Representation of gender

Throughout this clip representation of gender is portrayed using editing, camera, sound and Mise en scene.

Through the use of a bird’s eye view in the doctor’s office whilst the women is having her appointment the women is shown stereo typically weak and vulnerable. This shot makes her look smaller in comparison to the size of the room. This shot shows that she has no power over the situation and she is just someone small in a word much bigger. This portray the female character as powerless, venerable, and defenceless. The technology use of a hand-held camera during the shot of the man running across the road after the women is hit by a car shows the man’s raw feelings.  This use of camera work shows the male character as shaky and emotional something stereotypical most men don’t want to appear. This shows the man’s love for his wife and his panic when he realises she is hurt. This portrays the male character in a positive roe of gender as it shows his sensitive caring side. The shot when the man is sitting with the women after her accident shows contrasting shots which alternate between the women looking up at the man and the man looking down on the women. This is a very stereotypical representation of gender roles. When the female character is in such an unstable condition she is shown belittled in a man’s arms looking up at him, the way throughout history women have been told she should look up to a man. Stereo typically women are always belittled by the man and even though she is injured this shot does not give her this satisfaction of being above the man or of being shown  importance; however the alternative shot shows the man looking above the women, this can be seen in two ways the first being that the man after witnessing his wife hurt and dying is holding her for the last time this makes him seem kind and loving, the way an audience would expect a man to react to his wife being hit by a ar. This again shows the male character in a positive light. However, this shot could also be the male character looking down on his wife. She is in an unstable emotional position and this clearly shows her lower than him. Although her condition means she can’t sit up etc. the camera angle clearly shows him looking down on her giving him a sense of power over her even though she is already hurt and dying.  The close up shot of the male characters wedding ring shows him twisting it wound his finger whilst his wife is having a doctor’s appointment. Fidgeting is sometimes associated with nerves this shot shows how he is thinking about what may be happening in the appointment and what the outcome may be. The close up again shows his caring side as he appears to be worried the shot also shows his love for his wife and devotion to their marriage.

The mise en scene use of setting in the taxi symbolises moving forward as they are talking about their marriage and starting new. The use of this setting shows them not staying in one place. This is a positive representation as it shows them as man and wife, male and female moving together as one as they start their life as a married couple. This shows them as equal in a legal partnership with one another. The props of a flower stall as the female character enters the hospital shows neatly arranged pretty flowers. Flowers are often used to celebrate and give as a gift seen as a pretty living thing however later this props meaning significantly changes after the accident as they are scattered on the ground. The flowers can be used to represent the female character as being positive and leaves the hospital with bad news. The flowers can also be used for the audience to foreshadow the female characters up comings. Flowers are also used a funeral and given to people who are sick. Flowers also wither and die. Like stereotypical female’s flowers are pretty and delicate just like the female character in this clip. The contrast of the male and female characters setting represents the difference between their life positions. The female in the doctor’s office receiving bad news and the male sat at a cafe outside on a table smiling. This shows how women are emotional and the female character is going through a difficult time in her life without anyone to support her it also shows how male characters are strong and even when things are happening to those around them they can remain strong and calm and go about their daily tasks this could be used to foreshadow the events after the car accident.

The lack of sound after the accident with the shot of the male character shows his raw emotion and show of what he has witnessed it also allows the audience take in and think about what has happened. It shows that even a man who stereo typically should remain strong in the face of a tragedy can be shocked and surprised and need to take a minuet to absorb what has happened. It shows that men to have emotions tea me as women. The non-diegetic sound of the car accident allows the audience to hear what has happened before they see it. This shows that things happen that you can’t always see and aren’t always aware of. This shows that feeling and emotions may be concealed the way the women pretended to her husband she had good new the same as the incident was covered. This represents both genders how both male and females sometimes have things they don’t want to share both emotions and physical events.

The continuity editing allows the events to feel more real to the audience this allows both characters male and female to show their raw emotion of all events from taxi drive, to hospital appointment, through to anticipation and the accident and finally the women’s death. It shows the naturalism of people’s lives no matter what your gender somethings can’t be edited and sugar-coated away. The slow motion of the bus moving away revealing the injured women gives the event dramatic effect how when incidents happen to people their whole world can slow down and their actions and special awareness may be impaired it allows the audience to feel the male character’s emotion adding to the realism of the clip.