The Squid and the Whale: Mise-en-scène to create tension

To realistically portray a dysfunctional family, a certain tension must be encapsulated. An all-encompassing chronicle of dysfunctional relationships, The Squid and the Whale is Noah Baumbach’s second major film – a 2005 narrative commenting on the rippling effect of divorce on two young boys in the 1980’s. The film's mise-en-scène undertakes the construction of this tension through graphic blocking, a naturalistic setting, and ultimately connects the tension of a dysfunctional family with the self-discovery that the hub of characters in the immediate family face.  

Fig. 1 The Squid and the Whale

Graphic blocking, as described by Corrigan and White, "arranges characters or groups according to visual patterns to portray spatial harmony, tension, or some other visual atmosphere" (77). As seen in fig. 1, the characters are organised in a symmetrical yet slightly off-kilter arrangement. Their stature and distance from each other creates spatial tension, with their spacing in the frame creating an uncomfortable visual atmosphere. Corrigan and White also mention social blocking, the “arrangement of characters to accentuate relations among them” (76), which relates well to this image, as the relationship between the characters can only be described as dysfunctional in this frame, with Bernard (Jeff Daniels) and Walt (Jesse Eisenberg) facing each other in a direct opposition, and Frank (Owen Kline) passively placed between them.

The Squid and the Whale’s naturalistic mise-en-scène allows an audience to fully comprehend the subtleties of the self-deprecating characters through its realistic environment. According to Corrigan and White, a naturalistic mise-en-scène is “[a] prominent context for eliciting interpretations…[and] appears realistic and recognisable to viewers” (87). Set in the 1980’s, Baumbach made sure that each element correlated with the naturalistic world of the time. Costuming, sets and the external condition of the film’s world all relate and comply with the time it is set. This naturalistic mise-en-scène supports the film’s atmosphere and focuses the attention on the subtleties of character development and relationships.

Fig. 2 The Squid and the Whale

Generally, the mise-en-scène created supports the idea of tension and its’ use in portraying such dysfunctional relationships and the effects these relationships have on the characters. In fig. 2, Frank is seen staring into a mirror drinking beer and nonchalantly replying "Since recently" to his brother's remark. This exemplifies a character nuance that happens rather casually, and adds humour through subtlety whilst commenting on the effect his parents' divorce has had on his development as a child. Graphic blocking and a naturalistic setting support the films' focus of illustrating a dysfunctional family, each at a difficult time of their individual lives, and the effect of each character's development on the family as a whole. 

Works Cited:

Corrigan, Tim and Patricia White. The Film Experience: An Introduction. Boston: St Martins, 2012. Print.

The Squid and the Whale. Dir. Noah Baumbach. Sony Pictures International, 2005. Film.