Analysis:
Gender is something that has become very prevalent in
today’s society, with the majority of people asking how they can present their
gender in either a traditional or non-traditional way. This is something that media can help us
with through its presentation of women and men in TV Dramas, which are used to
present real-life people. In the clip
from the Sherlock episode A Scandal in
Belgravia we show the power play between Irene Adler (played by Laura
Pulver) and Sherlock Holmes (played by Benedict Cumberbatch), as well as a small amount of reaction from John Watson (played by Martin Freeman). Through the use of camera, editing, sound
and mise-en-scene, all carefully constructed by Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss,
we can see how men and women are presented in different ways.
The clip begins with a long shot of the room. The entire room is white and very elegant
and feminine looking, with things looking extremely expensive which is unsurprising considering the scene is set in a nice house in modern day London. For example, the chaise by the back of the room has a many-curved back, which can bring to mind
more feminine ideas as women are often associated with curves. The table legs, which we can see are closer
to the front of shot, are also curved in a scroll-like way. The mise-en-scene that we can see in the
room could demonstrate that the owner of the house is a woman and also gives
the impression of the owner being rich due to its semi-periodic feel. Considering that the room is white, it could
be said as a reflection of the owner’s innocence. However, we would assume that the owner
picked out the items themselves and therefore could be seen as more of a shifty
character as they know that they are presenting themselves as the innocent
character. Sherlock is set out starkly
against the white sofa, as he is dressed in mostly black. This juxtaposes with the white setting,
demonstrating that he does not belong in this environment. We watch as he looks around. Since the entire shot is in deep focus, we
can see his eyes moving around but also see what he is looking at, which
presents Sherlock as a man who enjoys poking his nose into things and being
very suspicious- this is unsurprising since he is a detective. The idea of men being nosey is not one that
we stereotypically come across, and in today’s society is more associated with
females, as they are seen as suspicious people who don’t ever trust their
partners. This could be highlighting
that Sherlock is a more feminine character.
We hear a woman’s voice out-of-shot. The way she speaks makes her seem very kind
and caring- the fact that she is asking if the man has been hurt also suggests
this. We have not yet met this
character but we could assume that is a kind and caring woman, which women are
usually presented to be. We watch as
Sherlock visibly turns into the character he is pretending to be, leaning
forward and placing the tissue he has back to his face, with a worried wobbly tone to his voice. The shot cuts to a separate one- now in a mid-shot,
from the other side so we can watch as Irene comes in the door. This demonstrates how good of an actor
Sherlock is, and adds to the idea of the more stereotypically feminine traits
of sneakiness and playing pretend. The
fact that we get closer to him to watch this shows that these are the prominent
traits of his character.
Just as we see Irene come through the door, and we notice
that she is naked, we switch shot again.
It is an over-the- shoulder shot, except we can
see more or Irene’s body- her arm and back.
However, her body is not in focus.
This whole sequence goes against the traditional “male-gaze” that we
often see women through- we have not been shown any full-frontal nudity, and
she is not in focus here. We don’t
see any breasts or genitalia at all throughout any of the clip- things are
often artfully placed in front of her, such as Sherlock’s head in some shots. This could highlight that Irene presents more
masculine traits so we should look at her as more of a male character, or to
show that women do not have to be objectified.
The fact that she has chosen to be naked shows a more empowered version
of a woman, so the choice of cinematography techniques may be a reflection of
that. We also see her why she chose to
do this later, when Sherlock is unable to notice anything about her, which
would help him figure her out. We recognise that he is trying to figure her out through the freeze frame on the close up of her face, and the visual effect of question marks appearing next to her. Despite
the fact that we don’t see a close-up of Sherlock’s face, this is definitely
still a reaction shot as we watch how he reacts to Irene walking in naked. However, the reaction we see from Sherlock
seems to be more of surprise than lust, which once again adds to the idea that
this clip seems to be defying gender norms in regards to how men and women are
shown in TV Drama. We later zoom in on
him, and the use of non-diegetic music, which creates tension through it’s
disjointed sound, seems to show him in a way as more curious than lustful, as
if he is trying to figure her out. The
lens flares also highlight that Sherlock’s face is in shallow focus- we are
made to focus on Sherlock’s reaction.
The choice of dark hair, smokey make-up and red lips all
gives the impression of sensuality that usually accompanies the presentation of
women, but also contrasts with the white of the room. This implies that this is not a woman to be
trusted, and links in to the idea of sneakiness and trickery being traits,
which are associated with women, just as they are shown within Sherlock. She has an extremely sensual sounding voice, since it lowers as she talks to him, suggesting bits about his appearance and acting very sexually. This is a very stereotypical view of women being very sexual objects, except she seems to be playing it to her advantage- this is unusual as women are usually more portrayed in a sexual way than knowingly act in such a way. As she stands over him, and the low angle
shot over Sherlock’s shoulder seems to demonstrate him looking up at her, she
seems to become all the more dominant, a trait typically associated with
men. However, Sherlock seems unfazed
and due to the shots we see of him and his reactions in his replies, the two
appear to be more equal. This is also
shown through the quick shot reverse shots that happen one after the other as
we see both of their faces somewhat equally, and there seems to be some kind of
visual par-de-par going on between them.
This also happens further on, when we cut to many different panning
shots as the two look at each other, as if they are trying to figure each other
out.
The entrance of John is of particular importance here in
regards to gender, as we see the reaction of another man, to see if it fits in
with the stereotypical male reaction.
However, once again, the reaction we receive is not a stereotypical
one. John seems very much shocked and
embarrassed to find a naked woman in the room, rather than lustful. The fact that he also doesn’t want to look
at her naked body demonstrates a certain amount of respect that he is trying to
maintain between himself and Irene, despite the fact they’ve never met. However, the fact that he doesn't want to look, demonstrates a typical male response with the idea that he would like to look, he is just stopping himself. The quick editing of the shots of Irene and
Sherlock are interrupted by an insert of John replying to a question that he
wasn’t asked, which seems to add a comic relief to the otherwise dramatic mood,
as does his request for her to put something on. In this sense, John seems almost submissive
to Irene due to how uncomfortable he is- she has power over him. This once again shows a break against norms.
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