SUBMARINE (2010, Richard Ayoade)
Submarine explores the representation of young people as well as
mental health, specifically through the use of the character Oliver Tate, in
the introduction to the film. Technical codes are used to enhance this.
The editing used in the extract
features minimal cuts and long takes. The purpose of this is to set the mood.
It is clear to see that Ayoade has aimed to set a melancholy mood as the pace
of the editing is rather slow. The amount of cuts used within this extract is
kept fairly low by using pans and tracking shots to show the surroundings
instead. This also serves for longer takes and therefore a slower paced scene.
The sombre mood helps to emphasise that of the protagonist’s, and also suggests
that he is a troubled teenager. When we are first introduced to Tate, several
fast takes and quick cuts are used to transition to a close up of his face.
What is particularly interesting, is that during this close up, he breaks the
fourth wall, which gives a strange feel to the scene, and may cause the
audience to feel a little uncomfortable. Several representations can be
interpreted in this scene. Whilst the mood set is morose, the audience may look
deeper into this and take from it that the protagonist may be suffering mental
health issues. Furthermore, this may also create the representation that
troubled teenagers are not usually conditioned to fit into society and appear
to others who do as ‘strange’. The audience may respond to this by agreeing, as
stereotypically (in the 1980s), those who suffered with mental illnesses are
outcasts of society. However, those who disagree with the representation of
this character may be a portion of the audience that suffer from mental health
issues that feel as if they do fit in with everyone else. Despite, in 1983, The
Mental Health Act being passed and giving those who suffer more rights, there
was still a stigma around mental health issues, and people still feared that
they were dangerous. Being set in the 1980s, the representations created in Submarine may reference this.
Likewise, the soundtrack sets the
mood of the film. Diegetic sound incudes clocks, bells and the voices of other
people, primarily his teacher. This and the intradiegetic narration suggests
that the extract is set in a home and/or school environment in which the main
character is not at his happiest. Non diegetic sound features music that
suggests a mood similar to that of the mood created with the editing and
therefore can be described as incidental music. Once again, this suggests that
the protagonist may be suffering mental health issues from the evidence that
his mood is quite low. Therefore, audience who listen to the sound in the
extract may associate the sounds with similar emotions, such as school bells
with stress, allowing them to relate with the character. Likewise, they might
agree that teenagers in general experience emotions like this during this
period of life, especially when hearing his dialogue in which he talks about
his death. On the other hand, some members of the audience who suffer from
mental health issues may see this as more than just a melancholy scene, but can
see that Oliver Tate’s mood is often like this from what he is saying, and may
relate to his feeling despite not being a teenager. Others may not agree with
this representation because they think that people who suffer mental health
issues are just the same as everyone else, despite Oliver Tate’s narration
suggesting that he is not.
Oliver doesn’t take up as much
camera time as some other protagonist might in other films. In the introduction
of Submarine, he is pictured sitting
in his room, however, the extract cuts to wide shots of the ocean and/or large
bodies of water, and then to his classmates at school. This may suggest that he
is quite self-depreciating and is not confident in himself, and this is
portrayed through the amount of time he spends on camera, which literally
implies that he is shy. However, when he is in the frame, he does take up at
least two focal points, which still allows the audience to ensure that he is a
central character. Other mise-en-scene includes the casual clothes worn on top
of school uniform, such as a hoodie, which suggests the working class
environment in which the characters live. However, Oliver contrasts to most of
his class mates in that he dresses in a smart coat and carries a brief case.
This emphasises the point that he is not like most of the people that surround
him. As he is not represented as a stereotypical teenager through costume, the
audience can infer that he adheres to a countertype, in which he is reserved
and has body language as well as vocal delivery that comes across as much more
polite than the other students. Some members of the audience might agree with
this along with believing that Oliver adheres to a different stereotype to the
others as they may have noted that there are groups of ‘outsiders’ or ‘socially
awkward’ people for each place they visit.
The camerawork used in the
extract helps to exaggerate the peaceful yet sombre mood of the introduction of
the film through the use of establishing shots. The purpose of this is firstly
to show the location in which the film is set and the characters live. Furthermore,
the wide shots of the water, especially the one in which we can see Oliver
looking out into the ocean, shows that he is in a thoughtful mind set, which
perhaps suggests that he is contemplating his issues, considering that the mood
set is a morose one. Pans and tracking shots are used so that the audience can
see the environment of the character(s), which allows them to make assumptions
about the characters for themselves. For example, a pan movement is used when
Oliver is in his room, so that they can infer things such as his high level of
intelligence and creativity. It also allows the editors of the film to create
longer takes to slow the pace. This creates the representation that teenagers
who are often by themselves and are quiet in public, usually have deeper issues
than what is seen and have a lot on their mind. Some people in the audience may
agree with this, whilst others may think that everyone issues of their own, and
some choose to share theirs and be more vocal, whilst others are not.
FISH TANK (2009, Andrea Arnold)
Fish Tank explores the representation of young people, as well as
working class people in this extract. In the film, Mia struggles to control her
temper, causing her to be threatened with school expulsion whilst also trying
to work out the relationship she has with her mum’s boyfriend.
The mise-en-scene serves its
purpose very well in the extract, as it enables the audience to tell where and
when the film is set, as well as the class and status of the characters within
the scene. Firstly, the décor of the room is extremely minimal, which may
suggest the amount of money the owner has at their disposal to spend on room
furniture. The lighting in the room is also fairly low key, which can imply
that the mood of the scene is negative. Therefore, the audience may be able to
infer from this that those who live in this housing are of working class.
Furthermore, out of the window, it can be seen that the housing is situated
high up, and therefore is likely to be a high rise flat. Other high rise
buildings can be seen and so this suggests that the girl is living on a housing
estate with other working class people. Mia is wearing very casual and sporty
clothing. She is seen wearing a hoodie, which is stereotypically associated
with ‘thugs’ and antisocial behaviour. Therefore, along with the location, the
audience can be sure that Mia belongs to a working class society. Here, working
class people are represented as messy, poor and unkempt. Middle class viewers
may agree with this representation as they tend to think that working class
people are below them in society and live under worse conditions than them,
when that is not always the case. Other working class people may disagree, as
they might not live in housing with a lack of décor or furniture items, and may
live in areas that are not as much associated with other working class people.
The camerawork also explores the
representation of the working class, especially young people within that class.
Mia has the most camera time within the extract, which suggests to the audience
that she is the most central character to the film. She also frequently covers
at least two of the focal points which implies that she is one of the most
important characters to the narrative. Therefore, composition is important
because it also creates the representation that females are just as capable as
being a protagonist as males are. The composition suggests that Mia is a
powerful female character, which is a countertype. Camera movement also helps
to emphasise the extent of Mia’s dominant character, as handheld movement is
visible throughout the extract. This may suggest that her emotions are not
completely stable, and that her temper is short, as she is seen walking angrily
towards the flats, and that is when the movement is at its most visible. This
shows that she is a countertype because she shows some positive attributes such
as strength, when she throws the stones at the man’s balcony, and she is
physically fit as she is displayed as being interested in sports. Some audience
members may agree with this representation as they think that the stereotypes
are usually correct for males and females. However, some may disagree with this
as they would believe that females don’t always adhere to the stereotype and
that Mia is just being represented as a regular female.
It seems Andrea Arnold has chosen
to explore the theme of poor relationships through the use of sound. There is
no evidence of non-diegetic sound in the extract, which might emphasise the
loneliness of Mia, as no one is responding to her politely, or at all. Diegetic
sound primarily consists of raised voices that suggest anger and annoyance.
Therefore, Fish Tank successfully
portrays the weak relationships that Mia holds through the emotion that the
audience can hear in the other characters voices. This creates the
representation that working class people in general are usually seen as
antisocial, because they are frequently depicted shouting at each other whilst
using foul language. This is not just a portrayal of young people, as the man
in the flat that Mia was throwing stones at was also behaving in a similar way.
Audiences may see this and agree with this representation because e
stereotypical working class person is seen as being loud and antisocial. However,
other members of the audience will disagree with this representation based on
the fact that they are part of the working class and do not behave in this way.
Editing has been used in the
extract to set the mood and the pace. The length of time between cuts is very
long which suggests that there is not a lot of action in the scene. Continuity
editing is used which ensures that the action flows in a linear format to make
it most understandable for the audience. The mood set for this is fairly calm
when Mia is inside the building, although when she leaves, slightly more cuts
are used which increases the actions and builds the mood. This may present
teenagers as easily irritable, which adheres to their stereotype. Older members
of the audience, specifically parents, may agree with this, as they might
believe that their own children are like this. However, other teenagers may
disagree with this representation as they usually only see each other in
different lights when they are around people that they enjoy socialising with.
However, most will agree as teenagers are known for being grouchy at this point
in their lives due to school stress and new adult responsibilities.
NIL BY MOUTH (1997, Gary Oldman)
Nil by Mouth explores the
representation of working class people as well as that of males. The themes
include drugs, alcohol and violence. Technical codes helps to emphasise these
representation created. The extract begins in a club where mainly men are seen
smoking and drinking.
The mise-en-scene is used in this
extract to create the representation that working class people forget about
their work problems as soon as they enter their social lives. Firstly,
mise-en-scene has served its purpose of telling the audience when and where the
extract is set. The décor in the room suggests that it is a club, as there is a
bar and tables with lots of people sitting at them. Furthermore, people are
smoking within the building, and can allow the audience to conclude that the
film is set prior to most likely set in the 90s, when smoking in buildings was
still legal. Nil by Mouth was set in the kind of environment in which Gary
Oldman experienced when he was growing up, and so the type of décor may imply
that the environment the scene is set in is a working class environment, as the
characters depicted are drinking and smoking fairly heavily, and their body
language is displaying fairly informal behaviour. This is stereotypical of
working class and so the mise-en-scene represents them as scruffy and laidback.
Some audiences may agree with the preferred reading, in which the lives of
working class surround their social lives where they smoke and drink to escape
from the problems that they face in other areas of their life. However, working
class audiences may have a negotiated or oppositional reading of the extracts,
as they may surround themselves with other classes of people and/or use
distractions other than alcohol to get away from their problems, therefore
believing that their class isn’t as well represented as the producers aimed
for.
The camera movement in Nil by Mouth may help to emphasise some
of the representations already created. The handheld movement at the beginning
helps to show the lack of responsibility that these adults actually have, as
they are avoiding their problems with distractions, such as socialising. This
represents the working class as being tough for dealing with the problems they
face in their lives, and easily pleased when they are not around these issues.
The handheld camera movement can also serve as an exaggeration on the sexism
experienced by the few females in the extract. The uneven movement acts as a
metaphor for the inequality in the treatment of males and females within
society at the time. Males are presented to be dominant and much more relevant
than females, who are represented as caring, and as a doormat, as the man does
not answer the woman with a straight answer and walks off to sit with his
friends. The preferred reading is that females are not very highly regarded by
men in the scene, and most will agree with this as positive interaction with
females is not made or talked about in the text. However, others may think that
the main male in the extract shows kindness towards the females because he
bought them drinks. This is a countertype and may serve for a negotiated
reading. It is rare that there would be an oppositional reading as it is very
clear that women are being talked about as sexual objects in a disrespectful
way, however, people that have similar mindsets to those in the film may share
the same views as them and feel as if they are not being as disrespectful in
this scene as some other audience members make out.
The laidback mood of the working
class in the club is successfully portrayed in Nil by Mouth through the editing
that is used. Long takes are featured in this scene, even when the main
subjects are covered by people that are in the way, which adds to the informal
feel of the scene, and creates a mood that is laidback. This constructs the
representation that the working class enjoy escaping the problems that they
face in day to day life, such as their
low economic status, through meeting with others of their kind and socialising.
The amount of cuts increases as the man stands on stage and begins performing.
This suggests that this is the highest point of these people’s lives at this
current point, as more cuts implies that there is more action. Working class
people are represented here as being content in their class, as they have been
conditioned not to expect great things from life due to the fact that it is
very difficult for them to move out of their group. They have learned to enjoy
what they can access, and this, for them, is escaping their problems and work
lives to socialise with other working class people whilst drinking alcohol and
smoking. Some audiences may agree with the representation created because they
might believe that working class people tend to be very laidback within their
class and are quite social. However, some audiences may disagree with this and
think that working class people are, in contrast, antisocial, because some
stereotypes suggest that they are loud and rude.
Sound has been used effectively
to explore the construction of the representation of the working class.
Diegetic sound includes the main dialogue as well as background noise, which
primarily consists of other voices and conversations. The producers have
encoded colloquial language in the extract to construct the preferred reading
that allows the audience to conclude that the characters seen are of working
class. For example, curse words are frequently said by the characters, which
suggests that they are working class, as it is considered to be informal. This
adheres to the stereotypical nature of a working class person, as it comes
across as very casual. Non-diegetic sound only includes that of some music in
the opening. This creates the representation that working class people like to
take time off by listening to the type of music played in the intro. With this
being the preferred reading, the audiences may disagree with this and think
that the music serves as more of a mood setter. With this being a valid point,
the music sets a more upbeat mood, and therefore suggests that the working
class people in the extract are using their free time to relax after dealing
with stressful problems in their working lives.
RATCATCHER (1999, Lynne Ramsay)
Ratcatcher explores the issue of
family breakdown through the use of technical codes, as well as that of death
and poverty. The representation of the working class is explored through this
extract, which has been constructed through the mise-en-scene, sound,
camera work and editing.
Mise-en-scene includes run down
housing areas surrounded by litter and bin bags. This immediately suggests to
the audience that the characters are living in a deteriorated housing estate
that has clearly been left for the poverty stricken working class to live in.
Low key lighting inside the house acts as a metaphor for the dark times that
these people are facing, with rats and mice infesting their homes due to the
lack of rubbish collection. The main colour palette of the room includes earthy
colours such as brown, which connotes dirt. The conditions portrayed in this
extract represent the working class as being in a low economic status. However,
children are seen playing football in the street as well as adults
communicating to each other as they pass one another in the road. This shows a
sense of a community in which everyone knows each other and their business.
Therefore, whilst they are portrayed as being poor, they are also represented
as being friendly to each other despite living in such tough times, which
adheres to a countertype of working class people. The preferred reading
constructed through the mise-en-scene would be that the people living in this
location are of working class, due to the dirty conditions and community
spirit. Some audiences may have a negotiated reading of this text, as they
might agree that dirty living areas tend to belong to the working class, but on
the other hand believe that working class people are less social and friendly
than the film makes out to be. An oppositional reading would be rare, as those
who have more money than people living in poverty would be able to afford to
clean up the rubbish, and so the dirty environment can only realistically
belong to the working class. Oppositional reading audiences may argue that
wealthier people could be too lazy, busy or just unable to clean up the
rubbish.
The sound within this extract
creates a powerful exploration of the theme of relationships. The lack of
non-diegetic sound serves for some points in the extract in which only ambient
sound can be heard. This helps to emphasise the silence between the characters
which therefore suggests that there are weaknesses amongst the relationships
that they have with each other, as they are seen as having nothing to say each
other. Furthermore, the vocal delivery and the language used is primarily
hostile. The dialogue mainly consists of scalding from the mother, and the two
boys play fighting in the mud, in which consists of foul language as they push
each other in the mud. This represents the characters in the extract as having
weak relationships with one another, as the only diegetic sound heard is that
of the characters talking to each other in a way that implies this. The theme
of weak relationships may also imply that the working class are antisocial, as
they are portrayed as not being very aware of how to treat others normally.
Whilst this is the preferred reading, some audiences may agree with some of
this, but could disagree with the representation that they are antisocial, as
some dialogue is heard at the end of the extract in which one woman asks
another how she is doing. Friendly working class people are seen as a
countertype because it is a positive attribute to have. These characters may
cause for a negotiated reading.
The camera work also helps to
explore the theme of weak relationships and family breakdown. For example, when
Ryan runs out to his friend by the canal, a high angle is used to connote their
innocence and powerlessness. It also serves to foreshadow the boy’s death.
Handheld camera movements highlight the disequilibrium within the extract. The
lack of equilibrium within this section of the narrative emphasises the daily
struggles that the working class has to face on a daily basis. During the
drowning scene, it also clearly portrays the carelessness that Ryan has around
people, which shows the audience that he has weak relationships because of
this. Shallow focus on Ryan’s mother when he runs away to play with his friend
draws attention to her loneliness, as her relationship with her son is not
depicted as strong. Further on in the extract, shallow focus is used once again
when Ryan looks back after running away from the friend that he drowned. This,
again, highlights his loneliness now that he has lost his friend. Overall the
camera work used within the text constructs the representation that the
characters are lonely when it comes to facing their own problems, despite
living in a community full of people. The working class are represented as
having weak relationships with other people in their group, whilst also facing
harsh living conditions. With this being the preferred reading, some audiences
may disagree with this representation, as they might think that, in reality,
working class people usually confide in others to help solve their problems.
The editing helps to construct
the representation that working class have very little happy about due to their
extremely low economic status. The extract begins with very long takes, which
immediately sets the mood and pace as dull and slow. This suggests that the
characters are feeling exhausted and lacking interest in their lives any more.
The preferred reading would be that the working class have extremely difficult
times in their lives as they can’t afford to even clean up their streets. As
the take become shorter, it suggests that Ryan is trying to inject some fun
into his life. This is seen when he runs away from his mother and goes against
her by untucking his trousers from his boots. The shorter takes suggest that
the working class no longer care about what they normally do in their day to
day lives as they are bored of having to deal with the same difficult problems
over and over again due to their low financial state. This being the preferred
reading, some audiences may think that the working class do well to have
interesting social lives in order to escape their problems for a short while, and
therefore would have a negotiated viewing by only agreeing to parts of the
representations that were aimed to be constructed by Ramsay.
LAST RESORT (2000, Pawel
Pawlikowski)
Last Resort seeks to explore the issue of immigration through the
technical codes used in the extract. Pawlikowski’s politics allow him to create
representations of immigrants that seem true to reality, which allows many
audiences to see the preferred reading from the mise-en-scene, editing, sound
and camerawork.
At the very beginning of the
text, the woman and the boy are travelling through a tunnel, as if on a train.
The lighting is low key at the beginning of their journey, but as they reach
their destination, they exit the tunnel and the lighting becomes high key. This
could act as a metaphor for their journey from their original country, to the
UK. This represents immigrants as having come from dark places where there is
fear of danger. The UK is represented as being a safe haven for those who are
fleeing political disaster. Later on in the extract, the woman is seen talking
to the border control officer, whilst the child is outside the room that they
are in. The scene is shot from outside the room also, looking through the
window. The window has wire running through the middle of it, which gives the
effect of a cage. This shot explores the theme of incarceration, as it seems
the British attitude towards immigration is rather unsympathetic. Therefore,
the representation of immigrants has been constructed as grateful to be there,
yet prone to getting in the way. Whilst most audiences will see it this way,
some may sympathise or even share the same feelings as immigrants, and so will
disagree with the way that they are represented in the extract. The text may be
seen as controversial, which can cause for some few oppositional readings, such
as that of viewers thinking that immigration is not an issue in this country
presently, and that immigrants are in no way treated as prisoners.
The editing helps to suggest that
immigrants are seen as annoying and a hindrance through the shorter takes that
are used when it cuts to the scene in which the male is shouting at the foreign
people in their building. This constructs the representation that immigrants
are out of control, and once again, just get in the way. The disequilibrium may
suggest that immigration has a negative effect on those of the lower classes in
society, as immigrants are hindering their daily lives, in this case, by being
chaotic and noisy. The representation created here implies that immigrants are
right at the bottom of society, as they are unfriendly with one another, and
are being told what to do by a working class person, who clearly has some sort
of authority over them. The contrast in the longer and slightly shorter takes support
this point because it suggests that once immigrants move through the border of
the UK, they become more relaxed, and do not care for being friendly to each
other. This represents immigrants as still having the same mind set as those
back at home where they are facing constant disagreement with others which is
the reason that they all had to leave in the first place. The audience may
agree with this, whilst others will think that the reason they are behaving
like this is because they have been confined to their housing area, which
explores the theme of incarceration.
The medium shot of the woman and
her son on the train may show that their relationship isn't as strong as it
once was. This is because it allows us to see that they are sitting with their
backs to each other, each having fairly closed body language. This allows us to
see that their relationship has been broken apart by whatever had happened to
the prior to their journey to the UK. This represents immigrants as having had
a tough time in their home country. The camera work within the arguing scene
helps to display disequilibrium through the use of handheld movements. This
disequilibrium helps to support the point previously mentioned that the
immigrants are represented as animals, perhaps because that is how they are
being treated. However, the lack of peace in this part of the narrative may
also imply the struggles and disappointment that these immigrants have faced
when they travelled to a new country hoping that life would become better. Whilst
the preferred reading is that immigrants have come from difficult lives in
their countries to new lives that aren't any less so in a different nation,
other audiences may argue that their lives have become significantly easier by
not having to fear danger, and should be grateful for the housing that the UK
provides for them.
