Vad berättar scenografi? Att analysera produktionsdesign genom en närstudie av Fucking Åmål

Abstract

This essay aims to examine a key element of cinema which is frequently unexamined in academic studies of film, or else included in the much wider term of mise-en-scène: production design, or set design. The main focus is on exploring the narrative impact of set design, and its dynamic relationship to the film itself. Key questions for the purpose of the essay are: what can design tell us about the characters and narrative, in terms of norms, gender, and social status? How is class and social status illustrated through set design in this particular movie? The method is a close study of the 1998 Swedish film Fucking Åmål (Show me love), directed by Lukas Moodysson. The study is performed using primarily film theory, in addition to some sociological theory. The essay demonstrates that production design, even in a film where its main purpose initially may be seen to be merely realistic, has a vital narrative function and is a key part to the understanding of a film.