Key features in the world of cinema include the setting, the décor and anything else that manages to engage the viewer. In fact, there are films set in specific epochs and for these the décor is of paramount importance. Here are three examples of how the setting helps the viewer better understand the era in which the film is set.

'The Grand Hotel Budapest'

If there is one director who pays special attention to the décor in his films, then that would be Wes Anderson. The film 'The Grand Hotel Budapest' provides us with an overview of the architecture and design of a thriving hotel in the period between the two World Wars. The colours, theatricality of the staging and plethora of vintage furniture meld beautifully with the decorative arts, shining a light on Art Nouveau and the delicate Japanese applied arts.

Parisian exuberance

In 'Moulin Rouge' it is burlesque and cabaret that light up the screen. The theatrical staging, oriental airs and graces and deep, dark red are just a few of the elements that combine to reveal the psyche of the characters as much as the emblematic building from which the film takes its name. Despite the evident anachronisms, the film manages to capture the whirlwind of parties and excess that gripped Montmatre at the turn of the 20th century.

An historic transatlantic crossing

The cabins and many of the objects from the original transatlantic crossing were reproduced for the film 'Titanic'. The décor is awash with the Imperial style, most especially present in the majestic stairway in the common areas and in the luxurious bedrooms. But the standout effect is the use of decoration to highlight the issues of class and conflict of the time, where luxury was the preserve of the most powerful, while the least elegant areas were the domain of the third-class passengers.