Introduction
When watching any movie, the viewer, whether consciously or unconsciously, realizes that one enjoys or dislikes the film due to various elements placed in front of the camera. The term mise en scène describes all the visual components the audience can see on stage. The latter incorporates everything from actors’ appearance, design, and location to lighting, camera position, and depth of space (MasterClass).
One of the great movies to discuss the elements of mise en scène is Mississippi Masala, directed by Mira Nair and starring Denzel Washington, Roshan Seth, and Sarita Choudhury. This film, despite lacking the Hollywood glamour of a success story, effectively conveyed the feelings and emotions of people through its camera work, costumes, lighting, and actors’ performances.
Inspiration from Real Life Events
Mississippi Masala draws features from real-life situations, which does not make the story less compelling. Indeed, the plot is interesting precisely because the team that created this movie was able to add appropriate visuals. The director showed the drastic economic difference between a third-world state like Uganda and a developed country like the United States. It was achieved by showing how impoverished the tiny East African village appears compared to an average American city (Mississippi Masala).
At the same time, it is evident how people try to adapt themselves and their lifestyles to be associated with either the white or the colored part of the local population of Greenwood, Mississippi. Mina’s family owns a small motel, where she works as a cleaner and does not appear to have significant financial concerns. On the other hand, Demetrius, despite working in a family business and belonging to a more affluent African American culture, is still in a less favorable position than an average white middle-class representative. This gap between them is illustrated in the plot, as well as in their families’ assets and liabilities.
Emotional Impact of Mise en Scène
Another essential aspect of this movie’s mise en scène is that it is intended to display people’s feelings and emotions. Although the theme of loss is present throughout the film, the central topic is still romance. The feeling of loss, as exemplified by Jay’s sadness over the end of a friendship and the need to move to a different country, is presented as an inevitable part of life (Mississippi Masala).
Still, the central theme is Mina and Demetrius’s relationship, which starts with the dancing scene in a bar. Music and performance, in this case, showed the instant feeling of emotional and physical desire that two people develop for each other. Every conversation about romance was visualized with lighting and camera work to convey to the viewer that the characters were discussing love and relationships. Notably, all other scenes related to racial and class inequality served as background features to lend credibility to the love story by incorporating real-life issues faced by middle-class Americans.
Conclusion
In summary, Mississippi Masala’s mise en scène is a good example of how the outstanding work of the movie creators and excellent actor performance can make the audience sympathize and relate with the characters. Indeed, everything, including design, light, music, costumes, and setting, plays an essential role in telling the story of love and loss, with some background routine situations that occur in real life. Overall, this movie’s idea and mise en scène appeared different from the usual Hollywood film. The difference is in the mediocrity of the lifestyle and the depth of people’s emotions, regardless of the lack of allure and glamour that many love stories in movies have.
Works Cited
Mississippi Masala. Directed by Mira Nair, performance by Denzel Washington, Studio Canal Souss, 1991.
“What Is Mise en Scène in Film?” MasterClass, 2021.