Legally Blonde is a popular romantic comedy film that features a young college student named Elle Woods in her journey to win her ex-boyfriend back, going as far as getting into Harvard Law School to do so. Elle, bubbly and hopeful, soon meets the reality of Harvard, and must work hard to prove herself amid everyone else underestimating her because of her looks. She starts off as a boy-crazy determined ex, but eventually develops into an excellent lawyer that beats all odds. Mise-en-scene in this film is both recognized and adored in this lovable, iconic 2000s movie.
To start off, the setting in this film allows the audience to be immersed into a preppy and girly style from the very beginning. The film opens off with various shots of a sorority house, decorated in every shade of pink. Its grand size is highlighted with high angle shots of the floor below, implying that the people who live there are quite wealthy. The specific font used in the opening credits are also pink, with a curly font to indicate this film’s daintiness and lightheartedness. The homecoming queen sash displayed on the wall also conveys a sense of popularity, even without any dialogue. While all this may imply lightheartedness for the west coast locations, the east coast provides a clear contrast. Harvard is shown to be rather dull in colors, with its browns and greys suggesting a more serious kind of prestige. The library, classrooms, courtroom, and outdoor areas all share these similar qualities. This allows for a change in mood, from a more playful feeling into a more solemn one. As Elle is forced to adjust to this switch to an unfamiliar location, the audience may empathize with the hardships of change as they are also forced to adjust to the familiar pink to a foreign brown. It is subtle changes like these that help the movie progress and share the message it is intending to, but without being explicitly obvious.
In addition, the lighting also enhances the movie by indicating specific moods at different times in the film. For instance, most of the film’s most famous scenes are shot with high-key lighting. This can be seen in the “Bend and Snap” scene, suggesting the flirtatious side to the women in the salon; the video essay to Harvard scene, suggesting Elle’s love of having fun; the entrance to Harvard scene, suggesting Elle’s excitement for her new school, and many more scenes throughout the film.This would be expected, considering that this film is a romantic comedy that tries to maintain a mostly light and cheery atmosphere. However, this does not mean that the darker shot scenes are any less important. During a time of seriousness, low-key lighting helps convey a sense of seriousness, and this definitely holds true for Legally Blonde. A specific scene where Professor Callahan hits on Elle uses dimmer lighting to enhance the uneasiness Elle feels as well as the emotionally dark intentions Professor Callahan has with her. Another scene of Warner’s, Elle’s boyfriend’s breakup with Elle also uses dimmer lighting to showcase Elle’s immense sadness of that night. That being said, both the uses of high-key and dimmer lighting help establish the various moods created by the film.
Moreover, the staging in Legally Blonde also plays a key role in telling the story as well as aiding the success of the movie. Although Elle makes it known that she is unafraid to be herself and to express herself to the fullest extent, the people around her do not hesitate to judge her anyway. What makes this film unique in tackling this dynamic is how Elle and the other Harvard students are staged. Multiple times during the movie, Elle is positioned to walk in front of the crowd, facing the camera with a smile. Behind her and equally visible, however, is the group of students giving her questionable and often nasty looks. The fact that this style of a shot is repeated suggests that this is intentional. Because Elle is unable to see the group of students, it suggests that Elle is focused on her goals, and not the opinions of others around her. The fact that the students are in the background suggests that they are metaphorically behind her as well, as they are too focused on being judgmental rather than working towards their dreams like she is. Although no dialogue is used to convey this message, the film intends to share the theme of staying true to yourself despite other people doubting or judging you.
Last but definitely not least is the costume of this film. Besides being a prototype of early 2000’s fashion, Legally Blonde stands out with its various styles and outfits, as well as the underlying message behind them. Elle herself is a prime example of how costume can convey a person’s emotions and how they change as a character’s feelings change. In the beginning of the film, Elle was practically wearing pink and extravagant outfits all the time, whether it be in school, at a party, or in the pool. This color makes Elle stand out visually in a crowd. While it may be true that pink implies femininity, pink in Legally Blonde also symbolizes Elle’s individuality. At her home in the west coast, it appears that Elle is more than comfortable with showing off her true self. However, when Elle begins studying for law school, her outfits gradually shift into less extreme and less pink choices. This can demonstrate Elle’s inability to focus on fashion due to studying, but also her own gradual loss of individuality as she focuses away from herself and towards getting her ex-boyfriend back. When she arrives at Harvard, she starts off with the same pink outfits, expecting to swoon Warner again. However, as she discovers his new fiance and as time progresses, she shifts into more neutral greens and blacks, implying her loss of individuality again. This can also imply that Elle was trying to fit in with the attire of Harvard students in order to be taken more seriously. However, her pink outfits are not gone forever: by the end of the film, Elle regains her confidence and her individuality in the famous court scene, wearing a hot pink dress and defying all odds by embracing her true self and winning the case that practically no one thought she would. Besides Elle, however, other characters in the film also are enhanced through costumes. Vivian, Warner’s fiance and Elle’s nemesis, is seen wearing dark colors and blacks almost the entire film, suggesting her seriousness and dull personality. However, as Elle and Vivian begin to bond, they are both seen wearing lavender pajamas. The casualness of the pajamas implies their intimate bonding, and the similarity of the colors displays their emotional synchrony. Various other examples of costume are scattered throughout the film, making it a very enjoyable film to analyze and appreciate.
All in all, Legally Blonde is a film that many have adored throughout the decades, and its influence in fashion, the rom-com genre, and theme are still seen today. This film has made millions laugh and become inspired by the story of Elle finding herself. Through mise-en-scene, the audience can view all the various aspects of this film more deeply and can store it in their memory to treasure.
