Leon: The Professional: Mise-En-Scene Analysis

The well-known 1994 film Leon: The Professional portrays epic scenes of drama and suspense; however, a valuable scene towards the end of the film focuses on dominance & power, exclusively between two men: Leon & Stansfield. Through the use of semiotics, mainly visual and audio, in the cinema the producers are able to direct viewers to a specific view of dominance. After watching the specific clip and analyzing with the use of semiotic techniques, there is a definite conclusion that can be drawn: certain situations are seen in a light by which we think one individual possesses all the power when, in fact, that is erroneous. At first glance, one notices that from the very beginning of the scene it is clear Stansfield is dressed in business attire: a crisp tan suit accompanied by a button down and belt with a fairly clean face. As a result, the

The UNC Writing Center explains that Mise-en-scene analysis, the “analysis of audiovisual elements,” includes key visual elements such as “camera angles, frame[ing], and depth.” This scene’s employment of these vital components directs power straight into Stansfield’s hands, quite literally. The first notable utilization of this technique is when we see the manipulation of framing for the scene. We are first given a picture of Stansfield’s arms as they rise, leading us to notice he is grasping an object. Yet, the editor moves into using the focus/blur element when adjusting from Stansfield’s face to what slowly appears to be a gun. The choice to make the gun slowly come into focus allows the audience to interpret Stansfield’s power over Leon as much stronger than what was initially conceived from the first impressions of the two men. A gun is an end all be all weapon. The person holding the weapon has the power to kill and there is no power stronger than ending another’s