Representation of Gender (Luther analysis) #1

Camera Shots – The scene begins outside with simple over the shoulder shots whilst Luther is talking to Alice. When they move inside, the over the shoulder shots slowly turn into mid shots and close up shots because the intensity of the scene is increasing. Zooming is used whilst Alice is talking and this highlights the serious tone of her voice. Also, an Arc shot is used to pan around the room to set the scene and show the two characters emotions towards each other. As the clip goes on, the camera shots turn into extreme close ups as Alice tries to seduce Luther. The tension is cut away as soon as Luther says “No” and this is shows the end of the intimate scene between them both.

Editing – Throughout the whole scene the camera often stays on the opposing person’s face who is not talking. This is done because it allows you to follow the action as well as seeing the facial expressions of each person.  An example of this is when Alice talks at the end about Luther’s wife and the camera stays on Luther’s face to show his face change.

Sound – Diegetic sound is used very well in this clip as Alice tries to use a very quiet, voice to seduce Luther. This shows gender very well because it is stereotypical that the woman is trying to trick and charm the man. Luther keeps a very calm voice throughout the clip and sticks to the point unlike Alice who brings his personal life into things. Non diegetic sound is used when Alice talks about the black hole and also when the intense moments in the scene begin.

Mise en scene – Luther’s strong shell is shown in this scene because he refrains from getting angry. Luther stays calm when Alice says “What happened to your marriage?” because he knows that if he were to get angry, she would get the better of him. Luther often gets the better of Alice and this is when she changes the conversation. Luther talks about her weakness of compulsion and again she tries to change the conversation back to his personal life.

Representation of Gender (Wire In The Blood analysis)

Camera Shots – At the very beginning of the clip, an over the shoulder shot is used when Tony and Carol are having a conversation. This is used so that you feel part of the conversation. At the end of the scene you can see a crane shot and an extreme long shot which sets the scene. During the scene where Tony is assessing the files it goes from mid shots to extreme close up shots. This is because the intensity of the scene is increasing. A crabbing shot is used several times in the clip to follow the action or character being focused on in the scene.

Editing – The editing in this clip is fairly basic. It often cuts to the character that is talking and there is no use of special effects. During most scenes it is very quick as it jumps from shot to shot.

Sound – The majority of sound in this short clip is diegetic (sound that is part of the action, e.g. voices). However there is some use of non-diegetic sound (sound that is added for effect, e.g. music/narration) during the scene in which Tony is looking at the files. It creates a sense of eerie tension within the scene. The eerie music continues in the scene where the men break into the house and kick the other men out. After cutting to the scene with Tony and Ben, slightly more upbeat music is played however it is not jolly music. It is mixed in with the sound of the television programme which is diegetic.

Mise en scene and gender – Tony seems to be a man that likes to get on with his work and get to the bottom of whatever case he is trying to solve. Also, in the scene with him and Ben, he appears to be quite comfortable with kids although he says he doesn’t have any himself. Alex gives the impression that she is similarly also engrossed in her work. When Ben is watching the TV he says “Mum’s always home late. She’s always angry and she’s always tired” which shows how she spends most of her time at work. Ben is portrayed as the innocent child that gets caught in the middle of his mums’ problems. A lot of people would relate to Ben’s situation and would therefore feel sorry for him. The violence of the men when they break into the house shows how men are often represented as the alpha male characters in media. It is clear that the men are quite stupid as he falls for the ‘damp patch on the door’. Also, I can guess that the ‘one who does all the talking’ had been taken by the men who broke in due to the clip that is shown with his mouth covered and him shouting. This backs up the idea that these men are quite powerful in authority.

Representation of Age (group presentation)

The Male Gaze (Music Video Review)

The male gaze is the idea of how men look at women. The song that I have chosen to review is Out of Touch by Uniting Nations. Not only do I like the song, it is a prime example of the male gaze in modern society.

The video involves a man and 5 women playing strip poker. The man is using an earpiece to cheat and therefore throughout the music video, the women gradually take off more clothing.

The video begins with a shot of the CCTV footage of them playing strip poker. It shows shots of the women seductively talking to each other and using flirtatious actions with each other. The women are all wearing very short skirts or shorts and clothing that shows off their skin (which is oiled so that it stands out and attracts the viewer). At 15 seconds, the women enter the room and are seen touching themselves and the man to seduce him. At 28 seconds the brunette woman seems to bite her lip whilst looking at the man and continues to flirt with him during the whole video. When the chorus begins the woman gets on the table and dances in front of all the others whilst cards are being thrown in the air. As she dances she continues to feel herself, put her arms in the air and play with her hair.

As the video progresses, each woman takes off more and more of their clothes and one woman in particular looks at the man in a very suggestive way. The male gaze suggests that it is usually men that look at women in a sexual way however this could be an example of the female gaze, which is usually not noticed or picked up on in music videos like this one. Nevertheless, the male gaze is most definitely shown in this video too as the man is constantly flirting and looking at the women in a seductive way.

At 1:45 in the video, the woman finds the earpiece that he was using to cheat and the women then go to the bar and spray water over each other. The water shows off their bodies and acts as an attractive feature to anyone watching the video. This changes the way that the women are looked at via the male gaze. The way women look at each other is also part of the male gaze according to Laura Mulvey, this is shown as the women still seem to be having a good time without the accompaniment of the male as they continue to flirt and play with each other.

These clips in particular show the most revealing images and show the woman all dancing on the table and flirting with each other. This suggests that the women are out for a good time and sexual attention. At points in the clip, the women are seen holding hands, feeling each other and looking into the others eyes signifying sexual activity between the women.

The music video links perfectly with the male gaze as it addresses the way men look at women and how women look at each other. The actions in the video portray real life which allows the audience to relate to the male gaze.