Mise en scène is a French word used in film analysis to generally describe everything that is put in front of a camera and the arrangement throughout the film. The term represents the aspect of visual design in film production which essentially includes lighting, camera placement, camera angle, wardrobe, the setting and every other element that appears on camera.
“Black Panther” is an African-themed film directed by Ryan Coogler in 2018. He incorporates a fictional African country, Wakanda, which discretely owns highly advanced technology. Through the film, the director empowers the black community while exploring issues of racism and how members of the society should respond to oppression. To vehicle the African theme, the movie incorporated a deft embedment of African inspired costumes. The clothes worn by the superheroes, warriors, and royals in the film integrate the traditional culture of the entire continent.
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According to the costume designer of the film, it was important to match the clothes with the narrative of the movie. She merged past African designs with Afro-futuristic imagery to overwhelmingly portray the beauty of the African culture ( Ryzik, 2018) . For instance, the Jabari tribe in the film was inspired by the Dogon community in Mali. Also, the triangle pattern in T’Challa’s suit represented the sacred geometry of the continent. Joel Harlow, the film’s makeup artist created beautiful authentic styles for the cast based on the ancestral tribes of Africa.
In the past, traditional art was considered primitive. The purpose of the remarkably stylish aesthetic in the film was to celebrate the innovation in the African wear and to inspire other races to appreciate the culture. The Wakanda wear also coincided with a call for diversity in the world of beauty and fashion. Through the costumes in the film, more brands were encouraged to embed an African culture in their products.
Reference
Ryzik, M. (2018). The Afrofuturistic Designs of ‘Black Panther,’. The New York Times , 23 .
