Mise En Scene Analysis - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The movie I chose for this assignment is The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. The Chronicles of Narnia is a fantastical trilogy series that follows the four Pevensie siblings, Peter and Edmund –sons of Adam – and Susan and Lucy – daughters of Eve – in Narnia as they journey to Aslan in order to save Edmund and later all of Narnia from the White Witch. The otherworldly nature of these movies is accompanied by the phenomenal mise-en-scène of costumes, lighting, sets, and props that enhances the overall experience of the new world and really defines the fantasy and adventure genre it’s set in.

First off, the lighting. The movie starts out in a gloomy London that exudes the country’s unsafe state, causing the Pevensie siblings to move away. When they moved to the countryside to live with the professor, the colors on the outside were much brighter, symbolizing their safety but the inside of the mansion is dark, showing how even though they’re safe, it’s a rather dull place to stay. Later in the movie, when Lucy enters the wardrobe along with her other siblings later, Narnia is a beautiful place but also looks darker; this plays with the audience’s sentences as the first glimpses we’ve seen of a dim and bluish area were in danger and in the boring mansion, while now they were in a world that almost seemed like a fairytale. Later on, as the siblings go up against the danger that is the White Witch, it’s clear that the lighting hinted to the danger.

The setting is rather unique for a fantasy series since the beginning is a sequence of bombings against London during World War 2. Most movies that have wars focus on the effects that it has on the country and its people; we’re sent with the Pevensie siblings to the countryside, and we’re shown what kids try to do to be entertained during such a hard time. The next series of settings that takes place in Narnia is a sort of medieval era and gives the feel of uncharted territory as the siblings try to make their way through the thick tundra generated by the White Witch and the sunny fields that Aslan’s powers restored.

The props that are used in the film range from gritty foods at the Beavers’ to swords, bows and arrows, a horn and a cordial gifted by Father Christmas. These props even suit the personalities of the siblings. Edmund was with the White Witch at the time, so he never got one, but his older and younger siblings did. Peter received a sword, which represents his straight to the point persona and the role he has to take as leader. Susan receives a bow and arrows along with a horn, something that highlights her caution in tricky situations before making her move and the fact that she has no problem calling for help when necessary. Lucy has a cordial that heals wounds since she’s the first to embrace Edmund when he is saved from the White Witch despite him somewhat bullying her in the earlier scenes along with betraying them and sabotaging Mr. Tumnus’s position, symbolizing how she would rather heal relationships rather than hold grudges.

Last but not least is the costuming. When the siblings first enter Narnia, they remain in their clothes from Earth, almost as if they’re spectators in this new world. The coats even serve as some type of barrier between the kids and the acceptance of the fact that they’re in this new world. In the scene where the river melts and the kids must remove their coats due to them being wet – almost a reality check of how serious their new reality is – they fully assume their roles as protectors of Narnia. When they are all fully adorned in Narnian clothing, Susan, Edmund, and Peter are indisputable about their wanting to stay when Peter suggests that he sends them back since his job is to protect them, therefore only risking his own life.

The mise-en-scène of the movie really immerses the audience in the story as we can relate to the characters suddenly being put into a fantasy realm and not knowing what to do. We follow Lucy’s blissful approach to the land of beauty before being thrown into the high stakes ride of the fate of Narnia being on the shoulders of the children. This movie really helps define the adventure and fantasy genre as we get to grow with the characters on screen and look up to Aslan in the way everyone else does along with reaching an end goal and witnessing mythological creatures such as fawns, centaurs, a phoenix, and griffins' really home in the experience. I enjoyed this movie because most fantasy movies don’t focus on the lives of children. Another factor is that the character development we witness is atypical since they are still kids and they're far more likely to be shaped by future events than adults.