Mise en scene in the car to the prom in The Virgin Suicides

Director: Sofia Coppola

May 2000, UK

Coppola uses Mise en scene in the car scene to ingrain the personality traits of the Lisbon sisters, as well as to segregate their behaviour in their sheltered home life compared to the outside world, and the segregation of Lux, the more outgoing, rebellious sister, to her conforming sisters.

Before they are to leave for the prom, Mrs Lisbon calls her daughters down the stairs to meet their escorts properly. The use of the upward camera angle as the girls make their way down the stairs signifies the awe the young boys feel for this group of sisters. Throughout the film, the boys are trying to follow, and be apart of their lives, and so this adoration and longing is show by the camera angles.

The costume effect is also significant in this scene. Possible intertextuality in this scene could be any teen film where the female character has a slow decent down the stairs in their prom dress, looking stunning (such as she’s all that). However, this scene challenges this expectation, as the girls descend in what could be described as, ‘four matching white potato sacks’. The effect of the dresses shows that the girls have a very sheltered home life, and are strongly discouraged from looking appealing to the opposite sex (as is also shown when Lux is forced to put her jumper on when they have a male guest in an earlier scene), as their mother has ensured their dresses cover their legs, cleavage and do not hug their figures. The colour white connotes innocence, virtue and virginity, and portrays all the ethics the sisters have been brought up with, and ensure the audience understand the expectations of the characters. Lux is also immediately segregated from her sisters by the editing showing her underwear, with which the word ‘Trip’ (the name of her date) had been written onto her costume with a heart. Lux is instantly portrayed as the more rebellious sister in this gesture. All four sisters are also blond, which connotes both fertility and innocence, enhancing the angelic reputations of the sisters, but also reminiscent of sexual appeal.

Once in the car, the performances of the sisters change dramatically. Whist subsistent in the house, the girls are free to act as they please in the car with their accompanying boys. The use of light plays on illuminating their faces, signifying the freedom they now feel when away from their over-dominating parents. In terms of performance, the sisters all begin to smile and giggle, whilst discussing gossip, and their body language become more relaxed.

The use of light in this scene then develops, as it skips to nightfall. As much a the sunlight appeared to free the sisters, the darkness seems to free Lux, as her body language then relaxes, and she even feels free enough to light a cigarette. This underlines the segregation between Lux and her sisters, as her body language and actions seem un-inhibited, her sisters seem to have regressed into disapproving silence. The darkness in the scene plays on their reactions as they then begin to frown, communicating only, ‘Dad will smell it on you.’ Lux’s performance further still expresses her ease as she casually replies, ‘I have a mint.’ And, ‘Ill just tell them some girls were smoking in the toilet.’

Finally, the use of Lux blowing a smoke ring underlines the title of the film. One of the young boys puts his finger through the hole and says, ‘Don’t let it die a virgin.’ This is met by disapproving performances from all the other characters. The prop of the smoke ring reminds the audience that the girls are all virgins, and the characters speech brings the harsh reality that you know they are going to die, back into the audience’s minds, and hints at what’s to come.