Mise en scene

The movie I watched was Star Wars: A New Hope, directed by George Lucas. The setting of this cinematic masterpiece takes place in an unknown, fictional universe. The reason why the setting of this fictional universe, along with the many abstract and planets in it, is so important because it completely withdraws the viewer from what they know to be reality. With objects and ideas like laser guns and "The Force", setting this movie in a different universe allows the viewer to accept these abstract ideas as true. Who could tell you, confidentially, that there cannot be space laser guns and the ability to move things with your mind in an alternate universe? Nobody. 

  Regarding the lighting, it all depends on where you are in this universe. If you are on Luke’s home-planet of Tatooine, the lighting is almost blindingly bright. This is due to the fact that it is a desert-oriented planet, and it is close to not just one, but two suns. If you are soaring through the cosmos in the Millennium Falcon with Han, Luke, Leia and Chewy, then the lighting is rather dim because of the vacuum of space that surrounds the ship. What I have noticed when watching Star Wars is that typically you are experiencing brighter light in when you are with the heroes, and in contrast, experiencing darker light when you are in the presence of the villain. This creates a subliminal contrast that deepens the tension of good and evil in this saga for the viewer.  

The costumes in this movie not only made this fantasy world more believable, it completely propelled the entire genre of science fiction forward to the forefront of American audiences. These costumes were the first of their kind and enhanced the fantasy and otherworldly aspect of Star Wars. All of the apparent “bad guys” had their body suits immolating skeletons. Though it is not obvious at first glance, this immolation of skeletons creates a subconscious, negative association with these characters. Regarding the aliens, Star Wars did a great job making these fictional characters actually seem real, especially for its time. Watching these iconic characters come to life was one of the biggest attractants that Star Wars had going for it. 

The staging wasn’t very significant in Star Wars especially in A New Hope. One noticeable scene, however, is in the very first scene of the movie. When Darth Vader confronts Princess Leia about her alleged affiliation with the Rebel Army and stealing the blueprints to the Death Star, we see a very confrontational scene that establishes these two crucial characters. The staging contributes to this scene because it shows these two characters in a close environment. This close environment makes the interaction of these two characters more personal. Perhaps this is foreshadowing of these two characters’ unknown kinship? Maybe. What is certain, however, is that the environment of this scene, specifically the involvement of the staging aspect, creates the tension and establishes the personality and tension between these characters.