Glass Onion Mise-en-scène

Why is mise-en-scène so central to the aesthetics and meaning of film? Over the Christmas break, I watched Rian Johnson's 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery'. The film follows detective Benoir Blanc (Daniel Craig) as he joins a group of prominent societal figures on a weekend getaway on billionaire Miles Bron's private island. When a member of the group is murdered, the mise-en-scène keeps the viewer engaged. Johnson orchestrates scenes so that at times, all seven murder suspects are on screen at once, spread out and fully visible. This way, the viewer is kept in the dark regarding the true murderer and can try to solve the mystery in real time with Blanc. The set design is genius in illusrating extravagence and power, but Johnson's immense attention to detail teases Bron's pretension. For example, his Rothko painting is intentionally displayed upside down to illustrate the character's superficial appreciation for art.