A Man With Two Faces

Man With Two Faces When thinking of a movie that brings together emotion and inspiration using a dramatic tone that all audiences can feel, I can’t think of a better example than Lee Daniels film The Butler. Lee Daniel’s did an outstanding job casting an all-star cast for the movie, consisting of many different talented actors. Everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Robin Williams played their parts originally and spectacularly. Director Lee Daniels use of film form in the movie allows the audience to easily follow the many changes that take place throughout the life of Cecil Gaines whose story spans from the 1920’s, up until the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Lee Daniels applies different elements of the cinematic style mise-en-scene, to enhance the dramatic tone of every scene. Things such as sets and props, costumes and makeup, and figure expressions and movements are the tools Lee Daniels applies to evoke emotions from the audience in some of the most memorable scenes of the film. Three scenes stick out in my mind which includes young Cecil outside the bakery shop, in Cecil’s home as his family eats dinner, and the final scene of the film which is actually the beginning scene as well, before the flashback of Cecil’s life story. One of the first scenes that Lee Daniels chooses to use mise-en-scene to set the emotional and dramatic tone for the rest of the film is at the bakery shop, during young Cecil’s adventure away from the Georgia plantation. The set consists of rain pouring down as Cecil gazes from the street inside the window of a bakery shop. Props used in this scene consist mainly of delicious looking pastries, which are neatly displayed inside the bakery. The only thing separating Cecil and the tasty cuisine is a thin glass window. The use of low key lighting in this scene portrays the darkness surrounding Cecil’s body standing in the street, and also how dark and low this moment in Cecil’s life really is. Young Cecil’s costume comprises of a