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.