Cutting it essay

The representation of gender in this clip is featured in many ways. The Mise En Scene in the clip presents the man and woman in very stereotypical views. The woman is seen having an angelic glow behind her in the scene in the taxi, whereas the man is wearing a professional suit, signifying that he is in charge and in control. The fact that they casted a man who has a gruff voice indicates that the character is closed off and is reluctant to show emotion. This conforms to the stereotype of men not being able to show emotion without seeming weak. Props that are used in this clip are highly important to the representation of gender, as the woman is wearing a wedding ring which shows how she is connected to the man. It also means that they are binded together and share everything, giving equal power to each person. When she enters the doctors office, we see a confidential file on his desk. This is a clear indicator of how the man is the alpha in this situation, and he is holding her private and personal information in his hands.He evens gets to know the most intimate things about her before she does and this is an immense display of authority and power.

The camera work is also very telling as to who is more powerful. The majority of the shots in the clip are at an equal level, but once she steps into the doctors office, the angle changes to a high angle shot. It creates an effect of intimidation and also makes the consultant come off as imposing and judgemental. The woman has a loving and equal relationship with her husband, but seems very tense when in the room with the doctor. Alot of the shots are static, but the few that are panning are from the doctor's point of view. This puts us in his place and to see this upset woman in front of us is quite uncomfortable. After the crash, there are high and low angle shots, to again situat us in the postion of the husband and then the wife. The low angle shots show us in the postion of the wife, being helpless and small on the ground and it then switches to the higher angle shot from the man's point of view, over the top of his wife. This may come across as him being protective, but when we see it from her point of view, it looks like he is smothering her and crowding around giving a very claustrophobic feeling. This also allows us to feel sympathetic for the man, as he feels like it's his duty to care for and protect his wife from everything, when that simply isn't possible.

The editing in the clip is minimal, with the only transition being the fade to black at the end. This shows the woman's death, but it also allows us to see how much this is affecting the husband. Without his wife, he feels like his world is fading and he has nothing in his life anymore, which is not a stereotype of men as they are commonly expected to get on with it and not let death or grievances affect them. With only one woman one screen, the men get more screentime which is an obvious tell that men are considered more important than her.

The sound in the clip portrays gender in a different way to the stereotypical way that we would think. There is dialogue that includes themes of cheating and also medical issues. Women are usually portrayed as innocent, naive people who never do wrong, and the subject of cheating seems very shocking in this clip. She also is talking about going to a consultant and discussing medical issues, which combats the stereotype that women are not as smart as men.