Mise En Scene is an important micro element to consider when analysing any film and for this reason Mise en Scene will be the focus of this micro analysis. Mise En Scene entails what is seen within a shot and how it is presented, when analysing Mise En Scene in a film you must think about how what is shown creates meaning and what it both connotes and denotes to the audience. The film that will be analysed in this micro analysis is Kill Bill Volume 1 (TARANTINO Q, 1999).
In the sequence the protagonist (aka The Bride/Black Mamba/Beatrix Kiddo; for this essay she will be referred to using the moniker of “The Bride”) faces off against a Yakuza group known as The Crazy 88 in a mass sword fight. While looking at this scene various aspects of Mise En Scene such as the costumes, make up, lighting, props, setting and the performance and movement of the actors will be discussed and analysed to show how each element creates meaning to the viewer.
The scene opens with a lone Crazy 88 member running through a red hallway. Red commonly represents danger and this is supported by the antagonists of the scene all emerging from said hallway, armed with body intrusive weapons to fight our protagonist, The Bride. The red hallway was the source of the danger, and as some of the Crazy 88 run into the room they are covered by various shōji (Japanese paper doors), and are illuminated by various shades of red, casting silhouettes of them onto the shōji, this could be indicating they are not only dangerous but are also mysterious.
The Crazy 88 are clad in black suits with black domino masks covering a section of their face, suits are attire that are traditionally associated with power, status and organization, this could show that they are all united and are all powerful. The suits hold a negative connotation as it can be seen as the Crazy 88 being represented as superiors or higher-ups, in a working environment these figures are often seen with resentment and envy. The domino mask on the other hand is famously used to shield the wearer’s identity without covering their face, used in comic books more as a statement than an actual method of hiding the persons identity from the reader, this could be interpreted as saying that the Crazy 88 are all united anonymously, they have lost their individuality by wearing the domino masks, their age, gender and build are disregarded and they are all dressed as members of the Crazy 88; which shows unity and mystery which makes them seem a formidable antagonist for The Bride.
The Bride herself is clad in a yellow jumpsuit, splattered with blood. The colour yellow is frequently associated with happiness, energy and cleanliness, whilst the colour red is associated with danger, anger and extreme passion-both passionate love and passionate hate. Taking this into consideration it can be interpreted that the brides happiness is stained with anger about the believed death of her unborn child. Alternatively it could be seen that her energy is fuelled by the passionate hate she feels for O Ren Ishii, and as the fight progresses more blood accumulates meaning she is more determined by the addition of more hate, perhaps the link between happiness and blood highlights The Bride’s use of violence as a catharsis, this is also supported by the Bride’s lack of emotion she expresses during the gory moments in the sequence, keeping a straight face and loose yet stern posture.
Once the Crazy 88 enter the set and surround the Bride, a crane shot reveals she is standing atop a Japanese Zen garden. Typically in a Zen garden there are rocks, surrounded by sand with lines drawn in the sand around the location of the rocks. The classic symbolism of Zen Gardens says that the rocks represent mountains, and the lines in the sand represent ripples in water, this mirrors the bride surrounded by the Crazy 88, this could mean that the Bride is like a mountain, strong and still, much like The Bride when surrounded by the Crazy 88, it is reminiscent of how the clouds move around mountains and yet never move it, or how the sea barrages rocks by the shore and they too refuse to move. It can be interpreted as showing that The Bride is individually a lot more powerful than the Crazy 88, who are like the ripples, if enough ripples barrage the mountain it will eventually be eroded, just like how if enough of the Crazy 88 attack the Bride she will be overpowered and defeated.
The lighting of the set is floodlit, with large lights and smaller lights arranged as if those of a stadium. This partnered with the Bride’s athletic unisex wear makes the scene look as if it is emulating a sporting event. This can be further seen by a spotlight on each of the dead Crazy 88 on the floor, this creates the imagery of violence as a sport, it is as if the sequence is turning violence and murder into something to be broadcasted on TV, maybe a statement by Tarantino about how overtly violent and yet glamorous his movies are, as extreme bloodlust in his characters has become a trademark of his films. When the fighting begins a number of limbs are severed from various Crazy 88 members, with the severing of these limbs there is an almost comic amount of blood sprayed from the cut, the blood is a very bright red; this is unlike the more commonplace dark red colouring seen when looking at serious wounds in films, the bloods colouring and velocity at which it gushes from the body can be compared to cartoons, this graphic yet over the top depiction of bloodshed can be seen as Tarantino trying to remove as much realism as possible so that the viewer remembers the violence on screen is not real and they are in fact watching a film, removing the potential of suspension of disbelief. The actor performance also supports this as when The Bride’s sword makes the cut oftentimes the reaction is not incredibly realistic, with some holding their amputated foot in their hands emotionally, and others just letting out a fell shriek, other comic moments include The Bride removing one 88’s eye and then placing it in another’s mouth (accompanied by a contrapuntal humorous gulp sound)
The micro elements working together make the entire scene appear as a depiction of violence without consequence, violence for sport and catharsis. The micro elements pain The Bride as an archetypal underdog and also challenge the conventional gender stereotypes of films through presenting her as strong, independent and merciless, enforced further by the unisex clothing. The micro elements have worked effectively in this scene and creates meaning beyond the simple violence seen at face value.