Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of class and status using the following:
Camera angle, movement and position - zooms in on her to show importance and long shot. More time on screen. high angled shot on merlin in the courtyard to show he is lower social class. re-establishing shot of merlin in the town, juxtaposition in comparison to castle (binary opposition) merlin walks towards the camera therefore implying we relate to him. Arthur stands on something to make him higher than merlin therefore implying status.
Editing - extreme close up on eye. no one else in the diegesis can see. merlin uses rope and a crate to protect himself connotes his status.
Sound - choir like music and religious. dialogue what are you doing here. merlin has to justify. footsteps (Foley sounds) door slams (reaction shot) sheep sounds. States 'my lord'. Upbeat jolly music, not serious fight.
Mise en scene - well looked after clothes, purple royalty. Statue connotes success. merlin doesn’t have a weapon therefore implying his status. Gias reads book and wears glasses, connotes intelligence and status.
There are lots of examples of editing in the extract of merlin. Firstly, the shots vary in length to show the difference of authority with merlin and the witch. These two characters show binary oppositions through their social class, rich vs. poor. When merlin is looking at the woman's personal belongings the length of shots are quite short. This suggests he is not supposed to be there in comparison the length of shot on the woman are longer to show her power and importance over merlin. The sound is quite mysterious and simple when the camera focuses on merlin however, when the camera focuses on the woman an extra level is added to the sound to show her status. As Merlin leaves the castle a high angled shot is used as he walks down the stairs to suggest he doesn’t belong there and everybody else in the castle has authority over him. Furthermore a jump shot is used to imply just how different the two locations are therefore emphasising their binary oppositions. As the narrative develops, the action, sound and camera movement become more frantic and fast. During the fight match on action is used when merlin is fighting and sees Gaius’s disappointment and immediately stops which shows the authority Gaius has over Merlin. In addition to this the shot used on the fight is a high angled point of view shot to show exactly what Gias can see and the high angled shot helps to show his power and authority over merlin. As well as this, a reaction shot is used when merlin spots Gaius in the crowd. His reaction is stunned and sorrowful he then loses the fight as he realises what he is doing is wrong. The reaction shot used on Gaius expresses disappointment and betrayal. This emphasises the Gias’s power over Merlin and how he expects him to behave in an appropriate manner. During the fight scene an extreme close up is used on Merlin’s eye to show him using his magic. This is effective as no one else in the diegesis can see this therefore it makes the audience feel more involved and relate to the character of Merlin. Lastly Merlin uses his magic to move a rope and a crate to trip Arthur over and protect himself. These particular items connote lower class as they are basic items unlike the weapon Arthur uses.
Sound is represented throughout the extract of Merlin with diegtic and non-diegetic sounds. For example, at the beginning of the extract non diegtic sounds are edited into the sequence to create tension when Merlin is looking through the lady's belongings when he isn't supposed to. The music used is mysterious. It automatically stops when the lady is speaking to show her importance and power. Diegtic sounds are used when Merlin is walking through the farm for example, ambient sound such as chicken noises and people talking in the background. This creates Verisimilitude for the audience. When the fight starts, the music increases in speed and volume to suggest drama and violence however, the music is quite joyful and not intense which suggests that the fight could be just for a laugh. The sound fades when Gaius is looking down on Merlin in disappointment, this emphasises that fact that Gaius is like a father figure to Merlin and he realises what he is doing is wrong and loses the fight. Lastly as the fight ends by Arthur knocking Merlin to the ground a sting sound is used to make the end of the fight sudden and show Arthurs power and authority over Merlin. As well as sound and music dialogue plays an important role as the lady in the castle says ‘what are you doing in here’ in sharp tone to imply her power over Merlin. In his reply he stutters to show his nervousness around her and lack of importance.
Mise- en- Scene plays a huge part when defining class and status within the characters. We are first introduced to Merlin who is seen to wear very rough tired clothing, which shows that he has not come from a wealthy background and therefore is looked down on by the other leading characters. His robe is red which may be seen as being ironic, as red connotes royalty and wealth. On the other hand we are then shown a binary opposition of Merlin, fully dressed in armour made of iron this shows wealth and that he may be part of the army or royal family. Juxtaposition is used when Merlin leaves the castle grounds and enters the village to show the binary oppositions of the two. The castle shows stone and statues that connote wealth and success whereas the village shows wicker baskets and rickety stalls there for connoting lower class. In addition to this when the fight begins Arthur has to give Merlin a weapon. The lack of Merlin having a weapon shows his lower class status and his inexperience of fighting.
There are many shots and camera angles within the sequence that offer many different aspects of how class is represented. One of the more prominent ones is how the “commoner” Merlin is depicted within the castle. In a number of shots we see Merlin walking through the very grand castles. Steady Camera movements and wide shots are used to depict merlin as very small in comparison to the castle. This reflects the class structure where the commoners are the little people in comparison to the rich. We also see Merlin fighting with Prince Arthur. When Arthur moves towards Merlin initially with his weapon and begins to swing it above his head, the camera does not pan upwards to show the weapon; instead it remains a steady mid shot. This proves that the wealthier Prince does not need a weapon to with stand his ground or show his strength, his presence is enough to do that. The way that the camera is angled shows only his body in his armour. His stance within the shot also contributes to this. He is standing with a further three knights yet he is standing clearly in front of this, leading the pack and the camera is clearly positioned at all times to show the hierarchy within this group. Throughout the build-up to the scene we also see how a four-shot depicts the closeness between the knights and the gap between Merlin and anyone else. We also see an example of a two shot in a previous scene when he is in the Lady’s room. At all times the gap is used to distinguish the class difference between these sets of people. Because they are off different classes they are not seen to socialise or get too close to the poor, suggested by the placement of the actors within the two and four shots.
We then look at Camera angles. There are clear indications as to who has the power from the angles of the cameras. Arthur is taller than Merlin and subsequently we see things from Arthurs eye-level. This gives us reason to believe that these shots have been chosen to show his looking down on a member of a lower class. We see this again when a low-angle shot is used when Gaius, a man whose intellectual power and stance within the royal household gives him more power and status than Merlin, is watching over, un-approvingly, the fight Merlin and the Prince are having. Earlier on we had seen an eye-line match from Merlin when he sneaks into the Lady’s room. His hesitation to enter and jumpy stance suggests he is in quarters of a higher class than his own, and this is reflected through the camera movement. We initially see Merlin creep out of the shot when the camera is focused on a grand part of the castle and later we see as Merlin enters the room, the camera pan around it, indicating his eye movements, to check no one will catch him in a room he isn’t meant to be in.
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