The staff of the hotel have noticeably tidy uniforms. M. Gustav in particular has a very slick sand clean look to him, with his neat hair, straight uniform and confident air about him. The colour of his outfit is purple, along with the rest of the staff, which is a rich and deep colour, associated with the wealth and royalty of the hotels guests. The colour of the carpet is also a very deep and rich red, possibly there to contribute to the atmosphere of wealth, tidiness, and nobility.
The tidiness of the staffs uniforms is contrasted by the crippled shoe shiner outside the hotel, who looks dirty and un-organised. The man who’s shoes he is cleaning is also very well dressed, and not even looking at the boy. This subtly shows how highly regarded and treated the hotels guests are, and the respect with which the staff treat them.
The guests are also established as extremely wealthy customers. the men are in clean and even perfect suits, the women are in fur coats and hats, showing that they have money and also creating an atmosphere similar to that of the time period and place that the film is set in.
The way that M. Gustav speaks to the guests also shows how highly they are treated, especially in contrast to how he quickly and sternly gives orders to the staff. he even talks to the chef like he would a dog, or misbehaving child, just after carefully and respectfully conversing with a guest who is leaving. The amount of guests and luggage outside also quietly signals to the audience how popular and successful the hotel is.
The way that the staff, such and Zero, instantly do as Gustav has ordered shows how loyal they are. It also shows the authority and status of Gustav, how strict, tight and efficient the hotels standards are too, creating the sense of a truly fine and quality establishment.
The actual contents and structure of the hotel is also a big factor of the scenes mise-en-scene. The lobby is grand and beautiful. the walls are marble and shiny, lightbulbs arranged in splendid patterns. There are exotic plants, clearly imported, and large flower bouquets to symbolise how expensive this environment is to build and to stay in. The carpet is almost like that of something royalty or celebrity’s would walk on, and even the front doors sign is golden, showing wealth from the first steps up to the lobby door.
Finley Cairns A-Level Film Studies Blog 
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