The sequence “Married Life” from the film Up (2009), directed by Pete Docter is able to pack in the theme of love and aging through a short montage. Early on in the movie, we are presented with a quick timeline of Ellie and Carl’s life together, along with the many ups and downs they face. The montage begins from their marriage and early life together before transitioning into a miscarriage. Subsequently, their dreams of moving to Paradise Falls is revived, however their dreams are cut short Ellie’s failing health and her eventual death. In this sequence, mise-en-scène and editing are the dominant features of the film, enhanced by a musical score to establish the themes of love and growing old to create a connection between the audience and …show more content…
Two elements that are crucial to this sequence are colours and lighting. First, the colour of Ellie and Carl’s house in the beginning is very bright and colourful, representing their youth and newlywed happiness. This contrasts the end when the house has become raggedy and worn down over a lengthy sixty years, reflective of Carl’s state of mind after having lost Ellie. Secondly, we come quickly come to understand Ellie as being the ‘colour and light’ to Carl’s life. Ellie is exhibited through the use of pink colours. She is often seen wearing magenta in the early years which gradually changes to a light pink as she ages. Furthermore, when she becomes sick, rather than her wearing pink, the colour of the hospital room is illuminated by a pink, waning light. In the funeral scene however, a dark, gloomy magenta pigment is used to represent the fact that she is gone. Additionally, Ellie is always seen in the light, as opposed to Carl, who is often in the dark watching her. This slight difference in lighting is able to accentuate Ellie’s importance to the film. Since Ellie is only seen on screen for the first ten minutes of the movie, there is a need to emphasize her deep significance to Carl to explain his choices after her death. The use of light makes her stand out as a “bright memory” for Carl. Through the use of pink colours and clever lighting— however small a detail it may seem— the mood is set and Ellie’s