Representation of Gender in Luther Clip.

Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of gender:

At the beginning of the clip there is a establishing shot which allows the audience to be familiar with the setting for example they are on the bridge in a built up area this shows that they are both from a well off area that looks like the central of London. When they enter in Alice’s apartment it shows a long shot that again can set the scene for the audience and suggests that Alice is her own independent women and has power shown from the money and the flat. Before this there is a mid shot of both characters and then a long shot to allow for the audience to see a full shot of both characters from head to toe. There is a over the shoulder shot this illustrates that there is a tense conversation or argument and it allows the audience to see both characters point of view. We can see that both male and female characters are equal and who has more power over one another. We see close ups of both characters to allow for expressions from both characters to be shown and there relationship. We see this through proximity the characters are very close together when Alice asks if John ‘came here for sex’. Later she says that men usually come here for sex and how fatuous they are (silly), this suggests that she does not get taken advantage of like other women do so she is powerful and a dominant female character. We see that Alice asks all the questions ‘did you come her to interrogate me?’ etc. this shows at this moment that she has power over John. Extreme close up shot used also to make Alice seem more powerful but when a long shot occurs it makes her seem weaker.

Zoom into close ups on both Alice’s and Luther’s faces when she asks John ‘if he came here for sex’ he answered ‘no’ which is when the camera zoomed back out again. The camera zooms on the black hole picture, which can add tension and suspicion and more focus on the image for the audience. There is also a cut when Alice seduces John and it is cut from a close up of Alice and then John to a long shot of both of them stood in the middle of the apartment. Also there are some shots that have part of the background blurred out to allow focus on a character or object. There is both non-diegetic and diegetic sound, the diegetic sound is the traffic in the background. The non- diegetic sound is the sinister and tense music that is played when she talks about the black hole and in believing in evil also when she gets personal about his marriage this adds tension. In the dialogue the music seems to become more intense. At the beginning the clip we see that the clip is set in a busy city and is a quite built up area. In her apartment this suggests her power for working to get and afford such a place. Both characters clothing are formal Alice wears all black which suggests power and John wears a suit and tie suggesting he is high up in society. Alice has make up on red lipstick, which suggests danger, and that she may be a threat to John. Dog ashes that she places down on a table and talks about at the beginning of the clip suggests she is sentimental and does have emotion but closed emotion unlike other women who would be emotional e.g tears as this is stereotypically woman as they are seen as much weaker and more emotional then men. Both Alice and Luther remove there jacket this may suggest that something would happen later in the clip, Luther takes his jacket then Alice interprets this as did you come here for sex, she removes her jacket later on still thinking this is what John has come for but in matter of fact he wants to investigate about the gun as he thinks she is a prime suspect. Lighting is very dull and ambient this shows that it is a crime drama and makes Alice look very pale and weak. Alice gets personal and remembers that he had a ring

on his finger last time and he gets defensive and says that Alice doesn’t understand love and it makes her weak she takes this a threat and knows that John is claiming power from her and then says that she will then be hurt and angry and this links into his marriage with his wife and when she goes to touch him and he backs away. John is clever and manipulating and is one step of Alice; Alice has the power of sexuality over John. The male gaze has been represented as women should never have power over men and that men should always have the power. At the end Alice loses power and John has regained it and leaves the room.

Emily Davoile

RELEVANT EXAMPLES AND SOME RELATION TO GENDER: LEVEL 2, 22

Check grammar and general accuracy, including homophonesEnsure you stay focussed on the area of representation and consider specific effectsTry to bring in more media concepts/theory