Hollyoaks – the wedding part 1

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Time: 3:00- 5:00

UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS

Consider how representations of social class are constructed in ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ using:

·        Cinematography

·        Sound

·        Mise-en-scene

·        Editing

This clip from ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ shows people from two separate classes; the upper class, and the struggling lower class who are dismissed by society.

   The extract starts with a scene from ‘Upstairs’ in which Mr. Landry and an upper class woman are having a private and flirtatious conversation at a dinner party. Head and shoulder shots are used as they talk to each other, and a shot-reaction-shot is used to show the woman’s facial expression when he asks her to dance with him. The people around the table are shown to be rich as they have servants catering for their every need.  This is significant in terms of composition, as the camera allows the servants to walk into the shot, rather than having the main focus on the servants. This creates the impression of the servants not being very important to the scene, and adds to the representation of higher class people as being superior to lower classes.

   Long shots are also used to establish the scene, and draw emphasis to their surroundings. For example, the mise-en-scene shows a large table and fireplace. The fact that the table is furnished with numerous plates, candles, and lots of food, shows that they are upper class. The men at the table all have their hair slicked back, and their costumes (formal black suit attire, and bow ties) show that they are upper class. The low-key lighting, coupled with slow pace of the editing, creates the impression of a relaxed atmosphere, also adding to the romantic mood of the conversation between Mr. Landry and the woman. ‘Mr. Kennedy’ is portrayed as the most dominant person in this scene, and this is highlighted in the editing. Mr. Landry is blurred as he speaks about Mr. Kennedy. The use of focus pulling exaggerates the fact that Mr. Kennedy has more power.

   The sound used in this extract is mainly diegetic; as the natural sound of cutlery clinking and wine being poured into glasses can be heard. The fact that these sounds are constant throughout the scene shows how the upper classes are always well provided for, and never lack good food and drink. It also contributes to the construction of ‘social realism’ in this TV drama, suggesting that the director wants to show audiences how the upper classes truly lived. However, some non-diegetic sound is also used. At the end of this scene, soft and classical sounding music is played in the background. This is used in the transition between ‘upstairs’ and ‘downstairs’ and highlights the contrast between the two social classes. A mid-shot of the two butlers is used at the end, and shows them looking at each other in the light of the conversation at the dinner table. This suggests that the working-class are nosy, and gossip about the upper-class, even though they are unaware of this.

   The mise-en-scene used during the ‘Downstairs’ scene contrasted hugely with the previous scene. It was apparent that the people downstairs were merely servants, as the women were wearing cook’s outfits, and props such as the brooms that stood in the corner was evidence of the domestic duties they had to perform. Other outfits, such as the Head Butler’s, and ‘Johnny’ made them appear upper class, however there were subtle hints that they did not fully belong upstairs. Firstly, Johnny’s accent wasn’t like the gentry upstairs, but rather sounded much more common. In addition, the butlers’ ties were white, and didn’t match the black formal ties used ‘upstairs.’ Other props, such as the large table in the middle of the room, showed that they were lower class, as it wasn’t furnished or even covered with a cloth as it was ‘Upstairs.’ The editing used when the scene moved ‘Downstairs’ was much faster, with the transitions between the characters very quick to accompany the panicked and fast way in which the servants were speaking. Jumpcuts from character to character increased in pace, adding contrast to the relaxed atmosphere of ‘Upstairs’ and showing how different their lifestyles are.

    The contrast between the two classes was further emphasised when one of the upper class men came down the stairs. As he did so, he stood upright, and a light shone behind his head, portraying him as the more powerful and dominant character.  The diegetic sound of his footsteps as he entered the room could be heard, and this accompanied with the shot-reaction-shots between him and the cook, made his entrance seem much more menacing, as the cook look scared and completely shocked to see him standing in front of her. The camera shows low-angle shots which watch the characters through the dirty and chipped windows. These create the impression that the audience is intruding on the lower classes ‘private’ life, and also reflects what is going on in the scene, (e.g. the upper class man is intruding on the lower classes daily routine.) This is very different to the earlier scene upstairs, where the audience was positioned in a way to make them feel almost as if they were included in the conversation themselves.

  The audience is shown a ‘two shot’ of the characters as they start their conversation. This is significant as this scene shows them as they start to bond, despite being of two separate classes, which challenges the stereotypes about social class. The classical music played in the background also lifts slightly, with a harp playing in a much calmer and more serene way, to mark their new ‘friendship.’

   At the end of the extract, the cook yells at the butler’s even though she has a lower social standing than them. The Butler’s superiority is shown in the editing, where there is a two-shot of himself and the other butler, yet there is a focus pull onto the main butler, blurring Johnny out. This draws emphasis to the main butler and shows him as superior. A close-up of his face is shown when he is shocked to find that the American Ambassador’s son has been called ‘dear’ by the cook, creating the impression that people of different social classes shouldn’t communicate. 

Extract, Holby City

Please watch the extract from Holby City and comment on how representations of gender are created using:

·         Cinematography

·         Editing

·         Sound

·         Mise-en-scene

This extract starts with a male doctor ‘Michael’ breaking up with a female doctor called ‘Lou-Lou.’ The establishing shot is at an ‘overhead tilted angle’ which resembles the view one might usually get from a CCTV camera. This hints at the fact that something dramatic is about to happen. At the start of the conversation, camera angles show ‘Michael’ as the dominant man, largely in control of the situation. The editing makes it so that the audience are seeing Lou-Lou’s face while Michael says, ‘I don’t ever want to see you again’ which emphasises the harshness of his words, and reaction shots are used to show Lou-Lou looking shocked and hurt as he yells at her. As Michael walks off, the camera stays in a fixed position as he walks into the frame. This gives the impression of him being a stereotypically strong, male character, as it shows him getting larger as he walks away from the female doctor. However, when Lou-Lou attempts to regain control of the situation, there is a focus-pull on Michael’s face, blurring him and putting more emphasis on her, which highlights her strength as a woman. Mise-en-scene also contributes to portraying these characters in a way that challenges gender stereotypes. For example, the woman is wearing blue scrubs, a colour which is often associated with masculinity, while the man is wearing pink, which connotes femininity. However, even though Lou-Lou is portrayed as quite strong and manipulative, there are still aspects of her costume, such as wearing earrings, which reveal a more stereotypically feminine side. The over-the-shoulder shots, when Lou-Lou tries to draw Michael back, is significant in terms of positioning, as it also shows her desperation to be with him, again stereotyping women as being reliant on men. This is shown later on in the clip where Lou-Lou rings her ‘daddy’ to solve her problems for her.  In this part, there is an aerial shot of her sitting on the stairs, making her seem smaller and therefore a weak and pitiable woman. A common representation of women in the media is ‘emotional’ and this is highlighted as she is shown crying on the stairs.  Use of props also contributes to the idea of women being emotional as she is gripping a tissue in her hand. The camera pans slowly around her, which creates the impression of her being in a large space, which again makes her appear smaller and accentuates the impossibility of her situation.

   In a later scene, a man called Hal confronts the doctor about his friend Amelia, as Michael has messed up Amelia’s ‘boob job.’ This scene also presents the idea of men being stereotypically strong and powerful, as Hal raises his voice when he speaks to Michael. The editing in their conversation is very quick, and jumpcuts between the two characters, adding to the pace of the scene. The camera also shows reaction-shots of Amelia, showing her to be vulnerable and helpless, as she is lying in a hospital bed and attached to tubes. Point-of-view shots show her watching the confrontation between the two men, but through the hospital blinds. This makes it seem as though she is intruding on a conversation between the two men, and therefore shows her as being shut out of a masculine environment.

   The next scene starts with a long-shot of two male doctors, who are shown to be standing very close to one another. The composition allows the audience to see that they are still within the hospital, as it is clear that the men are looking at an X-Ray. However, the camera cuts to a high-angle shot of the two men, which eliminates the X-Ray and provides a glimpse into their private conversation, which could be used to symbolise their relationship as people, rather than simply doctors. The doctor who is secretly gay is shown to be standing towards the corner of the camera frame, making it seem as though he is leaning towards the other man. When the other man looks him up and down, a close-up is used, which shows his eyes lingering on certain areas of his anatomy, suggesting homo-eroticism. In this scene, both men are trying to insert their dominance and masculinity by insisting the sports that they play aren’t girls’ games.’ However, the mise-en-scene seems to give them some feminine qualities. For example, the man that is shown to lose the power struggle is wearing pink, and the lighting is dim which adds to the suggestive atmosphere.

   Two women in conversation are shown by a tracking camera, as they walk down the hospital corridor. These women are represented in a stereotypical manner as their costume instantly defines them as feminine. For example, both of them are wearing headbands, and one is wearing a long necklace, bracelets, earrings and rings on her fingers. The use of sound in this scene is important in constructing representations of gender, as the diegetic sound of their high heels on the floor also add to the idea of femininity, as it seems to define them more by ‘beauty’ than intellect or power.

   The last scene shows a conversation between Hal and Amelia in which he confesses his love for her. All sound in this scene is diegetic, which adds to its realism. The fact that Amelia has lost her confidence in this scene because of the ‘boob job’ that went wrong, is also a stereotypical representation of women, as it focuses on her emotions and her physicality. As Hal comforts her, the camera zooms in on her, accentuating her reaction and how much she is depending on his character for support. As ‘Hal’ walks closer to her, the camera pans around Amelia, creating the impression of a point of view shot. However, as the camera remains level, and doesn’t tilt or produce any high-angle shots, it symbolises his respect/care towards her, and so challenges stereotypes of men being dominant and overpowering. As Hal starts his confession, the camera jumpcuts to show the conversation from outside the room. This shows both of them looking down, again through the hospital blinds, allowing the audience to feel as if they are intruding on a private moment. An ‘insert-shot’ of them holding hands is used near the end, again symbolising the equality of the two characters.

Laura Mulvey

• Laura Mulvey's germinal essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" was written in 1973 and published in 1975.

• It expands on this conception of the passive role of women in cinema to argue that film provides visual pleasure through scopophilia, and identification with the on-screen male actor.

• She says: "In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness," and as a result, in film a woman is the "bearer of meaning, not maker of meaning."

• Mulvey argues that Lacan's psychoanalytic theory is the key to understanding how film creates such a space for female sexual objectification and exploitation through the combination of the patriarchal order of society, and 'looking' in itself as a pleasurable act of voyeurism, as "the cinema satisfies a primordial wish for pleasurable looking."

• A woman stands in patriarchal culture as a signifier for the male other.

• Thinks film has a huge impact on the oppression of women.

• A psychoanalytical approach

• The image of woman is passive compared to the active GAZE OF MAN