Mise-en-scene

   

In this still from the film Twilight, the mise-en-scene has many elements.I'm going to begin my analysis with the most obvious element within the frame, the characters/actors. The actors which they chose were not well known when this film was released back in 2008, so with the story line being that Edward, the main character played by Robert Pattinson, is a vampire, they needed a low lying, aspiring actor which looked quite scary and dark, that could have "theoretically" have the possibility of being a vampire (even though we know in the real world they do not exist, the creators had to make it as believable as possible). The actress which plays Bella, Kristen Stewart, was also not well known at the time. With Bella being written as a moody, self-suffiecient, lonely teenager, Kristen was able to reflect this character, as not many people knew who she was, and she has quite a dark, sullen side side to her acting, and her own personality.
      Another element of this still is the facial expressions on both of the characters. Starting with Bella, she has an eager look on her face, signifying the lust that she has for Edward as he is "the man of her dreams" and also "irresistable". Another way her facial expression could be interpreted is as worried. This could be because that she is standing before a vampire, and as we know, vampires live off blood. This point could also support the lust she has for the character, because it is a dangerous situation to be in, which could feel exhilarating. The facial expression on Edward on the other hand can signify different emotions and feelings. His facial expressions are quite intense. This could signify that as he is struggling to not drink Bella's blood. Another thing this could signify is the traditional look of vampires being quite dark and deceitful, this is open for interpretation to the audience because it could make the entire scene have a different meaning.
     Moving on to the objects and the layout of the room which the characters are in, the room is very open plan and bright with all of the windows. This could signify the freedom which Edward has within his lifestyle. The objects in the room are very simplistic, just books, and a lamp. This could signify the fact that Edward's life isn't going to change, he cannot get out of being a vampire, so he will be living exactly the same way forever.
     Finally, the lighting in the room is high key, but it feels quite dingey. They have tried to give off a natural lighting effect due to every outer wall on the house being a window. However. The dark tint, which is very noticeable, supports the theme of the film. Also, the characters stand out much more due to them being dark and the background being light. This signifies and supports the dark theme, and the unawareness of how Edward is going to react.