do viewers consciously register, and how much simply influences us emotionally in the background? Additionally, I also wonder if societal norms/cultural context affect how these visual elements are interpreted. For example, does the “halo glow effect” of top lighting rely on cultural/societal assumptions that may not be the same universally?
Using Barbie (2023) as an example, I know that the use of bright, saturated colors was used to convey artificiality. In the Barbie (2023) movie, bright colors were used to give the set a toy-ish wonderland feel. However, viewing it from a different perspective, I wonder if the use of bright, saturated colors could be interpreted as something else, given that bright colors could be the “norm” for settings similar to that of Barbie (2023).
Given this, I question how someone from a different cultural/societal background would interpret the same lighting and color design I picked up in The Lion King (1994)?
Sources: Bordwell, David, et al. Film Art: An Introduction. 13th ed., McGraw-Hill, 2024.
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