The Mise-en-Scene of

The Dominant of the shot is the object that the eyes first see when viewing the shot. The Dominant in this shot is Zero, the Lobby Boy. The importance of Zero as the dominant of the shot emphasizes his significance in Mr. Gustave’s life. He is essential to the concierge’s survival.

The lighting key is the contrast in lighting. There is high key lighting, and low key lighting. High key lighting: even tone with few conspicuous shadows Low key lighting: soft diffusion of shadows This shot uses natural lighting, with a high key even tone. This signifies the light, whimsical tone.

Shot types are the different ways to view what the camera will see. Camera proxemics are how far, or how close, the camera is to the action. The shot type is a Extreme Long Shot The camera is closer to Zero than Mr. Gustave The shot type relays all the information and imagery of the hotel for the audience. The closeness of the camera to Zero suggests an intimacy between the audience and the lobby boy, as opposed to the distance from the closed off Gustave.

 Camera angles are how tilted the camera is when viewing the shot.  The shot has a straight on angle, with no tilt along the horizontal axis.  This signifies the straight foward management of the hotel, and the no nonsense attitude of Mr. Gustave.

 Color values portray meaning through color.  The dominant color in the shot is beige. Yet the stand out colors are the purple and red.  The red of the concierge desk hints at the violent plot that will enshroud and capture the innocent Mr. Gustave.  The contrast of the purple uniforms against the beige symbolize the contrast of the whimsical personalities of the characters in regards to their bleak and desolate surroundings. Arrows point out important colors

 The lens filter and stock can distort the frame.  There is most likely a wide angle lens due to the layers of focus.  This signifies the layers of authority in the Hotel, as well as the multiple layers to the personalities of Mr. Gustave and Zero.

 Subsidiary Contrast is where the eye goes next.  The subsidiary contrast is Mr. Gustave.  This signifies that while Zero may be imperative to Mr. Gustave and the plot, the concierge is still an underlying idea and theme throughout the film, and that while he may rely on Zero, he will always remain in the background of the lobby boy’s mind and thoughts.

 Density is how much information is packed into the image.  There are some layers of information. The desk, and the layers of characters.  The desk signifies the location and Gustave’s role. The characters dictate the layers of importance of them to the plot, with Zero being the most important since he is the largest. Red arrow signifies the concierge sign. Yellow arrows signify characters.

 Composition is the placement of objects within the frame.  Both Zero and Gustave are objects of vertical composition, suggesting strength.  Mr. Gustave is in the center, dictating that he resides at the heart of the plot and the film.  Zero rests on the third to the right, in the forefront of the frame. This denotes him as Mr. Gustave’s right hand man. Moreover since he is in the foreground of the shot, he is seen first by the audience, and he is, for he is telling the story. This also places him as the Dominant in the shot.

 Open or closed form.  The shot is closed form, meaning the shot is carefully structered, the space is self contained.  This signifies the controlled and contained life of the employees, which is about to be destroyed. Yellow lines denote the strict structures within the shot

 Open or closed frame.  The frame is closed, containing the characters.  Gustave has more room to move around the shot than Zero, signifying he has more freedom in his life than the poor refugee. Mr. Gustave is smaller in the shot, meaning he has more room to move around in the image. Zero is trapped in the corner of the frame, just as he is trapped by the war that removed him from his home.

 Depth of field is how many objects are in focus within the frame.  There are three main layers of focus: foreground (Zero), mid ground (desk) and background (Gustave).  The separation between the foreground and the background by the mid ground suggests that Gustave’s job separates him from everyone else, while it simultaneously connects him to Zero. Joining the pair through their love for the Hotel. Mr. Gustave is in the background. The desk is in the mid-ground Zero is in the foreground.

 The placement of the characters within the frame signifies their meaning.  Since Mr. Gustave is in the center of the frame, this signifies that he is the heart of the plot, as well as a figure of authority.  Since Zero is to the right of the frame this signifies that he is in a position of subservience to Gustave.