The French term ‘Decoupage‘ does not have an English equivalent when describing film and cinema – at best it can be defined as ‘to cut’ and ‘to construct’ simultaneously. It is the seemingly contradictory meaning of this term that allows for a sense of “vagueness” to be veiled over it. The “Vagueness” of the this term is also highlighted by its etymological origins. Meaning is lost via literal translation, particularly with the Romantic languages (French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian); a word with expressive and effervescent meaning in one language, can be dull and fragmented when translated to another – this is the case with Decoupage.  In relation to this, the vague and broad terms of ‘Mise en Scene’ and ‘Montage’  can be explored. Bastardized, these terms can be explained as ‘putting into the scene’ and ‘cutting/editing’, respectively. However, it is when these terms are put into relation to ‘Decoupage’ that allows for a film to come to life.

Montage:
In French, ‘Montage’ simply explains ‘cutting’ or ‘editing’ within a film and refers to a sequence of shots, edited together in chronological order in order to synthesize some sort of meaning. This style of editing came into existence during the 1930’s through early Soviet cinema directors, particularly Sergei Einstein, who used this editing style to act as a vehicle to deliver the suggestion of passing time to the audience. Additionally, it is used to suggest discontinuity between different shots within a film. Montage editing is now more commonly used in order to shorten lengthy periods of time within a film into mere moments. For example, the acclaimed director Don Siegel, a director at Warner Brothers used both footage he had filmed and combined it with stock footage. This amalgamation of footage allowed for a bridge between time in many celebrated films such as Casablanca (1942).

However, when exploring the idea of Montage in relation to Decoupage, complex notions present themselves. The process of cutting scenes and leaving certain details out of a film is certainly a deliberate choice – and perhaps it is the deliberate nature of these actions that allow for new ideas to form. Essentially, when editing a scene, particularly when creating a montage, the director is able to fabricate large lengths of time through editing techniques and a small amount of footage. Ultimately, the director is able to create or ‘construct’ more by leaving or ‘cutting’ the film down. It can certainly be argued that the notion of Montage is linked to the vague definition of Decoupage due to its ability to simultaneously synthesize information through deliberately leaving other information out.

Mise en Scene:
Mise en Scene can be loosely defined as the construction of a scene or ‘putting into a scene’ – the term, like the term ‘decoupage‘ originated in France and has been used since 1833 . First being used in theatrical productions, the term refers to everything within a scene; from lighting, to costume, to colour. The term was later adopted to by film scholars in order to identify and analyse the make-up of a scene in film . Essentially, Mise en Scene is what makes up a scene and acts as a vehicle to deliver the sentiments and meanings that the director intends to portray. For example, Jean Luc Goddard’s Playtime (1967) stands as a tribute to poignant, and and memorable use of Mise en Scene within a film. Goddard’s use of grids and structure within his scenes aims to reflect the hyper-modern Parisian society in which the film is set.

Interestingly, when exploring Mise en Scene in relation to Decoupage, the focus is shifted onto the ‘to construct’ part of the term’s meaning. Mise en Scene allows for the complete construction of not only a scene, but also the ideas the film is illustrating. It is used to build complex narrative, repetition, symbolism and character development whilst also focusing on the aesthetics of the film. Thus it is easily deduced that Mise en Scene and Decoupage share an intricate relationship based on the fact that both terms indicate not only the physical creation of a scene, but the metaphoric meaning displayed within it.

Mise en Scene is particularly interesting to explore in a cultural sense. When dissecting this idea, it is fascinating to look at the different film cultures that have risen and fallen over time and the differing styles that accompany it. For example, in 1945, after the fall of the Nazi Empire – Italian cinema was revolutionized. Neorealism was born as a result of the main, commercial film studios being closed down, and thus, mise en scene adapted to suit the Neorealistic style. For example, Vittorio De Sica’s stylistic choices in Ladri di Biciclette (1948)  is an extremely different mise en scene when compared to French films of the time such as Jean Cocteau’s L’Aigle à deux têtes (1948). De Sica’s mise en scene consisted of using real locations and real, non-professional actors in order to encapsulate the Neorealistic filmstyle of the time whilst, contemporaneously, in France, Le Nouvelle Vague filmstyle was coming to life through discontinuous editing and long takes.

These three terms, when viewed together, are extremely pivotal in regards to the making of a film. Montage and Decoupage refer to the sequential rhythm of shots, combined to fabricate a scene. They are also extremely important to the continuity and fluidity of a film. Mise en Scene amplifies the poignancy of Decoupage  by offering the ‘construction’ of a scene, through which Decoupage is able to deliver the ideas, notions and thoughts that the director wishes to illustrate to an audience. When Decoupage, Montage and Mise en Scene are not harmonized – a film loses meaning and credibility. These three terms, and all they represent, must be carefully balanced in order for a film to retain the beauty of meaning encapsulated within its frames. When unbalanced and not thought out, a film deteriorates and its meaning is not only lost, but obliterated by a lack of entropy.

 

References

Bordwell, David (2005). The Cinema of Eisenstein. New York, NY: Routledge

Brodwell D, Thompson K, 2012, Film Art: An Introduction.

Karel R, 2010, The Technique of Film Editing. Burlington, MA: Focal Press.

http://www.filmclass.net/misescene.htm

Don Siegel,” Who the Devil Made It, Peter Bogdanovich, Alfred A. Knopf, 1997, p. 766. Interview made in 1968.