Discuss the ways in
which gender is represented in the clip with reference to camera shots and
movements, editing, mise-en-scene and sound
In the extract from The hour gender has been represented in
many ways, women and men have a different but similar impression and these are
shown through camera shots and movements, editing, mise –en-scene and sound.
In the hour women are represented in two ways, one of them
being they take charge and are hard workers, having an important role in the
extract and in their job, but in the end all classes of women worship the men. In the opening scene it begins with a slow tilt from
darkness, then showing a newspaper and then a mid-shot of a women typing on a
type writer. The tilt going up to her face represents the highness of her job.
This immediately shows her as an independent woman who is work orientated and a
hard worker. We know she must be high up in what she works as because she is in
an office by herself, so she has her own office. The mid shot focuses on her
typing as shows the audience that she is working hard. She is wearing jewellery
which shows that she is quite wealthy, this also backs up the point that she
works hard to get her money. An over the
shoulder shot is soon after used by this you can see all the people working for
her running around as she demands people to do as she says. The classy up beat
non-digetic music represents her gender as it goes with the pace of her walking,
it makes her seem in charge as she marches around as if she owns the place. She
is dressed in a bright blue dress which is tight fitting this shows her sophisticated
look and she stands out as everyone needs her because she knows the ins and
outs of the job. Women are also represented poorly as the class changes, there
is a clip where the women is waiting outside in the cold for the men, it is
cold and dark outside as it is a night setting and you can see rain on the car,
also the sign on the wall said OPEN LATE. The women are willing to go going out
and wait in the cold and rain to wait for men, representing they worship the
men. Also later on in the clip there is three girls waiting to assist the man giving him what he would like. They all run after him offering him food and drink.
Men however are represented in a different way, as well as women they show they are in charge of what is going on, however have dominance over the women. In the first minute there is any men to be seen, this represents of the importance of there job that they are not the ones running after people but in the office doing the more important things, well that is what the audience thinks. One clip following is a cut in close up of the men pouring alcohol out and laughing having a cigarette this represents how relaxed then men are as then cross cutting was used to show the enjoyment of men having back to the camera scene of people working hard. This backs up the fact that the men are being lazy rather than responsible as they are able to relax unlike the women. The next clip shows the man lying down in his arm chair, the non-digetic sound cuts off as she walks into the room of the man laying down, this represents the importance of men as it just focuses on him and his voice rather than any other distractions. As TV presenter turns up late this shows that he doesn't care because he knows people will be nice to him still. As he enters the building, women are constantly throwing themselves at him offering for help, this show the desirable and attractiveness he has towards women. a mid shot or long shot is shown at him usually within the extract so we are able to see that he is holding a cigarette and in a suit, the fact that he can run around with a cigarette shows he is important because he knows no one will question him.
In conclusion this shows that women are in charge up until the head man arrives, the men still have dominance over the women. The women are the hard workers however. This is all shown through mise-en-scene, editing, sound, and camera shots and movements.
