Mise en scène is the conscientious arrangement of everything we see and hear in films, it applies to

the actors, props, set design, costumes, lighting, sound effects and music, it “is used for everything
that creates the visual and emotional atmosphere in the theatre.” - Matt from filmlifestyle.com. Mise
en scène is an essential aspect to film making that if ignored and not thought about enough will result
in an extremely less immersive and enjoyable experience for the audience. Not only does it just create
an enjoyable visual atmosphere with imagery, but it can also be used for other devices such as
foreshadowing, irony and humour. Not to mention that Mise en scène also has the power to drastically
influence the storytelling of a film and improve the audience's enjoyment of the film as the plot
unfolds. Although a part of filmmaking that is not exactly very well known outside of the media
industry, it is an extremely important element that when used properly can create masterpieces. And
these three films I have picked are exactly that, I have chosen Citizen Kane (1941) Directed by Orson
Welles, Barry Lyndon (1975) Directed by Stanley Kubrick and finally Ichi the Killer (2001) Directed
by Takashi Miike. In my eyes these are all masterpieces that are perfect for explaining exactly how
careful thought of Mise en scène during making a film can make it so much better than if it were not
conscientiously arranged.

Citizen Kane is well known to a lot of people

as one of (if not the very best) the best films
ever made, and a film that holds such a
reputation as this will obviously stun viewers
with its well crafted elements of Mise en
scène. In Citizen Kane, special effects were
used in order to create a lot of the more
grandiose settings. These settings, although
only on screen for short times, would have
really surprised the audience with their
vastness and monumentality, especially for the
time it was released as this was quite unseen
in films that were made in the same era.
Citizen Kane broke the norm and conventions, most movies were confined to small spaces and tighter
shots, but Orson Welles shocked viewers with wide shots and massive settings. This most definitely
would have been a visual treat for cinemagoers in 1941. Because of Orson Welles use of deep focus
photography, we can see a clear foreground, middle ground and background in a lot of the shots in
Citizen Kane, almost setup exactly the same way a stage play would be setup. This is very effective
use of Mise en scène as this is quite literally where the term stems from, this staging also allows
Orson to have control over where the audience's attention goes on screen. He also does this with light.

The lighting in Citizen Kane does not just to bring attention what the audience is meant to look at but
also to tell the audience what to feel and to foreshadow further events in the film. In the scene that
Charles Kane and Gettys confront each other, light is used to show what we should feel about the
characters and the situation they are in, darkness encapsulates both of them during their battle.
Renasha Mishra says that “this sense of foreboding is further heightened by the use of low key
lighting in the scene. This particular lighting produces highlights and shadows which in conjunction
with the staging of the scene are used to communicate with the audience”. Showing that Orson Welles
use of lighting in Citizen Kane is prefect in not only directing the attention of viewers but also in
foreshadowing future key events in the film.
To me, Barry Lyndon is one of There are many wide shots used in Barry Lyndon of massive open
country landscapes to set the scene and atmosphere of rural Ireland and England during the 1700’s.
The natural lighting and vastness of the scenery gives a realistic feel to the film and this realism and
pleasant imagery is enforced as with these shots we can actually see the lighting change in the
distance as clouds move in front of the sun. In Barry Lyndon, all of the elements of Mise en scène
have been chosen meticulously to fit the period in which the film is set to make it all the more
immersive. This must have taken a long time for people in charge of making these elements such as
prop designers, costume designers and location scouts who would have to find or design these
elements to be accurate to the 2nd half of the 18th century. Costume design is definitely another of the
big ways the film is just so great, a good showcase of how immense the costume design and prop
design were for this film is during the scenes Barry enlists into the army. In the first battle scene of
the film, there is a tracking shot from the side of the lines of soldiers as they march towards the
enemy. At the start of the shot the camera is zoomed in on Barry, but soon slowly starts to zoom out
revealing the rest of the entire army of grenadiers all dressed in their redcoats and muskets.

Another key shot which is personally my

favourite but also shows the importance of
Mise en scène is during the scene in which
Lord Bullingdon seeks revenge on Barry
Lyndon, and so he finds him in a casino to
claim his satisfaction. The shot that he
walks up to Barry who is sleeping by a
games table is most likely the most famous
of the entire film. The position of Barry and
all of the still actors around the table, the
glamourous costume design, the
periodically accurate location used, the placement of props such as the chair and bottle at the left side
of the shot and then the hat and bottle next to Barry. All of these elements are combined to make the
shot look exactly like a painting, and from viewing the shot it is easy to tell that there has been a
decision to have all of these elements perfectly placed, tweaked and refined conscientiously and
specifically for this reason. And for the viewer, this is extremely visually pleasing to the point where
you would want to pause the film and just look at the shot for a while. Not only this, but Barry
Lyndon can also use aspects in Mise en scène for hidden meaning and foreshadowing as well. The
very first shot of the film is of Barry’s father dying in a duel, duelling with flintlock pistols being a
reoccurring theme in the film. CinemaTyler’s YouTube video titled “How Kubrick Achieved the
Beautiful Cinematography of Barry Lyndon” explains that this very opening shot “may very well be a
representation of the entire film, a story of fate versus coincidence symbolised by a duel in which the
victor is near random.”
 Ichi the Killer is one of Takashi
Miikes most recognised films,
and it is very much well known
for being very controversial in its
display of violence and other
heinous acts, and it isn’t afraid to
show the audience any of this,
often just showing gore straight
up to the audience without
leaving anything at all for the
imagination. Ichi the killer
displays a massive array of body
part props that look realistic but are still slightly more over the top, emphasizing blood and guts to
shock, disgust and add some adrenaline to the experience of viewing the film. Meagan Navarro from
bloody-disgusting.com says that “The kills in this movie are creative, painful, and very, very messy.
The more Ichi is manipulated into killing, the more the body parts and blood fly. The yakuza clean up
crew have to mop up not just the floors, but the walls and ceiling after Ichi has been unleashed”,
which is a pretty good summary of just how gory this film gets. Another element of Mise en scène
that ramps up the audiences enjoyment of Ichi the Killer is the costume design, Kakihara is one of the
main characters and boss of the yakuza Anjo clan, the way he is dressed throughout is stylish and
colourful, along with his scars and piercings. It makes the character all the more glamourous and it is
one of the ways he becomes more of a likeable character to many members of the audience despite his
heinous behaviour.

I'm definitely quite glad I’ve researched these three films and their elements of Mise en scène and
how its impacted the audiences enjoyment of the film. It was fun to watch Citizen Kane finally
because It was on my watchlist in the first place, and its shots with depth and vastness have inspired
me quite a lot, I have already used depth and wide angles in my productions so far, but I think I can
always make them bigger and better. Barry Lyndon’s use of natural and candlelight lighting, along
with his painting-like compositions have also very much inspired me and have for a while, ever since
I first watched the film. Ichi the Killers brutality, stylish characters and comedy mix has also given me
inspiration. I plan to use very similar techniques and elements in my own films to try and make them
more enjoyable.

Matt (2023) What is mise en scène in film: The Complete Guide • Filmmaking Lifestyle, Filmmaking
Lifestyle. Available at: https://filmlifestyle.com/what-is-mise-en-scene-in-film/ (Accessed: January
23, 2023).
How Kubrick achieved the beautiful cinematography of Barry Lyndon (2017) YouTube. Available at:
https://youtu.be/WOLZMr52Wcc (Accessed: January 23, 2023).
Citizen Kane: Creating depth and space (2020) YouTube. YouTube. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rggypq_b98 (Accessed: January 23, 2023).
Mishra, R. (2019) Mise en Scène Analysis : Citizen Kane, Medium. Medium. Available at:
https://medium.com/@renasha104/mise-en-sc%C3%A8ne-analysis-citizen-kane-c99ca9239a8e
(Accessed: January 26, 2023).
Navarro, M. (2018) [butcher block] takashi miike's extreme gorefest 'ichi the killer', Bloody
Disgusting! Available at: https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3517878/butcher-block-takashi-
miikes-extreme-gorefest-ichi-killer/ (Accessed: January 27, 2023).