Example Answer

The scene opens with a low angle shot of an older woman standing at her bedroom window looking out onto a street. A shot reverse shot edit shows that she is looking at a young boy across the road who is also looking out of his living room window up at her. Gail is positioned higher up than Todd to show that she has the power in the sequence. Todd cowers away from the window and a reverse shot shows that Gail is still standing there watching him. Her body language and facial expression shows pursed lips and head held high. The representation throughout this sequence largely challenges stereotypical ideal about women. For example, here, Gail is show to be aggressive through her body language where as the stereotype is for women to be passive.

As Sarah lays on the couch, Gail enters the scene and again is presented from a low angle shot from Sarah’s perspective. A close up shot reveals how emotional and angry Gail is and the diegetic sound of dialogue informs us that she is ‘sick of being the victim’. Her tone is strong and her voice is loud. Gail storms across the cobbled street in her bathrobe. This costume again shows that her character challenges the stereotype. She is not represented as beautiful or sexually attractive, instead she is seen as unattractive and hot headed. The mise-en-scene also tells us that this is a working class area through the cobbled streets and tenement houses. The representation in this scene is certainly of working class women and so challenges a lot stereotypes which may be seen as more middle class.

The scene cuts to a two-shot Kevin and Sally, however Sally is positioned behind Kevin as he spies on the commotion outside. The fact that Kevin is spying on the neighbours challenges gender ideals because it is usually women who are said to be nosey or gossips. At the same time Kevin constantly positions himself with his back to Sally indicating that she is an annoyance to him and he is not interested in what she has to say. This is more stereotypical of the married man.

The scene cuts back to the street commotion. A focus pull takes our attention from a close up on Gail shouting to a couple in the background. A two-shot is used to represent them and the sound perspective changes. In the background we can still hear Gail shouting in the street but the diegetic sound of the other woman’s voice shows her to be more passive and gentle, a more stereotypical representation.

Eileen comes to the door and an over-the-shoulder shot show Gail shouting at her with Sarah in the background. These women are being represented as matriarchs. There is apparently no father in either household and the dialogue reveals this to be true. They therefore take on the lead role in both households. The over-the-shoulder shot shows that Gail is protecting her daughter as she is positioned in front of her. The women exchange insults and shot-reverse-shot editing is used, typical of soap opera, to show both women’s reactions. Their body language is strong and their tones fierce. Again, the stereotypical media representations of femininity are challenged here. In addition working class women are represented as having no intellectual pursuits.

A cross cut edit takes us inside Eileen’s house where her son, Todd, is cowering behind the sofa. Sound perspective allows us to hear the argument as he does. A close-up shot shows us he is scared until he gets the bravery to challenge the matriarchs. Throughout the scene Todd is represented as caring and passive, a trait associated with femininity. This is further expressed later in the scene when his ‘masculine’ brother comes along wearing construction work wear. A two-shot of the brothers lets use compare the two. Todd stands with his shoulders slumped whereas his brother stands tall with his hands in his pockets, one clearly more feminine and the other overtly masculine.

A circular shot is used to build the tension between the women and the escalating row as well as showing that Todd has jumped between the two. This represents women as childish and having to be calmed down by their children. Frenetic handheld camera work is used when the two women break into a fight to build the tension. A close up shallow focus on Sarah shows her embarrassment at her mum’s behaviour as a focus pull allows us to the see the crowds that have gathered. As the women wrestle to the floor a reverse shot shows a young man in the crowd whose facial expression clearly shows that he is enjoying the fight. There is a sense that the sight of two older women fighting is quite ridiculous.