Directed Study: Represenation of Gender
Cinematography +
Mise-en-scene
In this scene the female
character is being portrayed as weak and vulnerable - this is because
of the high angle shot which gives us the impression that she's being
looked down upon - which further shows us that she's in a vulnerable
position. The mise-en-scene only enhances the fact that she is
vulnerable - the way her costume is positioned leaves her open and
her expression is one of fear and shock. The fact that she has a gun
pointed at her only reinforces the fact that this female is extremely
vulnerable in this scene. This is a stereotypical representation of
women in the media - the stereotypical 'damsel in distress' and that
women are weak and vulnerable in dangerous situations. In this scene
us as the audience are meant to fear for her safety and hope that she
does get through this situation alive.
Cinematography +
Mise-en-scene
In this shot, the female is
shown in a completely different light to the other female - she is
driving and using the digger, which is normally considered to be a
stereotypical male job - therefore she is challenging the conventions
of gender orientated job roles. This makes her appear strong and in
control because she is in control of the digger, while the male in
this scene is on the ground, helpless against his threat - while the
female is in control and fights against the threat therefore
reversing the stereotypical gender roles. This character still
retains some conventions of the stereotypical woman such as wearing
make-up. This scene makes the female audience feel as if they can be
powerful and strong. The mise-en-scene in this scene is shown through
this female's clothing - which isn't traditionally female - she has a
unique style similar to that of New-Age rock (with her leather
jacket) the fact that she isn't a traditional female is also shown
with her short hairstyle. This breaks the stereotypical
representation of women (Long hair, pretty dresses etc) and is only
emphasized by the fact that she's operating a digger - which shows us
that her character deviates from female stereotypes.
Cinematography
This scene shows us the male -
clearly in distress - being attacked by the sabertooth. This is the
same scene in which the female is in control of the digger. Thus
continuing to show the role reversal - where the man is the so called
'damsel in distress'. The audience is supposed to feel anxious for
the male lead and are anticipating his next move.
Editing
In this scene, the man is being
forced into the hole by a CGI sabertooth tiger - this reinforces the
fact that this is a dangerous creature - that you would need to be
equipped to deal with it - which this character clearly isn't and
wasn't expecting the Sabertooth's arrival. The female in this scene
then proceeds to use the digger she is in control of to fight against
the threat - which also reinforces the gender reversal in this scene.
The audience is reminded that the woman in this scene has the power
and the man is the one who needs saving.
Editing
This scene is shown as being
fast-paced and emphasizes the fact that this is a (sort-of) fight
scene between the female operating the digger and the sabertooth. The
short cuts in this scene gives is the impression that this is
happening extremely fast - it then cuts over to the male, who has now
climbed out of the hole he was forced into - then back again to the
digger - which cuts back to the male character putting himself on the
line by calling out to the sabertooth - with the intention of
getting it to follow him instead. This shows the audience that both
the male and female in this scene improvise and distract the
sabertooth - showing us - the audience - that both of these
characters can keep their cool in dangerous situations and are able
to think logically and rely on each other in these times of danger -
which again goes against the stereotypical conventions of a man and
woman's relationship - instead of the woman being dependent on the
man, they both have an equal relationship in which they can rely on
each other.
Sound
This scene is where this woman
is in control of the conversation - she is being represented as being
strong and slightly manipulative. She does not follow the stereotype
of women being weak and easily manipulated as she is trying to
manipulate this male into agreeing with her deal - showing us that
she feels in control and has authority over this male. This is shown
through her dialogue specifically 'I need someone to blame Mr. West
and i'm afraid you're my only candidate.' She threatens him with a
prison sentence - hoping to coerce him into the deal - only to have
him turn violent - in which she looses her confidence and becomes
afraid and slightly desperate 'We both know that you aren't a violent
man.' The audience should want this character to succeed in her deal
because of how much she's worked for it and because her confidence
seems to assure her victory.
Sound
In this scene the music - non
diegetic - builds up and creates a crescendo which is then built upon
with the drum beats - creating the image of a fast heartbeat -
showing us that the male in this scene is experiencing fear. This
goes against the convention that males are cool and collected in
dangerous situations - this allows us to empathize more with the
character as he is showing weakness which inherently makes him feel
more human than if he was calm and collected in a situation like this
unless he was trained to be (e.g a soldier - which Cutter clearly
isn't). The audience are on the edge of their seats in anticipation
for the male character's next choice of action and are holding on to
the hope that he gets through this dangerous situation unscathed.
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