Mise-en-scene still scene analysis

Mise-en-scene:

• Lighting: central lighting surrounds the girl, showing that she holds the most power in the household, and she is the centre of attention - to both the audience and her 'parents'. The parents are in the dark, which creates an atmosphere of gloominess, unhappiness and dislike toward one another - the daughter is the 'light of their lives' shown quite literally with the use of candles around her. The lack of lighting in the room hides the furnishings and surroundings of the characters, which could imply that nothing around them matters but their daughter - wealth/status is not a priority at this moment in time. The curtains are drawn, blocking the majority of light from outside, creating a grey colour and mood to the scene, however we could also infer from this that the parents are attempting to hide their marriage problems from the outside world. The 'father' is in the dark, but has the natural light from the window behind him, which could reflect a slightly more positive mood in comparison to the 'mother', and maybe a sense of hope for the family.The mother is the character whom is furthest away from any light source (both candles and natural lighting through the curtains), which shows a subtle contrast in moods to that of the father, and could suggest that she is depressed and unhappy, that she is an outcast, or rather she could be purposefully leaning away from the light as to appear separate from the family. Electric lighting/lamps are all turned off which further highlights the contrast between the relationship of the parents, and the relationship of each parent to their daughter. The lack of electric lighting cold also symbolise the marriage/relationship of the two adults - their marriage is off, just as the lights are. Candlelight is temporary, and will eventually burn out, so the use of candles around the young girl could symbolise that the bond that the daughter holds, which serves to keep the family together, is also temporary - as she will grow up, move out and thus finalising the downfall of her parents marriage.
• Hair & makeup: the father wears formal, old-fashioned clothing and has a very traditionally middle class/middle aged haircut. His receding hairline represents age and stress. The daughter has simple hair/makeup which could represent her youth and innocence. She has glowing skin and wears her hair in a ponytail, which makes her look childlike, however she also wears heavy eyeliner and lipstick - which could show she is trying to appear more adult, and the red lipstick could also suggest sexuality and seduction. The mother has short hair - which looks dry, and could suggest that it's short as it's easy to maintain, but dry as she is under stress whilst still attempting to style it and appear attractive.
• Costume: the mother wears formal clothing; a slightly iridescent blue silk shirt, which could suggest that she takes pride in her appearance and that she is lusting after the attention of her partner. Silk could also represent wealth and could be considered quite sexual, which again refers to the want of male attention. The father wears smart clothing in dull colours, which could suggest he is attempting to veer attention away from himself, or hide from his wife. Although his clothing is dull coloured, it appears to be of high quality and looks expensive which represents his wealth. His clothing is old fashioned, which could represent his age, or that he is not in keeping with current trends and prefers to wear traditional garments - and tradition is often associated with wealth. The girl wears bright clothing, which could be an attempt at rebelling against her parents - and provides a contrast to their bland clothing and furniture.
• Facial Expressions: the mother has an emotionless expression and looks concerned, whilst looking at the father, which creates an icy atmosphere amongst the adults. She looks highly unamused, and tired, and looks as though she doesn't want to be in the company of the man. The father is smiling, possibly even laughing, and looks the most comfortable around the table. He looks out of place opposite the woman, and he could be laughing to overcompensate for the bleak mood that the other characters seem to holding, whilst sat around the table. The girl looks as though she is pulling a sarcastic face, again, maybe as she wishes to rebel against her unconventional parents. Her facial expressions reflect those of her mother's, and she looks angrily towards the male, which could show that she has 'sided' with her mum - against her father.
• Framing: the family are spaced around the table which represents discontentment within the family. The props, candles and flowers, shows the girl is the centre of attention. The only focus of the still is on the table, not the surroundings, which draws the attention of the viewer to the family and the action around the dinner table. Despite appearing upperclass, all three characters have their elbows on the table which displays attitude - and particularly concerning the girl, shows nonconformity.
• Body language/posture: the mother is leaning backwards, appearing to be cut out of the conversation. The male's fists are clenched, despite smiling, which could suggest he is tackling his feelings in attempt to hide his anger. The girl has her elbows on the table, which shows lack of respect for her parents and furnishing/belongings.
• Setting/props: the woman has a half empty bottle of wine next to her, which could suggest that she uses alcohol as an escape/coping mechanism to deal with the relationship with her husband and daughter.