Gender

Laura Mulvey 1975

'As erotic objects of desire for the characters within the story, and as erotic objects of desire for the spectator.' 

David Gauntlett 2002

'Images of the congenitally rugged, super-independant, extra-strong macho man still circulate in popular culture.'

Mackillon 2002

In 2002 Mackillon said males are now used in the similar way as women, in so far as they are being presented as sex objects and are seen to be more image conscious and sensitive.

MALES-

• Heroic
• Attractive (mainly the hero, can get away with more unnattractive males characters than females in a movie/TV show)
• Strong
• Violent 
• Brave
• Powerful
• Muscular

FEMALES-

• Powerless
• Over-sexualised (18-25)
• (30+ especially) typical wives/mothers
• Skinny (only fat as a joke)
• Victim (specifically in horrors and actions)
• Weak

Practice essay

How is gender portrayed in the extract of Hustle through:

• Camera work
• Mise-en-scene
• Sound 
• & Editing? 
• Theory
• Look to the question

In the extract of Hustle the theories of Mulvey (1975), Mackillon (2002) and Gauntlett (2002) are both supported and distrupted through the media language present in the clip. I will now explore this in more detail with reference to how; camera work, mise-en-scene, sound and editing contribute to constructions of gender representation. 

The opening shot is a low angle medium close up of middle-aged male wearing an expensive suit. The camera angle gives him masculine status as it makes him powerful which could fit Gauntlet’s 2002 theory however, the way he is standing is not a masculine pose which means his character also fits Mackillon’s theory as he is looking more feminine. In the background there is a younger female character shown coming up the stairs to the clothing shop, the positioning seems to support traditional gender roles as she appears lower down, and therefore less important, than the lead male character. The opening scene is accompanied by non-diegetic music that changes when the women comes into shot, it is quite feminine and it contributes to sexualising the female character in a way that fits Mulvey’s 1975 theory. Furthermore, it contributes to de-masculinising the male character to a point where he almost appears camp, which also fits with the dress shop setting and his job. The shots are linked together with a sound bridge and continuity editing is used to not distract the viewer. 

The non-diegetic music ends when the diegetic dialogue between the worker and the second woman begins, to enable no attention is being drawn away from their conversation. This second woman in the scene disrupts Mulvey’s theory that women are used as ‘erotic objects’, but is instead portrayed as the other version of women in films or TV shows- the house wife. She appears middle-aged and not very attractive, and during their conversation eyeline match editing is used. Shot reverse shot is used along with continuity editing to make the scene flow nicely, and so as not to draw attention away from what is happening. When she speaks, a high angle over the shoulder shot is used, making her appear powerless, inferior and weak. When the male character speaks, a low angle over the shoulder shot is used, making him appear superior and more masculine (although his facial expressions contradict that statement). The woman also avoids eye contact, further contributing to the male’s appearance of power. Throughout a majority of this shot the other female, the one who perfectly supports Mulvey’s theory, is shown with her back to the camera. These shots support Mulvey’s theory, as despite the fact there’s a conversation going on her body is shown off. The feminine non-diegetic music starts up again towards the end of the dialogue as she walks off.

A slight panning close up shot is used when displaying to the audience how attractive the blonde female is, from her hand to her face, which further supports Mulvey’s theory as the woman is clearly only being used for her attractive features. A tracking shot is then used whilst the male walks over to her, to emphasise the importance of her character. During their dialogue, despite the fact she is (like the first female) shorter than the male, they don’t use a high angle over the shoulder shot but keep it eye-level, making her come across as more powerful. The feminine non diegetic music playing further emphasises her sexuality, whereas with the other female it stopped. The male’s change in attitude (connoted by his tone of voice and gestures), proves part of Mulvey’s theory that women are used as erotic objects for the characters in the scene, and not just the audience. Continuity editing is more commonly used throughout the scene, but when the woman tries the dress on they use a fade to black to show that some time has passed. A tilt close up shot is used to display the woman’s whole body in a tight dress, further supporting Mulvey’s theory as the camera work ensures that the audience can admire all of her curves.