Mise-en-scene in Romeo & Juliet

 

Romeo and Juliet (1996)

 

In class we were set the task of analysing the mise-en-scene in the first two minutes of the opening sequence of the 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.

 

Mise-en-scene is a French phrase that basically means everything that is in the scene; which includes props, costume and setting.

 

 

Setting:

The film opens with the Montague boys driving on the motorway through a busy city filled with industrial/commercial buildings and skyscrapers, and the sky is clear and blue. After driving down the motorway they pull up at a gas station to refill their car. Whilst they are driving down the motorway there are many establishing shots which help to show the audience the setting of the film and so they can get a feel of type of film, e.g. big American industrial buildings shows that the film is set in the modern times, whereas a horse and cart would show that the film is set in the Victorian Era, or earlier. When they are at the gas station they meet the Capulet boys, after which a gun fight begins when one of the Montague boys insults Tybalt Capulet.

 

Props:

One of the main props that is used in the opening sequence is silver guns that are referred to as 'swords' by the characters. This reference shows that although the film is set in modern America it is still relating this recreation to the context of the original film, where they used swords instead of guns. The guns that are carried by the main characters each features a picture of a family emblem on the end, distinguishing between the two families and making it easier for the audience to know who is who. Another prop that is used to show the difference in the families is the vehicles. The Montague boys drive a big bright yellow car that looks like a child's play toy. This contrasts to the large, dark blue expensive vehicle that the Capulet boys drive. This represents the idea that the Capulets are more mature, which is also shown through their costumes and the way that the behave.

 

Costume:

Costume can be considered a very important part of a character's identity as it helps to give the audience information about their personality. The Capulet boys are all wearing similar suits and they look very smart - giving the impression that they are not to be messed around with and that they are mature. Whereas the Montague boys are wearing flower shirts with tank tops and shorts underneath - this gives the audience a laid back and chilled vibe from the Montagues boys, showing that they can be childish at times; something which is also shown when they are making silly faces when driving down the motorway at the start.