Mise en Scene in V for Vendetta

Mise en scene is a narrative feature, of all the things on the screen, used to install a feeling into the audience, or used to help convey a theme of the text. Parts of Mise-en-scene particularly prevalent in the film V for Vendetta were lighting, costume, performance and setting. Although these techniques were used throughout V for Vendetta, they were used particularly well in the scene were Evey is first interrogated in the prison, at around 1:06:50 in the film.

Lighting

 

The lighting is extremely effective in the scene where Evey is first being interrogated by the mystery man. Just before the scene, Evey is ‘black bagged’ and the screen goes pitch black, just like what Evey would be seeing under the bag. This is quite scary to the audience, as we hear Evey screaming and see nothing. This lighting here is showing fear, and the audience really get a sense of the terror Evey is feeling.  The darkness draws the audience in, and suddenly the bag is taken off, with a high contrast of Eveys white face to the darkness the screen had been before. Eveys face is lighten up by a spotlight that only illuminates her. The light is bright white and very harsh, showing how Evey feels in this scene. This is very interesting to the audience’s eye, as Evey looks as if she is caught in a shaft of light, and everything else around her is darkness, she also becomes the audience’s centre of attention.  This spotlight lighting shows the focus is all on Evey in this scene, and that she is very important (a spotlight alike to this one is also used to illuminate the main star of a play while on stage) It shows the importance Evey to her capturers and her decision, and how her decision to divulge information or not will change the path of the movie. It also shows the importance of this moment to Eveys character, and how it has a big part to play in who she becomes and what she is fighting for. The bigger meaning of the spotlight is to do with Eveys character and how important the moment is in the storyline, but is also to do with one of the main themes of the movie, ruling people with fear. The interrogation room is not only cold and concrete, but its spotlight lighting on Evey is very ominous and threatening. It shows how the government gets what they want through installing terror and fear into their people. This theme is also shown through another aspect of lighting in this scene, the lighting on the interrogator. The interrogator has no light on him, and he is completely in black, just a silhouette.  We cannot recognise him, so we do not know him, but he holds the power to kill Evey, and this makes him very threatening and scarier. The audience reacts in the same way as Evey to the capturer, with terror and fright. The lighting on the man also helps show the main theme of ruling with fear, and how much society has changed.  Today someone in suspicion would sit down with a police officer like normal, however, Evey is towered over by a dark and mysterious power figure, showing how much more this government rules with fear.  

  Costume

In this scene costume is also used to communicate with the audience.  Evey is dressed in a white singlet which creates a high visual contrast with her surroundings. This also brings our eye to Evey, and she stands out. As white is often associated with purity and innocence, it is suggesting Evey is truly innocent and full of virtue. As it also makes her stand out, the white singlet is also used to tell the watcher that Evey is the main focus in the scene, and the scene and what is happening is very important in her life.

The costume of the interrogator is non existent, he is a completely black silhouette, and there is no clothes or identity given to him. This creates a real sense of mystery around him, and makes him look scary and shady. Because there is no way to identify him, we, and Evey are more scared and frightened about who he is and what he has the power to do. We find out later, that the black silhouette is actually V. The director has had no costume on the capturer to create a higher sense of fear and power in the scene. The director used the white top to help further show how important the scene is to Evey, but also how she is truly pure at heart.  

 

Performance

 

Natalie Portman did an amazing performance in portraying Evey in this scene. She is shaking and her eyes are wide, her mouth open in a shocked expression. All of these aspects on Portman’s performance accurately show just how frightened and scared Evey is. The shaking especially shows she is in shock, and fears what will happen, and the wide eyes make her look like she is a deer caught in the headlights, they are full of dread and terror. It is obvious from Portman’s performance and body language how Evey is feeling. Portman’s performance was very important in this scene to heighten our sense of fear for Evey, and also shows what a big moment in Evey’s life this is. It also is important later on, when Evey is in the same situation again, and is cool, calm and collected. It shows accurately that indeed Eveys has no fear anymore, and in this scene she is visually full of terror, and later on, she has learnt to deal with fear.

The performance of the capturer is important as well. He acts in a very unfriendly and matter of fact way. His voice is quiet monotone, and he is very harsh. This shows the audience that he is the enemy in the scene, and he is holding the power to harm and kill Evey. His performance shock us and Evey, and also help to show one of the movies main themes, power over people. His performance shows how throwing threats around is scaring and manipulating the people. This shows that the government thinks that they can get and do whatever they want, by using fear and death as threats. It shows that ruling with fear is explosive and very bad for the people and society.  His performance gives in sight to the watcher of how bad things in this futuristic society really are, and we understand why it needs to change.

Props/Setting

The setting in this scene is definitely used to create a feeling and show a theme.  The scene is in an interrogation room. It is made out of concrete, is very dark and has no natural light. There is only a table, a chair and some table lights. The use of an interrogation room makes the focus on Evey, as she is under interrogation and is being treated like a criminal. Buy there being not much furniture, again makes the audience focus on Evey as she is the main thing in the scene. It also shows that Evey feels very uncomfortable in this alien environment. There is no natural light and this is really creepy. It personally made me feel more negative feelings towards the room and the situation, because without windows, it seems very trapping and uncomfortable. Having no windows also shows how Evey feels, isolated and alone. Having only bright white, artificial lighting also shows how the environment is very harsh and unforgiving, and made me personally feel creeped out. The concrete walls and floor makes the whole scene and situation feel very cold, gloomy, and scary. The director used this cold and harsh setting to show how scared and uncomfortable Evey is, and make the audience feel the doom and terror Evey may be feeling.