Topic > Staging in Far From Heaven by Todd Haynes

In “Far From Heaven”, Todd Haynes portrays what is happening in the lives of his cast by showing the surface of things through the technique of staging scene because it didn't exist a language in which the characters could talk to each other about their problems. Haynes mainly shows the technique of mise-en-scène through his very detailed settings and architecture to show the different messages throughout the film. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Expressed racial and sexual abuse wrapped in a mise-en-scène that creates settings that seem influenced by vintage 1950s magazines with a hint of inspiration from the pages of the high-fashion worldly press. For example, the film's opening scene appears to be in a setting straight out of the house magazines of a 1950s fairytale lifestyle rejoicing in the radiant splendor of uptown and the house it lights up daily. The setting of this film portrays utopian-type communities through the technique of mise-en-scène which is a way of telling viewers that communities and society can never be perfect. The emergence of Frank's adultery towards his wife Cathy demonstrates that these families were not flawless and that his homosexuality was far from perfect in the eyes of many of his society companions. Another example of staging can be houses that should be safe places but which instead seem to be closed in prisons. The frame of a door, the confines of walls and even an open space seem to cage Cathy who is telling the audience that she is desperately crying out for help even as she is trying to portray stability in her social life. using specific architecture in “Far From Heaven” to show viewers what was really happening in everyone's world. There were many changes in floor levels in many scenes. For example, there were scenes where Cathy was shown on a lower level floor which can be seen as her being downtrodden and in a low position in her life because her marriage was crumbling, and she still had to pretend to be the lovable and perfect trophy. wife everyone expected her to be. When Cathy was seen on a higher level floor, she was usually in a better place where she was trying to work on her problems which could be shown as her being heroic. The scenes which had many brick walls and railings in the background expressed a sense of closure and fall not only for Cathy but also for other characters such as her husband who was trying to reject his temptations which would not allow him to be heterosexual and faithful . to his wife. The architecture in this film was a device that showed all the emotions that the characters could not show to the audience. Haynes wants to show his viewers that he understands how women like Cathy of the 1950s suffered greatly because they had no way to hide. their identity as women, so they had no choice but to resist the pressures resulting from their role in society. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Haynes' “Far From Heaven” is a pastiche of Sirk's “All That Heaven Permits” because it resembles it, but has some discrepancies and distortions. Haynes sets his film in the 1950s and uses the ability of color to emphasize emotional strength to show the perfect family as well as the not-so-perfect one, just as Sirk had previously done..