Mise-en-scene is the framing arrangement of lighting, actors, décor, costume and props including the camerawork and frame. It is actually a French name meaning placing on the stage. The film Fargo was based on a true story. According to the Coen brothers who produced and direct the film they wrote a fictional story around the actual criminal event. This means that the characterization was different although the basic events were same as the real events. Contrary to the opening graphics the actual murder did not take place in Minnesota. The movie was filmed mainly in Minneapolis. The scenes which required landscape with snows were shot in North Dakota and Northern Minnesota.
The landscape setting of Minnesota symbolizes isolation which the characters, especially Jerry who is the main character, feel. The expansive, flat and snow-covered setting in Fargo allows people to come into focus such that viewers can see the sitting from all directions. Lack of other people or even cars points out how Jerry and the kidnappers feel very lonely and segregated from the rest of the world (“Fargo (Film) – TV Tropes”). This scene symbolizes loneliness and emptiness. Similarly, the use of non-diegetic music has an effect in the film. Diagetic films are the more pronounced in the film such that the viewers can feel more closely connected with the spectators and the characters in the story. Diegetic sounds include the phone ringing and car sirens. In the whole film, the color red is prominently used. Color red signifies blood, danger and death pain. In the scene where the kidnappers are driving away, they stopped by a police man and they are pulled over a red light that flood the car from behind and diegetic sirens. The white snow is splattered with blood when the policeman is shot. Two people who witness the incident follow the two red lights which then disappear. They only see it when the car floods with red when the car is overturned.
Also, the boy who runs from the car is also wearing a red jacket. He also splatters the snow with blood when he gets shot. Similarly, the girl in the car is also shot. This scene repeats itself when the two criminals stumble and spray the snow with blood. Also, there is a repetition of red lights from the police car as they come to arrest the remaining criminals. The policewoman is in bed with her husband when he receives the phone call. Jerry attempts to escape by crawling through the window as his wife attempted when he was first kidnapped. The use of costumes is set in a way which will help the viewers understand the characters even more. For example, the fawn and beige suits which jerry wears depict his dull nature and view of the world. While he is always in suits at the end he is in pajamas which show that he has lost everything. This symbolizes passiveness and it is very easy to see that he does not command respect from the others and that he is easily bullied. This is ironical because he is the mastermind behind all the kidnapping which aim to get about one million dollars.
There are also small phrases and actions which help views to understand and relate to the characters in the film. For example, Jerry has a nervous and fidgety performance which illustrate that his plans are not going to work. Also, to help set the setting the word ‘yah’ is used regularly in the film. In addition, the pregnant policewoman is always eating. While this is common knowledge that when one is pregnant they talk more this help to connect character with the spectators by introducing a sense of humor and personality traits. The opening scene is that that of Jerry walking toward the car which shows that he is in crossroad or a dilemma. IN fact, the producers use the snow tracks which physically form crossroad. This idea emphasizes that Jerry has crossed his line plans because the snow track symbolizes moral lines and car symbolizes crime.
Inside the car, the light comes from one side which shows both sides of the ransom. Although he successfully gets the ransom this is not a good way to get money. It is morally wrong. Also, Jerry does not face the camera such that the viewers do not know what he is thinking. Also, he starts to wipe the screen slowly and then violently as he proceeds. This is how the whole film starts simply as being a ransom to get money and the turns out to be cold- blooded serial murder incident. He just had mild anger but he became violent when fed up. The scene becomes more powerful when the Jerry is heard screaming as the scratching sound became faster. Also, the bird eye view is used in emphasizing the decisions he made. The second instance of bird eye view is used to signify that someone is watching such as the security camera.
The setting of the movie is well placed, with humor and accents. Overall it has nice setting, characters, sounds and shots.
Reference
- “Fargo (Film) – TV Tropes.” TV Tropes, 2018, http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/Fargo.
