Breakfast at Tiffany's; analysing Mise en Scene from the opening

Anaylsing the Mis en Scene from the opening sequence, an establishment shot is shown of a classy, city street. The use of props includes subtle foliage, softly glowing street lights and regal, white buildings suggesting this is a city of luxury. The colours are pale; mainly white connoting a dreamy and innocent atmosphere. Light colours are used to highlight the fine details in the setting and props, emphasizing the beauty within the frame and establishing the films appeal.

Within this shot a yellow cab enters the scene, iconic at connoting this is New York City. An elegantly dressed women leaves the taxi and walks towards a stylishly sophisticated building, Tiffany’s. The use in costume emphasizes the woman’s status as her glamorous attire shows her wearing a lavish pearl necklace and a long black formal gown, this implies to the audience that she is wealthy and takes pride in her appearance. This is a successful use in mise-en-scene because it establishes to the audience this character’s noble status and subtle gracious personality.

The establishment shot it also successful at creating this romanticised presence, it is here that the audience can see where the film is set as an iconic yellow cab enters the scene it automatically connotes to New York, more mise-en-scene is reinforced with the urban location having concrete streets, lamp posts and lack of foliage; with these conventions however the scene looks stylish, the street-lights are on but the sky is getting light this allows the audience to assume that its morning, this is a strong use of mise-en-scene as it emphasizes the beauty within the frame connecting back to the films appeal with its use of lighting.  

The woman begins to open a white paper bag, connecting back to the white pearls and white street; this reinforces the ideas of innocence and purity. She begins to eat her breakfast outside the shop which is shown to be a jewelry shop. The imagery is similar to the idea of a child eating sweets outside a toyshop, this is effective again at linking into the sweet innocent characteristics of the character as well as the glamorous and idealistic visual appearance she wishes to present herself as.

The mise-en-scene used within the opening sequence is very successful as delivering the films context, using visual codes to create the charming atmosphere the films is ready to deliver. The entire mise-en-scene foreshadows the films focus on image, wealth and naivety.