Mise-en-scene

 

Films are carefully constructed works of art that have underlying hidden meanings in them. In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, meaning is added through film language and mise-en-scene. This can include the composition of shots, where the camera is placed, camera movements, lighting, and what and where characters are on screen.

In the opening scene of Star Wars: The Force Awakens when the First Order Stormtroopers land on Jakku, their blasters shoot red lasers while the villagers’ guns shoot blue lasers. This illustrates a part of mise-en-scene which includes color. The red of the Stormtroopers weapons convey thoughts of violence, chaos, and blood while the blue of the villagers’ weapons bring a meaning of purity and underlying innocence. Later in the opening scene when Poe Dameron gives BB-8 the map to Luke Skywalker, the camera is placed low to ground looking up at Poe showing BB-8’s perspective. This low-angle shot makes it look that Poe has superiority over BB-8 when telling him what to do. Poe also takes up the majority of the screen which tells the audience that he and what he is saying is important.

In the scenes with Kylo and Snoke, there is only one very bright backlight behind Snoke which leaves Snoke’s face and the rest of the frame primarily dark. The darkness adds meaning of power that Snoke has. From Kylo’s view, this single backlight may have a symbolic meaning of a path that he can take to turn to the light side of the Force. Although, Snoke is the only thing that stands in the way of Kylo from taking that path.

These are just some of many examples of very purposeful mise-en-scene used in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. J.J. Abrams, his D.P., Daniel Mindel, and other members of the crew added meaning through interpretation by the composition of shots, where the camera is placed, camera movements, lighting, and what and where characters are on screen.