Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MISE EN SCENE
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"All the world’s a stage," says Shakespeare's Jacques in As You Like It, and "all the men and women merely players."
And all the set pieces, the props and the backdrops? Those are the mise en scene.
The mise en scene is literally the "setting on the stage." Can you recall the literal meaning of a similar term: mise en place?
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"MISE EN SCENE"
This phrase is French for "setting on stage."
Strictly speaking, in theater or in cinematography, mise en scene is the scene's appearance or setup: the stage settings, including the lighting, the backdrops, the furniture, etc.
And more loosely speaking, mise en scene is the setting or background of any event in time and/or space.
Pronunciation:
MEEZE on SEN
Part of speech:
Noun, the uncountable kind: "let's consider the mise en scene," "the mise en scene is complex."
Other forms:
The plural form is rare, but if you need it, use "mises-en-scène," and if you prefer, leave out the hyphens: "mises en scène."
How to use it:
Some writers use italics, hyphens, and an accent mark: mise-en-scène. Most today, though, leave out all three: mise en scene.
You might talk specifically about the mise en scene in a certain play, story, film, novel, television episode or series, etc. Or, you might talk more generally about the mise en scene of some historical or current event, especially when you need to emphasize how that event played out as if it were a story on a stage.
But it's such a fancy term. So stagey. It calls so much attention to itself. Maybe a more appropriate word for your idea could be milieu, landscape, or zeitgeist.
examples:
"Austrian cinematographer Christian Bergeruses utilizes the ambient light of his Maltese sun to create painterly compositions of astonishing beauty, bringing to full liveliness the European setting... As Miss Jolie ambles along the shoreline, it is one of the few moments of true losing oneself in the masterly mise en scene."
— Eric Althoff, Washington Times, 13 November 2015
"The mise en scene: picturesque, woodsy Jackson Township, N.J., a rapidly suburbanizing municipality 40 miles from New York in the northern periphery of the state's vast Pine Barrens forest. The town is in the throes of a culture clash, with new residents tucking $250,000 houses deep into the woods, imposing suburbia on crusty Pineys (as some locals call themselves) who are struggling to maintain an individualistic way of life..."
— Joe Sharkey, The New York Times, 7 February 1999
has this page helped you understand "mise en scene"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "mise en scene" without saying "backdrop" or "setting."
try it out:
Think of a book you read that got made into a movie. Fill in the blanks: "The mise en scene is (just right, nearly perfect, a little odd, or totally different from how I imagined it), with _____."
Example: "The mise en scene is just how I imagined it, with drafty castle hallways, walls crammed with enormous paintings, and endless stones and archways."
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is "Inspired by, but in no way associated with, the game show Chain Reaction."
In each issue, try filling in both puzzles—the easier one and the tougher one—by supplying the terms to complete the chains.
From the previous issue:
An easier puzzle:
Advocate
F__
Rent
A tougher puzzle:
Manifest
D______
A_____
Judgment
Answers:
Advocate
For
Rent
Manifest
Destiny
Awaits
Judgment
Give these a try today:
An easier puzzle:
Landscape
S_____
Chain
A tougher puzzle:
Inherent
R___
I_
Kids
review this word:
1. MISE EN SCENE is a type of
A. STORY.
B. EXPENSE.
C. ATMOSPHERE.
2. MasterClass breaks mise en scene into ten components, including _____.
A. joy, nuance, and ambiguity
B. location, costumes, and depth of space
C. drums, chord progressions, and vocal samples
a final word:
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Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
"All the world’s a stage," says Shakespeare's Jacques in As You Like It, and "all the men and women merely players."
"MISE EN SCENE" This phrase is French for "setting on stage."
"Austrian cinematographer Christian Bergeruses utilizes the ambient light of his Maltese sun to create painterly compositions of astonishing beauty, bringing to full liveliness the European setting... As Miss Jolie ambles along the shoreline, it is one of the few moments of true losing oneself in the masterly mise en scene."
Explain the meaning of "mise en scene" without saying "backdrop" or "setting."
Think of a book you read that got made into a movie. Fill in the blanks: "The mise en scene is (just right, nearly perfect, a little odd, or totally different from how I imagined it), with _____."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. MISE EN SCENE is a type of
|