Mise En Scene

The concept of ‘mise-en-scene’ is almost impossible to capture in one simple definition. However, this concept encapsulates the very essence of every scene in any film or television show and therefore is imperative to address when analyzing these scenes. Mise-en-scene is very basically the staging, lighting, costume, and setting of a particular scene. How all of these elements work together to portray certain actions, emotions, and places is the magical aspect that is difficult to define with mise-en-scene. Deadwood is a unique western series on HBO that makes scene dissection very interesting and refreshing. Using classic fundamentals as well as modern twists and adaptations of the western genre leads Deadwood to captivate audiences from all walks of life. The very last scene in the first episode of the first season of Deadwood was particularly fascinating. There were almost no words spoken, but the lighting and blocking -key mise-en-scene elements- spoke volumes all by themselves.

Where the last scene picks up, those in the hotel have just witnessed the murder of a man. Al Swearengen, the hotel owner peers outside, though not for long, as he allows the thin curtain to block the murder out of view, and perhaps out of mind. Next you are shown a full-body shot of the man, who happens to be wearing nothing but his skivvies. He is vulnerable in his near-nudity, and ironically the only light cast upon him is provided by the window which peers onto the scene of the crime. As Al slowly backs into bed, he takes the weight off of his feet, but also releases a heavy sigh, showing ‘mental-weight’ release as well. Throughout this scene, the only sounds that can be heard consist of chickens bawking and Al’s heavy footsteps upon the floor. As the audience is forced to stare at his face, there is a knock heard at the door. Swearengen begins to reach for his gun, but in true to form tough-man fashion, almost no expression can be seen on his face. However, when the camera returns to his face after panning towards the placement of the gun, Al’s eyebrows crinkle a bit in slight concern. Enter Trixie, the woman he has previously beaten and assumedly raped. When she enters the shot, the most highlighted part of the shot is Trixie’s bosom. Because it is Al’s point of view, it illustrates how he sees her as a sexual object and nothing else. As she walks into the room, her face is darkened, helping to instill an eerie feeling inside the audience member because the most recent knowledge given to him or her is that Trixie possesses a gun, and is obviously not afraid to use it. There follows a crucial moment after the camera pans to follow Trixie and she steps into the light. Trixie stops and looks down in