Think about the film's mise-en-scene. Choose a scene in the film and discuss the mise-en-scene (costumes, set, lighting, props, etc.) and its relation to the scene and the film as a whole. Use at least 2 hearty paragraphs for your discussion.
And please post your favorite line from the film.
The scene I chose from the film Bringing Up Baby was in the beginning and it starts right after David sees Susan again for the second time. They are both at a fancy restaurant and to David’s horror, he sees Susan again after all of the problems she caused at the golf course. I chose this scene to analyze because the costumes in this scene really represent their characters throughout the movie. Susan is wearing a nice dress that looks like she is rich, but the strange thing is that there is some sort of head piece she is wearing that makes it seem like she has things coming out of her head, and this shows the viewer that she is a little bit of a scatter brains and that there just isn’t something right about her, but the dress itself looks beautiful so it makes her character seem strange, but appealing to David and the audience. Also David is wearing a nice suit showing that he is a respectable man and that he is neat and normal, but once he sees Susan she crushes his hat by accident and this messes up the normalness of David and this foreshadows what she is going to do to him for the rest of the movie, change him from being so straight and dull into a more outgoing, fun man.
ReplyDeleteAnother aspect of this scene that was interesting to analyze was the sound. For the entirety of this scene and the entire movie for the most part it didn’t have any nondiagetic sound in it. Only diagetic sound is heard, and this emphasizes that there isn’t suppose to be a strong emotional connection to the characters by the audience because this is a comedy, not a romantic drama. Nondiagetic sound usually forces the audience, whether good or bad, have an emotional connection to the characters, and that is not what the director of Bringing Up baby David Hawks wanted. Also, the dialogue was incredibly fast and almost right after another as if the characters knew what they were going to say next to each other, and this was added also for comedic affect so the audience doesn’t get to emotionally connected to the characters and do not hang on every word they say.
There are many elements of the mise-en-scene in bringing up baby that add to the meaning and understanding of the film as a whole, when you focus on the major aspects and how it relates to the plot and the characters. The scene that I chose from the film is the scene that David goes to meet Mr. Peabody in order to explain what happened at the golf course earlier that day, but then runs into Susan again and brings him more trouble. The first major part of the mise-en-scene that creates meaning is the composition of the shots during the scene. Throughout this scene it is important to notice that whenever Susan is within the frame with David, they are always together taking up most of the frame, not spread very far apart. This can be seen to show the increasing amount of affection that Susan is beginning to feel for David, and which causes later conflict in the film when she tries to keep him with her in order to prevent him from being married. This is ironic in these shots, because although they are being forced to be very close to each other in the frame, David wants to be no where near Susan at all. However coincidences throughout the film force him to be in close with Susan in these shots, bringing about his increasing affection for her in the end of the film. Also of notable worth in this scene is the composition whenever there is a conflict. Usually when there is a conflict, like during when the guy fights with David in order to get his wife’s purse back, there are always lots of people in the frame at one time, leaving no open space at all usually. This creates a scene of confusion for the viewer, because this confuses us by showing so many people doing so many actions at once in the frame, making it hard to keep track of the chaos shown on the screen. This confusion helps characterize Susan, as whenever she is there with David, the situation becomes a problem and things are confusing, making David not want to be near her. This again is required though, shown how close they are in the frame all the time.
ReplyDeleteThere is also the aspect of design in the mise-en-scene that plays a factor in this scene. First looking at the set, we can see that our main character David is attending some fancy dinner restaurant or party in order to converse with Mr. Peabody. This kind of place would normally be really fancy, not large amounts of rough housing or silliness going on. This seems like a higher-class place for richer people to get together. So in a sense David seems to be out of place from every one else that is at the party even though he is dressed the same, he acts awkwardly and thus doesn’t appear to fit in with the setting of this scene. Clothing is another aspect of this scene that adds to the characters’ characterization. David is dressed in a nice tux, exactly the same as every other person that is at the part as well. This can be taken that David is trying to fit into this rich crowd in order to have an influence on Mr. Peabody and not feel as if he is an outsider. He tries to fit in but can’t help sticking out especially when Susan comes over and talks to him, brining attention over on him. Susan’s outfit is also of notable worth, as it shows how “different” of a character that she really is. Her dress looks like a shiny gold mixture of a dress and bathrobe that raps around her several times, and also can resemble drapes of some kind. There are also these two strands of shiny ribbon that seem to twirl down from behind her head and curve down to her shoulders. This dress is really interesting as it is extremely unique and out there compared to everything else that everyone is wearing at the time. This shows how unique she is as a character; strange, weird, and a funny personality that only seems to be a distraction and a bother to David how just tries to fit in with the other people around him.
However the people around him also join Susan in her fun antics like the Philosopher who tries to do the olive trick that Susan was trying after she leaves him. David tries to be normal while not opening up to the fun that Susan seems to bring to everyone around her. Her dress shows this personality of hers and how it branches out to all the people around her, and makes everyone around her act a little “strange.”
ReplyDeleteThe final thing you could look at in the mise-en-scene is the several different props that bring about connections between David and Susan and still characterize Susan and David even more. When ever Susan makes some sort of mistake, it is usually tied to an object or something that she does to that prop that angers David. Examples of this include the olives. The olives are an example of one of the small things that Susan is able to use to enjoy herself, making her seem a little “strange,” is also tied to an accident that she makes David slip into, literally. And after this, he ends up crushing his hat; another prop that reminds him throughout the scene of all the things that Susan has done that has agitated him. Other examples in this scene also can be the purse that Susan gives David to hold, as this one exchange of a prop to David has put him into another huge problem that occurs between other people too, not just with Susan. So that purse comes to represent yet another problem that Susan brings about. Susan tries to fix all of these things, but all of these props in the scene are just a constant reminder to David of how much of a bother she really is to him, even though he himself is a little “strange” of a person as well. Finally at the end of the scene, which seems to be a turning point in David, is when Susan ends up ripping his costume, the one thing that was attempting to help him fit into the crowd at this party, and now it was ruined by Susan. So now parts of his own costume design have become reminders of Susan bringing problems to him, making him want to get away from her, but as I said, in the composition of the shots he is always forced to be close to her some how, especially in the scene right after this, where he has to be right up against her to hide the fact that her dress had ripped. Overall, the mise-en-scene throughout the movie and a lot in this scene, come to help us recognize the characterizations of David and Susan, and how they interact with one another throughout the film as a whole.
Now it isn't that I don't like you, Susan, because, after all, in moments of quiet, I'm strangely drawn toward you, but, well, there haven't been any quiet moments. -David
DeleteThe scene I chose to analyse from Bringing up Baby is probably the most infamous one, when David's tuxedo jacket is accidentally ripped, followed by Susan's dress being ripped as well. The mise-en-scene is quite important in this scene. The set design of the entire scene, both in the scenery and the costume design alone tells the viewer a great deal about what is going on. At first, we see both David and Susan wearing quite formal clothes. As well, they are both present in a very formal room, to which all of the activities they both engage in seem all the more inappropriate and ensure hilarity.
ReplyDeleteThe apparent formality to the mise-en-scene makes this scene all the funnier when both of their accidental rippage happens, and all of the attention in the room is focused on their awkward and inappropriate attempts to cover it all up. Another couple interesting things in the mise-en-scene is the clothing. In the previous scene, David slips on a olive that Susan had dropped, and crushes his hat beneath him. This event, paired along with their clothes ripping is signaling the destruction of the apparent formality and normality they both are trying to exude to fit in with this upper class society, even though throughout the movie neither of them really fit in. As well, just looking at both David and Susan's clothing, you can see the distinct differences between them. David is wearing a formal tuxedo, along with a proper top hat and thick rimmed glasses, all of which fit in perfectly with his persona, of being proper and uptight. However, as mentioned earlier, his tuxedo gets smashed, indirectly by Susan, and that follows the storyline, as she pulls him way out of his comfort zone from then on. Susan, in the scene, is wearing her hair up, tied with ribbons. Between that, and her dress, she looks slightly out of place from the other people in that room, and this fits with her being very spunky and out of the norm in the room. She is very unique and not one to fit in with the crowd. Overall, this scene uses mise-en-scene to not only foreshadow David and Susan's relationship, but add to the hilarity the ensues in this scene
The scene I chose from Bringing Up Baby began when Susan and David sneak to Mr. Peabody's house late in the night. She throws rocks at his window to get him to come outside and ends up hitting him in the head with a rock. They escape quickly and Susan drops him off somewhere. He "breaks up" with her, saying that he never wants to see her again and that he is off to get married. I found the elements of mise-en-scene very significant in this scene.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, the costumes play a huge role in reflecting the characters as a whole. Susan is wearing an all black outfit. This shows that she's "bad" and mischievous. She expresses the darker side of the two. David is wearing a black tux with a white shirt. This shows that he was once pure, boring and innocent. But now Susan's ways have been rubbing off on him. He is becoming mischievous too. Its almost as if this darker, carefree side is consuming him. One of the props in this scene, the rocks, symbolize David's dreams. He is trying to work with Mr. Peabody in order to become successful and he just wants to get his name and ideas out there. Susan has full intention of helping David get Mr. Peabody's attention. Her throwing the rocks and hitting Mr. Peabody symbolize David's ideas being shoved in his face. This also foreshadows David's success and Mr. Peabody agreeing to become business partners with David. Also, the lighting in this scene is significant. When David is trying to convince Susan not to wake up Mr. Peabody, he has shadows casting over his body. This is to show that he is unsure of whats about to happen. He is uncomfortable with the situation and knows it may get him in trouble. The lighting on Susan's face in this scene is generally bright and clear. She never second guesses herself. She knows what she wants and she always tries to get it. This shows her confidence.
Overall, the costumes, props, and lighting in this scene help to foreshadow events in the future. Also, they help represent the characters as well as tie them closer to the audience.
Oh! And my favorite line from the film is:
Delete"That'll teach you to go around saying things about people." Susan says this after David finds the tiger in the bathroom.
So, one of the scenes that had a great deal of things to look at in regard to mise-en-scene in this film was the scene where David and Susan meet in the club, and then a series of mishaps ensue. The first thing to look at is the props and lighting of this scene. In this scene, we see many props found in a classy club, like marble pillars, waiters with silver platters, a classy bar, velvet staircases, etc, all of which builds a classy and refined atmosphere. This has an interesting effect, because David belongs in this type of environment, and Susan did not. This is reflected in the fact that their first contact results in David squashing his hat, already tarnishing his classy appearance. Also, the refined nature of the club makes their further escapades more unacceptable. Also, the lighting of the scene is very light and soft, making all details visible and all facial expressions fully captured, which is important for the scene. Also, the easy lighting helps set the playful mood that the interactions between David and Susan will ride on throughout the scene. Also, the shooting is utilized in a special way in this scene, alternating between medium shots and long shots, the medium shots used to emphasis the close proximity that David and Susan find themselves in relation to each other, characterizing their growing relationship, and the long shots are used to show the club guests' shocked reactions, further showing the fact that the two characters' behavior does not belong in this adult environment.
ReplyDeleteWhat the characters are wearing is also important in this scene. David is very clearly dressed for the occasion, donning a very classy and formal tuxedo with a distinguished top hat.Susan wears a very flashy and over the top dress, but it is also appropriate for the occasion. This dress, and its corresponding accessories including multiple necklaces and an elaborate headdress, show Susan's significant wealth. Also, the two characters' costumes are opposites of each other, David's being very tight and crisp, and Susan's being loose and flappy. Furthermore, the formality and quality of the clothing acts to enhance the immaturity of Susan, as her antics result in the ripping of both costumes in inappropriate locations, and shows that no matter how much Susan poses to be an adult, she lacks the maturity to function in the adult world, as well as dragging David down with her, though he does enjoy the time he spends with her.
My favorite line is "Now it isn't that I don't like you, Susan, because, after all, in moments of quiet, I'm strangely drawn toward you, but, well, there haven't been any quiet moments."
Bringing Up Baby is one of many famous screwball comedies and was produced in 1983, directed by Howard Hawks. The use of the mise-en-scene is very important in this film because, along with the witty dialogue, the mise-en-scene adds to the hilarity of it all. The scene I have chosen to analyze is the scene where David (Cary Grant) and Susan (Kate Hepburn) run into each other and David’s tuxedo gets ripped along with Susan’s dress. The set is very high-classed – it is laced with expensive looking props. Everyone is the scene is dressed up with fancy clothes and the men wear monocles and bow-ties. It just gives the atmosphere a high-class look that shouldn’t entertain the actions going on in the scene. Besides the props, Hawk uses lighting very efficiently in this scene. Although there is high key lighting everywhere in this scene, whenever Susan is seen in a shot, the high-key lighting used to show her face causes a soft, overexposed halo effect. This gives her an almost angelic effect, even though we all know she was as mischievous as they get. Another key thing to this scene is the composition of the shots. Whenever the two of them (David and Susan) are in a shot together, the spacing between them is very scarce, especially when they are arguing. The spacing is either very intimate or very personal and gives the viewer the sense that something big is going to happen between them. Any other types of shots that are not close-ups of their faces or medium shots of the two together are long shots to show the reaction to their actions.
ReplyDeleteThe irony of the scene makes it even more amusing to watch. The both of them are completely dressed for the occasion (being in such a fancy restaurant), although they stand out so much from the other guests. David is wearing a strangely fitted suit that makes him look like a penguin with the flap at the back. He is also wearing a bow tie that is white, which was different than the other guests that were wearing black bow ties. Susan, on the other hand, looks very extravagant in her lightly colored and shiny dress. She also stands out from the rest of the female guests, who are wearing black dresses. When Susan tears David’s jacket (this is kind of funny because David already resembles a penguin with the suit on so when Susan grabs it, it looks like she’s pulling him by the tail) and David tears Susan’s dress, it just makes them look like even more of outcasts to societies they don’t belong in. The attempts by David to fix what he has wronged further shows that the two have some type of feelings for each other, or at some point will.
My line that I particularly enjoyed from this movie happens in a conversation between Susan and David:
Susan: You mean you want *me* to go home?
David: Yes.
Susan: You mean you don't want me to help you anymore?
David: No.
Susan After all the fun we've had?
David: Yes.
Susan: And after all the things I've done for you?
David: That's what I mean.
David is so brutally honest with Susan, and Susan is just relentless in pursuing what she wants, even though David initially does not want her.
I chose the scene where David and Susan are at the restaurant. This is the second time they’ve met and comedic situations ensue, including the mix-up with the purses, and the ripping of their clothing. As a whole, the mise-en-scene in this scene and throughout the film is incredibly rich and full. It is lavish and not lacking any detail. The women wear long, fashionable dresses and furs and jewelry. Susan’s dress sticks out the most, floor length and fully metallic. She also has a somewhat silly looking veil, both which suit her sparkly and flamboyant personality. The men all look dapper and fitting for the time in tuxes. But again David stands out- there’s something more polished about the choices they made with his outfit compared to the other men. The hair is done up for the women and slicked back for the men. David’s glasses are an important part of his look- keeping him the slightly nerdy intellectual type compared to Susan’s glamour. Important props are shiny drinking glasses, the purses, David’s top hat, the olives Susan does her trick with, and the table centerpieces which are all key in the jokes and keeping the action moving along.
ReplyDeleteThe actual establishment in which the scene takes place includes enough details to make it appear true to the time and context. There are paintings and white carved paneling on the walls of the hallway, and a fancy metal banister with the staircase. The entranceway to the bar area is stone. The bar itself is long and lit up and expensive looking bottles of alcohol are displayed prominently. The ceilings are high, but columns make the scene feel intimate. The lighting is not conspicuously telling us anything. It is slightly dim, like a restaurant at night; the hallway is slightly brighter, like stepping out of a certain world created in the bar. There are no extremely dark shadowy areas; it is light and upbeat. This scene’s mise-en-scene helps to characterize the society in which David and Susan live, while still characterizing them as individuals.
I like this exchange between David and Susan:
David: Let’s play a game.
Susan: Oh? What?
David: Well, watch I’ll put my hand over my eyes, and then you go away, see? And then I’ll count to ten and when I take my hands down you will be gone.
In general, screwball comedies have distinguishing mise-en-scene that creates joyful feelings from the audience. With costume, set, lighting, and props creating character the scenes, Bringing Up Baby creates a very unique mood throughout the film. The scene that I have chosen to analyze for its mise-en-scene is when David meets the leopard for the first time and a little before that when Susan convinces David. This scene is important to the film as a whole because it adds a point the two main characters’ personalities (plus Baby of course). The most noticeable factor of this scene is the lighting through which the design of the two rooms David and Susan are placed in, in the beginning of the scene, portrays the light in a meaningful manner. The first room the viewer sees, David’s apartment, has a balanced amount of light. David’s costume is a dark suit, blending in with the balanced amount of light and dark in his whole setting, as he is moving around as well. This setting would present an average american citizen to the audience. On the other side of the spectrum is Susan along with her costume and setting that molds her personality into a bright and cheery character and prepares the audience to a further extent. The first costume that she is wearing matches almost every single prop/ item in her apartment. The terms speaking of everything being white of or a whiter color. This almost exaggerates the positive and optimistic nature of the glorious and beautiful Susan. Since her costume and props bring so much of an outrageously bright and cheerful mood, David’s personality is soon to be seen of even a more averaged businessman type character.
ReplyDeleteAt one moment in the scene, as David and Susan are talking across the phone, they are set in the same position. With a different desk each on their right and a different phone each in their right hand and up to their right ear. Along with their position, they each have one significant prop to their left that will change the plot entirely. This prop is also something they love dearly but creates conflict to keep the film at its high energy state.Another topic that leads up to the general idea of Bringing Up Baby is the dialogue/sound that is present throughout the film and this scene. In my opinion there were many quotes/lines from the movie that were of my liking like:
“When a man is wrestling a leopard in the middle of a pond, he's in no position to run.” and:
“David: [Pointing to a mark on the golf ball Susan just sank] There you see, it's a circle.
Susan: Well, of course it is, do you think it would roll if it were square?” but my most favorite quote that I believe sums up what the plot of this film literally was is:
Alice: Oh David, what have you done?
David: Just name anything, and I've done it.
Mise-en-scene is a very important aspect of Bringing Up Baby. The costumes, the lighting, and the set design all combine to create a comedic effect to the audience, bringing together aspects that make up the genre of screwball comedy. The scene that I believe reflects this the most is the one in which Susan steals David's clothes when he's in the shower, forcing him to wear a white fur robe. During the scene, we are in Susan's country home in Connecticut. Susan is wearing a long, white robe, and steals David's clothes, and then runs through the house with them (therefore we see the extravagance of the home) and gives the clothes to Hannah, the housekeeper, telling her to dry clean them. Following this, Susan returns to her bedroom, sits on the bed, and tells David to hurry. David soon realizes his clothes are nowhere to be found, and franticly reacts. We see him in the bathroom, and the use of shadows here is phenomenal. Because he is naked, we see the door almost fully open, and we can see through the shadows that David is putting something on, but we're not sure what. Comedy ensues when David almost leaps out of the bathroom wearing a fluffy, white, women's bathrobe. David tries to find the gardener's room, and again runs through the lavishly decorated living room (thus demonstrating the decor of the wealthy). The aunt then rings the door, and she and David exchange dialogue in which the aunt comments on David's clothes, to which David replies "these aren't my clothes," in the annoyed voice he uses with Susan almost consistently. In this part, my favorite quote is uttered:
ReplyDeleteAunt Elizabeth: "Why are you wearing those clothes?"
David: "Because I just went GAY all of the sudden!!" (when David says the word 'gay' he leaps up into the air in a very comedic way)
Through this scene in general, we can see the way Susan initially controls David. By stealing his clothes and essentially making him wear women's clothing, beyond the comedic aspect of it, this act can be seen as emasculation. Additionally, we are able to see David and Susan's relationship grow, as they bicker and exchange dialogue back and forth in one of the most entertaining ways in the entire film. David wearing the ridiculous clothing (both in this scene and a few scenes later when he is wearing a gardener's uniform) demonstrate him stepping out of his comfort zone. In earlier shots, he is shown dressed in a dignified manner, typical of the person he is trying to portray, and the person he is marrying. Throughout the very beginning, Susan is evidently a different breed, dressing in a different way, and having extravagant, over the top clothing and home accessories (as seen both in her city apartment and in her country home in the scene previously analyzed). David's (albeit non-purposeful) indulgence in her lifestyle represents almost a shift in David's thought and a shift to enjoying Susan's company more and more.