Mis-en-scène can be defined as all of the elements placed in front of the camera to be photographed: the settings and props, lighting, costumes, and make-up, and figure behaviour.
The Sets are very complex in the way they are split into two different levels; the skyline and the streets which are both like separate worlds. On the upper skyline level, the grand architectural level it has been dominated with fire, smoke and advertising. The sky is orange and black with the smoke and fire illuminating it, the range of colours isn't natural. Aztec temple like buildings are covered in huge TV screens displaying adverts. Humans are insignificant compared to this massive landscape; it is alienated and left on its own. The streets however are hugely different but share a common factor with the grand architectural level; advertising dominates every shot. They are compact and crowded. There is rubbish all over the place but still ads dominate the shop windows and the sky. There is no natural light; it is mainly neon and street lamps that light the streets. There is also a huge cultural influence with many races of the world living there. There are contrasts of different objects as in the high tech equipment such as the artificial animals, and the low tech such as the pedal bikes that we see often.
The costume is used in a sense to show that humans are old fashioned by showing Deckard as a typical 40's style private eye with him wearing a tan trench coat and a tie and shirt with the top button undone. Rachael is the best example of this because she wears a 40's style dress and her hair is also of that era. The Replicants are the opposite; they are the future so they dress like it. They wear artificial fibres like nylon and plastic. They represent the punk era of the late 70's and early 80's and also they represent the future. Zhora wears a plastic Mac, high boots and a bikini type outfit which would shows that they will wear anything they find. Roy wears a long leather over coat and Leon wears leather trousers.
Lighting is effectively used during this film. The techniques, used in this film, were rarely used in other films. Backlighting was a main source of lighting. Backlighting consists of using only lights being used behind the sets on screen; they used this because it throws out harsh shadows and outlines of the characters and objects in the scene. It adds a sense of mystery to the shot because in other films you can see everything on the screen, but with backlighting you have to concentrate harder on the picture to see what is happening. The lighting in this film is unique in the sense that Ridley Scott also adds lighting such as street lights shining through the window, fire and candle light and the lights from the T.V. this I think is a really effective technique.
The use of music is a heavy influence in the film because the non-diagetic sound is a mix of classical instruments and new electronic instruments like synthesisers. This relates to the theme of old and new reflected the costumes worn by the actors. Ridley Scott also uses real street sounds, traffic noises and crowded streets etc. In the opening shot, the music is very dramatic and it helps with what you see on screen in the way that you see and you hear that L.A. is like hell. You get this impression of hell by the way the music accompanies the opening shot of the flames rising from the factories the music suddenly is louder and a lot more powerful than when we see the close up of the eye and the space ship flying towards the buildings.
I think that Ridley Scott has created a very effective Mis-en-Scene in every aspect of the film, from the sets to the costume. I think the sets were the most effective because every detail was there, the crowded markets, the cluttered shop windows. The Mis-en-Scene shows us what we fear the most in the future, the fact that we destroyed the planet that has been our home for millions and millions of years. It is a 'man against machine' world and when Roy kills Tyrell, it means that even the creator is powerless against them.
