Juno - Mise en Scene and Cinematography

Discuss how meaning is created through mise-en-scene and cinematography in the film JUNO (2007)

For this answer, I will be discussing how meaning is created through mise-en-scene and cinematography in the following scenes from the film Juno: ‘Vanessa talks to her baby’, ‘I’m a Planet!’ and ‘Juno and Bleeker Sing’.

The scene where Vanessa talks to her baby is set in the shopping mall; the mall is busy and crowded, and the only lighting is artificial, but it is bright. Juno, and her friend Leah, bump into Vanessa. Juno and Leah are wearing multi-coloured clothes, which is used to show their immaturity and youthfulness, whereas Vanessa is wearing a grey jumper with a plain coat, showing her maturity. Vanessa also has her hair up in a neat ponytail, and is wearing subtle, natural makeup. This is to show the spectator that she takes pride in her appearance and that she is responsible to adopt Juno’s baby. Unlike Vanessa, Juno is wearing no makeup and her hair is in a very messy ponytail, which shows the spectator that she is maybe not as responsible as Vanessa, as she herself is still just a child. Hair and makeup creates meaning, as it allows the spectator to create a profile for each of the characters. Vanessa also has a shocked expression when the baby responds to her voice and starts to kick, which shows the spectator that she is happy, as to begin with, the baby wasn’t kicking for her.

Some of the camera shots used in this scene are, shot-reverse-shot, the 180-degree rule and close-ups. The shot-reverse-shot is used to switch between Vanessa and Juno as they are talking. At first, the camera looks over Vanessa’s shoulder down at Juno, and over Juno’s shoulder up at Vanessa, to show that Juno is still just a child, and immature, while Vanessa is a grown up and responsible. But later on in the scene, the camera looks down at Vanessa and up at Juno, which shows Juno’s dominance as she is the one having the baby, not Vanessa. The only time the camera is level is when Vanessa is talking to the baby, as it lowers to her level to see her talking to the baby, and the reaction when the baby kicks. This is also a close-up and is used to show the spectator that while Vanessa is responsible, she is also vulnerable, as Juno has the power to decide whether or not Vanessa can adopt the baby once it is born. The 180-degree rule is also used, so that when switching between the two characters, the camera only moves around them on one side, so as not to confuse the spectator as to where they are standing. In the scene, we see that the camera looks over Juno’s left shoulder and Vanessa’s right shoulder, keeping in line with the 180-degree rule.

The “I’m a Planet!” scene is set in the high school, standing in the corridor next to the lockers. Juno also has a messy ponytail but is now wearing minimal makeup. As her pregnancy develops, her confidence and dominance of those around her is shrinking. Her red jumper and loose t-shirts are used to show the spectator this as they are not fashionable, but comfortable. Compared to Juno, Bleeker is very well put together, wearing smart casual clothes, and making sure that his hair is neat. This is used along with character expression and movement to show that out of him and Juno, he now has the dominance in the relationship, as Juno feels the need to use exaggerated facial expressions and hand movements, whereas Bleeker is very reserved and matter of fact. The only prop used in the scene is Juno’s school bag, which is to show the spectator that Juno is still attending classes, but also that she is fairly independent, as she refuses Bleeker’s offer to carry it for her. The lighting again is artificial, but in a much smaller space making it much harsher. One side of each of the characters’ faces are brighter than the other, which is used to show the spectator that they both have a light and a dark side.

During this scene, the camera is mainly level with Juno but looks up to Bleeker, which tells the spectator that where Juno isn’t really gaining or losing any confidence as such, she is no longer the dominant character of the two, as the camera looking up at Bleeker represents that he is gaining confidence. This scene also uses shot-reverse-shot, looking over Juno’s left shoulder, and beside Bleeker’s right shoulder

At the end of the film, in the scene where Juno and Bleeker sing, Juno has her hair up in a neater ponytail, and tries to make a bit more of an effort. She is back to wearing jeans again, still with a plaid shirt and t-shirt. This is to show that she is returning back to normal life as a teenager after giving her baby to Vanessa to adopt. Bleeker is also making more of an effort, by not constantly wearing his running gear, and opting for a smarter casual look. Throughout the film, Bleeker is mainly seen in his running gear, so this change of outfit is used to let the spectator know that rather than focusing on his running, he is now more focused on his music and the band. Juno and Bleeker are playing their guitars and singing in front of Bleeker’s house; they are sitting on the steps surrounded by many flowers and bright colours, which is to show that they are both much happier now that they are back together again. In this scene, there is natural light from the sun as they are sitting outside. Juno is sitting directly in the sunlight whereas Bleeker is sitting in the shade created by one of the trees in the background. This is on purpose to bring the spectator’s focus to Juno, the main character of the film. The way that Juno and Bleeker are leaning in towards each other also shows that they are relaxed around each other, which shows the spectator that they have made up after their argument.

The final scene of the film uses the 180-degree rule. It begins as a close-up, focusing on Juno and Bleeker who are sitting angled towards each other. Then, as the scene continues, the camera begins to move further away, essentially zooming out until the whole house comes into frame as well. This wide shot allows you to see the setting in its entirety, before the high school running team runs past. This scene has both Juno and Bleeker in the frame together rather than switching between them, to show the spectator that Juno and Bleeker are back together, and that the movie has the typical ending, where the couple ends up happily ever after.