Micro-Elements - First Draft

This essay analyses the ‘shopping scene’ from the film ‘Pretty Women’. The two micro-elements I have chosen to use are Mise-en-scene and Performance and how both elements create meaning for an audience.

Location

As the scene begins the main character, Vivian, is seen strolling through a busy city. The streets are lined with luxurious boutique style shops, with an expensive content. Most of the sidewalk is lined with old fashioned, vintage-looking cars. This communicates to the audience that this city is a wealthy location, emphasized by the people seen shopping around her and their appearance.

Costume

As the scene is introduced the contrast between both Vivian and the people around her is immediately identified, everyone around her is dressed in smart, sophisticated clothing, communicating their wealth. In contrast, Vivian herself is seen wearing black PVC thigh-high boots, this material suggests lack of wealth as they are a cheaper, tackier version of real leather. Boots like this carry connotations of prostitution as they are usually worn with mini skirts to show off more flesh; stereotypically they are worn by hookers and strippers so she is reinforcing the original stereotype. Vivian wears her boots with a skin tight blue and white dress, the skirt part of the dress is extremely short and tight, it goes on to  have cut out parts in the middle round the hips to reveal more flesh, and the top of the dress is a white, again skin tight vest top. They are held together by a silver circular hoop.

She has a red coat tied around her waist almost like she is rebelling towards the classy sophisticated appearance even more so, as she is not wearing her coat to cover herself. The fact that she does not feel the need to cover up also reveals how much confidence  the character contains and her occupation even more so. The looks she is receiving off the people around are looks of disgust, making it obvious that she does not fit in.

Make-up and Hair

When Vivien enters the shop, the audience can identify a contrast between hers and the shop assistance appearance. Vivien’s make up is very natural and care free, she has a youthful, intriguing and exciting look towards her. She is not interested in how she presents herself, her interest is more captured by having a good time. Her hair also reinforces her attitude towards her life as it contains a look of wildness, it is big, tight curled and red. The colour red connotes fiery and fierce, and the curls connote wildness; which reinforces her chaotic personality and lifestyle.

Where as, the shop assistance’s makeup is extremely prim and proper. They look as though they have taken a large amount of time and effort with their appearance as they want to give off a classy impression towards the shoppers, which reflects the store they work in and the style of clothes they are selling. Their hair has a carefully styled and ridged look towards it. Overall, their appearance could signify their narrow-minded outlook on life. They are extremely snobby and instantly judge whoever and whatever they lay their eyes on.

Props

Carrying quite a few shopping bags; this again signifies

wealth to the audience

Physical expression

(looks exchanged)

Vocal delivery

(accents/ tone of voice/ language use)

Interaction between performers (staging/ choreography)

Women fit in with the shop, they are always altering tiny details which gives the impression to the audience that everything has to be perfect. Vivian is walking round the shop as though she is lost, feeling out of place whilst the others are looking at her in an uncomfortable manner, asthough she needs to get out of the shop and she doesn’t belong there.