Mise-en-scene is everything that the viewers notice in a film. It helps filmmakers add realism to their works and “give settings and authentic look or letting the actors perform as naturally as possible” (qtd. in Bordwell and Thompson 113). Chaplin’s use of mise-en-scene in City Lights create a sense of realism by reflecting society’s culture at the time and conveys emotions and ideas without the use of speech. Realism is achieved through the use of setting, makeup, and costumes, while emotions and ideas are conveyed through movement and lighting.
To begin with, setting creates a sense of place and a mood (“Mise-en-scene”). In Chaplin’s City Lights, the setting is a city in the 1920s; in which it plays such an active role in the film that the it is included in the title. For instance, after the presentation of the monument “Peace and Prosperity,” the Tramp is walking along to an intersection. Cars are passing by. Everyone is rushing to their destination and the extras walk with purpose.The intersection is…show more content… Then, her face and slouch indicates her disappointment in finding he is not the man she is looking for. Lastly, during the iconic ending scene of the movie, the Tramp has dropped his pretenses and no longer tries to look dignified; looking destitute and sad. When he sees the Flower girl, his face lightens up in delight and recognition, but back to sadness as he realizes she does not recognize him. She only recognizes him when she relies on the senses she used when she was still blind; like touching his hand. As they gazed into each other, their eyes show their emotions. The Tramp feels delighted and has a sense of hope that someone will love him despite his circumstances. The Flower girl has a look of guilt and realization that there is no rich man, but there is also a look of
