Social class is shown in this clip through camera, editing,
mes en sen, and sound. The stereotypes are shown of how social class is constructed.
Working class are shown as the weaker and less powerful
class, this stereotype is reinforced in the clip because the costumes vary
between classes. For example, Merlin is wearing basic and simple clothing,
almost rags, where as the upper class characters, such as the woman in the
castle, dressed in purple, a colour of wealth, and the young group of men, who
were dressed in armour. The upper class
are more elaborate and tidy looking, reinforcing the stereotype that the upper
class have more money. The working class are dressed scruffy and basic, immediately
reinforcing the stereotype of blue collar and low-wage workers, constructing
the differences between social classes.
The location shows the stereotypes of each social class, the
location reinforces the hard-working and blue-collar stereotypes of working
class. When Merlin is in the castle juxtaposition is created to challenge the
stereotypes, he is in an elaborate, upper class surrounding, out of place and doesn’t
belong in the castle, as it is not his usual environment. Also when the young
upper class men are in the market, reverse juxtaposition is shown as both
social classes are in the opposite environments of which they are stereotyped
to be located in, the upper class young men expected to be in the castle and
Merlin to be in the market. Also the working class stereotype of the blue
collar is reinforced here as there are other working class people in this
location that are working hard with tools and farming materials. Merlin is also
more relaxed in the working class environment, where as when he was in the
castle he was tense and worried when someone was to walk in reinforcing the
weak stereotype of the working class.
The props construct the differences between classes. The working
class are seen to be using tools and farming materials, such as hay stacks and
wooden carts. They placed in the location to reinforce the hard-working, blue
collar stereotypes of the working class, also showing they are well
intentioned. The young upper class men use weapons, reinforcing the stereotype
of power from the upper class. An alternative interpretation of this is that
when the two men are fighting, the upper class young man picks up a broom, stereotypically
a working class object, and takes power with this object, therefore this
challenges the stereotype that working class can gain some power.
The uses of camera shots construct the differences between
social classes. For example, there is shot reverse shot in the clip, when the
two men meet in the market, the group of young upper class men dominate over
Merlin, we see this because there is more shots reverting back to how Merlin is
standing on his own and that there is a group of the other men. Close ups of their
emotions and how each of them are reacting to one another also reinforce how Merlin
is weaker as the camera is shown the sureness of the upper class young man in
his emotions. There are also long shots
of Merlin, to construct the differences between the classes, Merlin has less
power as the long shot emphasises that he is standing alone, where as the long
shot of the upper class men show that there is more than one of them, reinforcing
the power stereotype of the upper class. There are low angle shots of the upper
class men, reinforcing the power they have. He swings a weapon over Merlin’s
head, this is a high angle shot down on Merlin, to emphasise and reinforce his
weakness in this shot. The camera is hand held when they are fighting; this
shows the loss of steadiness from Merlin, showing weakness, that he is been
dominated over by the upper class.
The sound in the clip constructs the difference between
social classes. For example, when the woman in the purple dress walks in on
Merlin she motivates the sound, as she moves closer to the door and enters the
room the sound becomes louder and more dramatic, reinforcing the stereotype of
power over Merlin. In the Market there are diagetic sounds of clinking metal
and the sound of animals, lots of people bustling around, and working hard,
reinforcing the stereotype. All of the diagetic sounds stop when the upper
class young men come into the shot, they motivate the music, reinforcing the stereotype
of power. When they confront each other, Merlin is labelled ‘dumb’, being a
stereotype of the working class it immediately reinforces it; the working class
are seen to be un-educated. The young men also say they are ‘trained to kill’
reinforcing the stereotype that the upper-class are educated, constructing the differences
between the social classes. Merlin sarcastically calls the opponent ‘my lord’ challenging
the stereotype as he is making the other man feel silly. However this still constructs
the differences between the social classes as they are known to be labelled differently,
he is addressing the social power held over him.
The lighting is bright onto the market area; this is so that
the facial expressions are more visible. When they fight it is very light when
the upper class young man has the power, however, when the shots become darker
in the barn Merlin gains control, finally, when the opponent regains control
the daylight shines back onto his face. As a result of this we see that the
light is showing power towards the upper class, reinforcing the power stereotype
and constructing the differences between the two social classes.
Editing constructs the representation of social class, for
example, when the two men are fighting the weapon crashes down onto some fruit,
this is done in slow motion so that the shot emphasises the fruit being
crushed, referring to how Merlin is weaker than the upper class young man, that
he is also being crushed, just like the fruit. This shot emphasises the
destruction that an upper class weapon can do the working class environment, reinforcing
power, constructing the differences between the social classes. Transitions are
fast showing the conflict between the classes, for example, when Merlin is in
the castle and the women in the purple dress walks in, the transitions cut
fast, to show the how the upper class motivates the transitions to create panic
by the working class. The colour grading in the shots are light, to emphasise
the working class environment in the market, a harsh daylight onto the workers,
reinforcing the stereotype of blue collar for the working class, that they are
low –wages workers as they have to work outside. The colour grading is not soft;
it is harsher in the market, to reinforce to hard-working stereotype of the
working class, they work harder, there is more exposure onto them. There are
also slower transitions of the young upper class man with his weapon to emphasise
the power he has over Merlin when he has the weapon, showing the contrast
between social classes.
