Mise en Scène - Legally Blonde Movie

I chose to watch the movie "Legally Blonde" in an attempt to analyze aspects of mise en scène, which include costume, setting, staging, and lighting.

1.) Costume: The use of costume both in the beginning and end of the film help to convey the story of the transformation of Elle from a silly sorority member to a sophisticated lawyer.  Elle begins by wearing wildly patterned, bright clothes such as crop tops, tight dresses, and short shorts before she becomes a lawyer. However, after Elle becomes a lawyer, she begins to dress in a more reserved fashion by wearing business outfits such as cardigans, professional pencil skirts, and collared shirts. The outfits still have tinges of pink and purple, which are Elle's favorite colors, which shows how Elle had a transformation, but that she also maintained her sense of self throughout the process.

2.) Setting: The set designers from this movie chose to use setting in a similar way to how costume was used. The beginning of the movie takes places in a bustling sorority house, with bright, colorful furniture and silly decorations. The house has many rooms filled with girls, games, and partying. At the end of the movie, however, when Elle becomes a lawyer and attends Harvard, the setting completely changes. Elle is in and out of dark and serious court rooms as well as classrooms, and is surrounded by serious lawyers and students alike. These two settings visually show Elle's two different mindsets throughout the movie, which are mindsets first of partying, and then of seriousness.

3.) Staging and acting: In terms of staging and acting, Reese Witherspoon (the actress who plays Elle) used method acting. At the beginning of the film, Reese truly personifies Elle by raising her voice in a high pitched tone, wearing glitzy clothing and accessories, and using silly hand and body movements. All of this acting helps to create the initial portrayal of Elle, which is a goofy and immature character. Also, the use of blocking through character placement helps to show Elle's transformation throughout the movie. For example, when Elle is taking her LSAT test to get into law school, she is placed right in the middle of hundreds of other potential law students which shows how, in that moment, she is lost amidst others and does not know where she stands quite yet. However, later on once Elle is in law school, she sits right in the front of the class, and thus in front of her classmates. This placement shows how Elle is truly a go-getter and that she is willing to work hard to achieve her goals of coming in "first".

4.) Lighting: When Elle is still caught up in her lifestyle as a sorority girl, high-key lighting is used frequently. Whether Elle is at the well lit pool or at a fancy boutique, Elle is casted in bright, low shadow lighting. This use of lighting helps to show how, at that point in her life, Elle was nearly immune to the struggles of the outside world as her concerns were typically immature and not serious, thus her life was bright and bubbly. However, after Elle begins attending Harvard Law School and entering the court rooms, there is low-key lighting that features darkness and shadows. This use of lighting is important in showing how Elle's life has become increasingly difficult and serious, as darker colors and lighting are far more serious than happier, lighter colors and lights. Again, this use of lighting helps to visually show Elle's transition into a more mature individual through her education.