Wednesday, 14 October 2015

Representation of gender in Luther







Camera shots, angels, movement and composition-

Through out the clip the camera man uses a wide range of camera shots and angles. At the start of the clip the camera man uses a long shot and stabling shot we he used to show  where Luther and Alice are and to give them some information on the setting and location.
The camera man then changes to an over the shoulder the shot to show Luther and Alice having a conversation. The camera angel change to a high angle shot which gives the impression of Luther having all the power. Luther is a male and is dominating Alice who is a female which is sticking to the stereotypes of men being strong and women being weak.
When the scene changes to Luther and Alice in the flat the camera dominantly uses mid shots to show the flat of where Alice lives. He does this to show the Mise en scene.
The camera focuses on Alice's picture of a black hole which is a close up shot then beginning to zoom in when the camera in stationary. Alice begins to talk about evil and  how she admires the black while for how it can devours  its victims. By the camera zooming it it shows that Alice is amazed by this and goes against stereotypes of females being shy, emotional and mentally weak.
Through out being in the flat the camera operator uses two shots to show Luther and Alice engaging in conversation. Alice predominately does most of the speaking which confirms the stereotype of women of women doing most of the talking and nattering away about things.
The camera operator also uses lots of close up on Luther's and Alice's face to show there facial expressions and emotions. Alice is also meeting the sterotype of females being more emotional as she uses many facial expressions and in particular her lips.
The camera operator once again uses camera angels to show Luther dominance but this time uses a low angle shot to show hoe Alice had to look up at him. This makes Luther look more powerful then Alice as he is phyicall bigger which is confirming the stereotpes of males being physically stronger. By Luther being bigger this could also assert physiological dominance over Alice as she is made to feel small and helpless which is showing stereotypically females are weaker.
The camera operator then uses two shots, over the shoulder shots, mid shots and close up when Luther and Alice are standing close together he uses all to show where they re standing from a range of different perspectives, the close allows to see each others facial expressions etc. The close up also allows us to see Alice's red lipstick with have the stereotype of being tarty, however red also has the conniptions of danger, blood and death, which could suggest Alice is dangerous therefore making her powerful which means Alice is going against the female stereotype of females being weak.
When Luther and Alice are in a heated discussion and close together we can analyse this as a battle for power and in a larger context the battle between the sexes. The camera operator purposely uses a long shot to break the tension.

Editing-


At the start of the clip the directer uses a short take where the camera jumps from a close up on Alice's face to a close up on her dogs ashes this is so we can see the opening of the bag from Alice's perspective with is a point of view shot.By the a short take being used from Alice's perspective it shows Alices emotions towards the dead dog and therefore reinforces the stereotype of females being emotional.

The directer then uses a cut to jump from when Alice ands Luther are outside to inside her flat. This is used to change scenes quickly and to maintain flow.

Sound-


At the start of the clip when Alice and Luther are outside we can here diegetic sound in the background which is the sound of the streets, cars and general out side noises. There voices are however dominant and we can here the clearly. This can be interpreted that both male and female are equal as they are in a normal environment where they experience sounds that you would expect to here when out door in a busy urban location.

When the camera starts to focus on the black whole non diegetic music begins to play in the background of slices voice. The noise is hollow and deep and mysterious and represents darkness which could be the conniption of Alice. If she is a dark character it may suggest that she is private therefore reinforcing the stereotype of that females are private and passive. However it could also be interpreted that she is going against female stereotypes and she is independent and strong due to her inner darkness which is going against the female stereotype of females being weak.
The same non-digetic sounds stays shuttle in the background. However the sound slowly starts to build up again when Luther and Alice engage in a heated discussion which helps to build tension between them which shows the battle of power between male and female.

Mise en scene-


Alice's flat constructs a representation of females through the props in her room where Luther and Alice are talking.The props include telescopes, other scientific equipment and object and book. This goes against female stereotypes of females generally being less intelligent then men and shows as the props prove that females are equally equally intelligent to men. The books show she is an active reader and learner which also goes again typical female stereotypes. Her flat is dominantly full of grey and dark furniture and but there is one red chair that sticks out which brings the connotations of blood, fear, love, danger etc. these could all represent Alice which goes against female stereotypes. 

Her appearance includes ginger hair which could mean she is fiery character and not passive like the female stereotype indicates.
Alices Red lipstick is suggesting the narrative code of her have have a fiery temper and the colour red as the connotations of Alice being dangerous, trigger happy, blood and love. This suggests the stereotype that women are typically more emotional then men and react to things that maybe men wouldn't. This code is called a semic code.
Both Luther and Alice are well presented and dress in smart clothing which shows there is equality as they are both presented as intelligent and important people through there clothes. for example Luther is wearing a suit which has the conniptions of importance and power typical of the male stereotype.
The lighting in the flat is cold and dark with the only lighting being natural lighting which is coming from out side. This could be pathetic fallacy as the weather and dark lighting could be used to represent Alice and the dark tension between her and Luther.
Alice's flat is located in London fairly close to the centre and central business district where the prices for a flat are expensive this shows she has some wealth and money which shows she is independent and able to provide for her self. This goes against the typical female stereotype as Alice is showing that she is not passive or weak.


1 comment:

  1. WWW: you are confidently using subject specific terminology, well done.

    EBI: at times, your expression becomes informal, which takes away the sophisticated tone we are aiming for. e.g. you say that women are stereotypically "nattering away about things". Can you think of a more formal way of phrasing this idea? In addition, with camera shots, ensure that for this extract, you focus on how those shots portray the power dynamics between the male and female, to keep your response focussed on the question at all times.

    DO THIS: what narrative code is being read/responded to with Alice's red lipstick? (NOTE, it is connotations).

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