How to read a film: Wedding
scene
Mise en scéne/setting:
The entire scene is set in a
very formal situation with traditional Indian clothes and environments and it
is clear that the occasion is a wedding or some other formal event as the men
are wearing some kind of white uniform like a suit in western culture and the
women are wearing light-colored beautiful dresses almost like bridesmaids.
Framing and focus:
The main event in the scene is
the dancing and therefore the people dancing are generally the people in focus.
While the dancers mostly are in the foreground the spectators make for a lively
background. The shot itself is at most times close up focusing on the details
and expressions of the characters or zoomed
out to create an overview of all the people involved with the dance.
Camera movement:
The camera movement tends to
pan in the general direction that the people dancing are moving but when it
moves it does steadily. There is a lot of camera switching which creates a
dynamic experience of the dancing but might seem a bit disorientating at times.
Camera angle:
Especially at first when all
the women are situated on a raised level. The camera is pointing upwards at the
girls or pointing downwards at the men dancing. This correlates with the way that
the men are admiring the girls in the song they are singing. When the girls
then move down to dance with the men, most of the camera angles are level with
the people dancing.
Lighting and color:
The lighting in the scene is
warm and soft creating soft shadows. The colors are all light except for some
of the main characters.
Sound track:
The music in the scene is very
traditional. It is happy and light and has a fast pace that synchronizes with
dancing in the scene.
Editing:
The cutting in the scene works
in relation to the music. Every part of the song has its own set of cuts with
same rhythms. The audience also knows that the parents of the girls are trying
to get them married to some of the men. While the girls know this, the men
don’t.
Wider contexts:
The scene is like a scene
pulled out from any other Bollywood wood movie and that is one of the scenes
where the title and the movie unites, because Darcy comes to India full of
prejudices and in this scenes he gets one of the first impressions of traditional
Indian culture which just reaffirms his prejudices.
How to read a film: Goa beach
scene
I was not sure if this was the
right scene as there is no beach involved in the scene but I have analyzed the
pool scene.
Mise en scéne/setting:
The location is at a luxury
hotel which pulls Lalita out of her natural environment. Meanwhile Darcy and
Kiran are in surroundings they are very used to be in coming from wealthy
families.
Framing and focus:
The discussion between Lalita
and Darcy are the thing in shot while the love between Jaya and Balraj is
blooming in the pool. The background is a luxurious hotel environment which to
Lalita has nothing to do with the “real” India. The camera is viewing the scene
from a distance at first but quickly transitions into a close-up when the
characters start to speak.
Camera movement:
The camera is mostly steady
but when the characters are moving the camera is tracking them.
Camera angle:
The camera is functioning as a
still observer of the situation and there are no special camera angles in the
scene. The camera is serving as the eyes of the audience
Lighting and color:
This scene is filled with
warm, light and exotic colors. The lighting is pretty harsh letting us know
that is comes from a burning hot sun. This also makes the shadows very
distinct.
Sound track:
In the start of the scene
there are some very peaceful music playing to indicate the harmony in the scene
but when the discussion starts the music stops leaving only the animal sounds
behind. When Lalita in the end finishes her argument and leaves, dramatic music
starts playing.
Editing:
There are no special cuts in
this scene. The camera cuts to the one talking for the most parts.
Wider contexts:
The film is a modernized
version of the novel “Pride and
prejudice” from 1813 by Jane
Austen. As explained before, the film is a musical with Bollywood aspects and
it certainly lives up to that genre with love, drama and feelings being
unleashed in dancing and singing. The film can also be compared to "Slumdog Millionaire" which also expresses
the Indian culture just like Lalita is trying to show Darcy how the real India
is beyond the hotels and the prejudices.
