Key aspects of mise-en-scene: Props and space

Props and space:


On-screen props can sometimes be controversial in film. Some props are necessary to the outcome of a scene. For example, a scene in which someone is shot by another visible person on-screen. How is he going to get shot if there is no gun? So the gun must be shown. Then begs the question, what kind of gun will it be? A big one would suggest a ruthlessness in the gunning down of the character. As if the assassin wants to inflict pain on the character, which would then become a characteristic of him -- a sadistic assassin.

A scene that takes place in a bar would need to have bar iconography present that tells the audience that yes, the characters are in a bar, doing what people do in bars, otherwise why bother setting it in a bar? Wouldn't a hotel room suffice? Therefore we would need to see things like glasses, bottles, ashtrays, tables, and stools.

I mentioned how props can be controversial. Sometimes props are on-screen, but they aren't noticeable, and even if they are seen, they don't seem as if they would have any apparent effect on the outcome of the scene. This is evident in Pan's Labyrinth, where carvings of the faun's head are visible on the headboard of a bed, on door frames, and on staircases. These are things that are noticed on maybe second-viewings, but even then, what real purpose does this serve other than making us feel warm inside for noticing.

The implied presence and existence of a prop without ever actually showing it can provide mystery to its purpose. The briefcase in Pulp Fiction does this well.

We never know what's in the case, but life-changing events surround it. When characters look into it, or speak of it, they are in a state of awe and amazement. We don't need to know what is in it. We only need to accept that it drives the events that take place within the course of the film.

Props that appear in world space can also influence the audience's perception of a type of character, or reaffirm what they already about that type of character. In Pan's Labyrinth, many scenes involving Ofelia on-screen are depicted with round curves and shapes.

This reminds us of her child-like nature, as children are the hope of the future. They can shape their lives however they want. An adult's die has already been cast and hasn't this luxury. Circles represent infinity, and they are pleasant to look at in comparison to a jagged unnatural shape, or something with corners, like a square.

Her counterpart, Captain Vidal, is seen fixing items such as pocket watches. Watches can be complex to fix, and the inner workings of on certainly looks it, which tells us about his character. He is a man who is in deep thought, and given his violent behaviour, he suffers with his thoughts and is terrorised by them, thus forcing him to lash out and behave the way that he does.