Essay

Discuss the way in which the extract uses camera shots, editing, sound, mise-en-scene to construct representations of relationships

 

The clip we were shown had 2 main characters, man and wife, but they have a complex relationship. With trust and commitment issues.

The first scene is then in the back of a black cab, this shows that they are quite well off that they can afford to travel this way rather than a bus or walking. The woman says 'second time lucky' then there is a close up of their hands both of them are wearing wedding rings this is a clever way of making you aware they just got remarried without actually saying it. They are both wearing casual clothes, this could be refected in their relationship. She then says 'I know about Milissa' but we hear no more about Milissa so that is a scriped way of showing their complex relationship She then goes on to say that if anothing should happen to her she would want him to move on and love someone else this makes the audince want to keep watching wating to see what may happen foreshowdwing what may happen next.

 

When the cab stops the woman gets out and pays the taxi driver, the man is still unaware where they are, this shows that she was in control and that maybe she has power within the relationship. Then a ambulance pulls into the building behind her this is another clever way of saying where they are without actually stating; 'We are at the hospital'. The woman needs to go and see her consultant, he fights to come with her but she resists and says he should just wait outside. This could show that he doesnt trust her and their may be secrets within the relationship. 

 

 

Next secene she is in the doctors room, you can see the doctor is talking and she is nooding with tears streenming down her face but the director has choosen to drown out what he is saying to her with slow piano music. By this time we are still unawre if it is good or bad news and this adds more to the tention. Their is a high shot of her doctor and her sitting at the desk this may be forshadowment that someone is looking down at her or it may mean that we shouldn't be there so we are like a fly on the wall.

All the time when she is in the doctors it keeps cutting out to the man outside who is sitting in an outside coffee shop. He keeps fiddling with his wedding ring this shows he is unsure of how he is feeling about her and confused by the lack of trust within the relationship.

 

The he sees her walking, through the black iron gates she is doing her parker jacket up. She wipes her eyes then looks up at him smiling this adds yet more confusion and tention, is it going to be good news? She then shouts across the road at him this could be a metaphor that she wants to shout about her results/news.

Then without looking she steps into the road, the camera is placed over the otherside of the road a bus blocks the cameras veiw of her it is unclear what hits her but i think ity was a car going the other way alongside the bus, but there is a beep and a crash i think this was added in later the man is watching from his sitting position in the coffee shop. All sound is drowned out you can hear a heart beat hard and strong then he puts one foot in the road and the sound is back. He is frantically trying to get across the road, this leaves the audiunce on the edge of the seat. When he gets there she says a few words then dies. The camera pulls out and raises up this is conculing what was forshadowed in the doctors room, of someone up above looking down. There were white lillies scattered across the pavement from a flower stall that the women knocked over when she got hit. It is a very unforfilling ending because we never find out what was that she was in hospital for or what will happen next.