Moving Image Analysis

Moving Image Analysis

‘Life on Mars’

      The third episode of the second series called ‘Car Bomb’ contains the theme of racism and how women are treated by the dominant male characters. It begins with an urgent call about a suspicious car outside a school it is put down as a bomb, Sam Tyler, the main character, knows it wouldn’t be a bomb as being from the future he knows there were no reports of car bombs outside a school in 1973 however he is proved wrong as a heated conversation with another officer about Sam trying to impress Annie, the only female in the police force and a member of the main gang. This is the first moment we see the single women singled out from her male friends, we also see how the men react to trying to impress her Sam tries to avoid the conversation and focus only on the mysterious car in front of them, while his friend approaches the car with silence and with the tension building leaving the audience on the edge of their seats,. The car explodes making him be swept off his feet this emphasises the size of the explosion as the camera can only see half of the car however this shows the distance the officer is to his partners, as his friends run to his aid editing has been done to the movement of the characters making them run in slow motion this adds to the shock to the unexpected event.

      The women officer Annie acts and also represents the mother figure to all the male officers she cares for all her friends and also has a strong independent image this is her going against the stereotype that women are too sensitive to be police officers. We first see this caring personality as Annie collects money from her fellow colleges to give to the injured officer in hospital everyone contributes to the fund she is the only character to use polite manners in the episode this can symbolise the good cop in every police force. Annie is the only women in the room amongst all the men showing how it is unusual for women to be a police officer in those times.

      As the main character Sam looks at all the evidence he plans to visit the accused workers officer to find more clues about the next suspected bomb attack. Sam asks Annie to join him, this suggests the close bond between them, even when all the male officers abandoned Sam he knows Annie wouldn’t as she supports and cares for everyone however we see how she is caught in the middle of her friends and colleges, at 37:52 Annie is told to remain with the other officers and not to go with Sam as she decides who to follow one of the officers speaks in a low tone “your coming with us” this shows how Annie is controlled by the dominant men as she follows them silence falls as Sam is left alone.  The tone of voice makes Annie sound like an object, Annie wears a brown coat in the scene the plane colour symbolises natural beauty and the neutral party.

Although Annie was instructed to go with the other officers she still helps and appears in the suspects work office surprising Sam, Sam explains his findings to her showing the trust he has for her, Annie is still wearing her brown coat which was the main colour and fashion at the time also adding to the time period.

      Sam tells Gene Hunt (Sam’s boss) his hypothesis in front of all his colleges this is done in a long shot making everyone in the room focus on Sam, also to show Sam is wise as he is from the future this is something Sam and the audience know making everyone else look from a different planet this relates to the title ‘Life on Mars’ the name of the show also has the recurring theme of loneliness Sam hearing his heart monitor and doctors talking about his condition.

When Gene Hunt agrees to Sam’s theory the receptionist enters telling them the location, she asks “are you psychic?” This relates to the fact Sam is from the future and they don’t know it is key information that only the audience and Sam know. This is the second women working in the police department although she follows the stereotype that women are receptionists or should work at home or in a basic office. Annie goes against this.

      48:18 is the climax we have seen the crime been solved and now the suspect now being apprehended. The criminal holds a loaded gun to one of the officers head, the camera is angled in a behind the shoulder shot this is done to show the audience what the criminal is thinking and seeing the position of the police officers, Gene Hunt in front, Sam on the right holding a gun pointing at the criminal and the voice of reason from Annie on the left but slightly behind the two main officers this represents the men are more tough and protect the damsel (Annie) also the voice of reason is always at the back of a person’s head. The positioning of Sam and Annie represent good and bad Sam (bad) holding the gun like criminal is the violent side of the brain and Annie (good) the voice of reason she is not armed and Gene in the middle represents the criminal deciding between the two. No sound the background music stops so we can hear Annie and Sam give a speech on why the criminal should put the gun down, Annie still wearing her brown coat showing she is neutral. The criminal surrenders and relinquishes the gun into Sam’s hand.

      The police officers relax in the pub another iconic symbol of the show, the camera pans around the room and with a tableaux shot the whole police team claps praising the work from Sam, Sam is welcomed back into the group. In the pub there is only the sound of drinks and everyone talking, this creates a real image of police life and the end to a hard day. Through the laughter and jokes one of the officers makes a joke towards San and Annie, the receptionist hits him to correct his behaviour this shows the women are there to remind and be the ones with manners.

We see how Annie keeps everyone together with the convocation with Sam he said he will buy her a chocolate bar to thank her for helping him and being there for him, chocolate is usually used to represent love and passion this could hint the love Sam has for Annie.

British Film Industry Documentary

What Is Wrong With The British Film Industry

What Is Wrong With The British Film Industry?

By Stephanie Rallison

     There are a number of problems with the British film industry as there have been a number of films made with a low budget, the equipment used can be faulty or is low quality so the completed film does not create enough detail to the features of the set and characters. The most successful films in the British film industry are “Billy Elliot”, “Kings Speech” and “Slumdog Millionaire”. From the number of films that have been made most have been unsuccessful, there have been ideas about showing independent films to a small crowd of people before releasing to the public, as this will allow the audience to have a say about the film and allow the directors to get feedback about their work. However not one individual should have the right to shoes whether a film is good or bad as everyone is different and have their own opinions.

     Another problem with the British film industry is the people who are given the opportunity to make a film, it is said that most film makers focus more on the bank balance of the film and not the dream that most people would love to do in life, making a film. Some film makers don’t put all of their heart into a film this makes the final print less of an impact on the audience. Films are meant to connect with the audience and inspire them to achieve and on some occasions a plot to a movie can relate to someone’s own life and provide guidance and help.

     British films aren’t always advertised well it does not get enough attention from the public, this adds to the reason why British films are made with a low budget and not supplied with a reasonable amount of money to be put towards their development. Most films in the UK are from Hollywood as the development of the films is well planned and every scene contains many camera angles and careful consideration to how it will look on the big screen. For these reasons, Hollywood films are more successful and this is also why they are placed in the UK’s cinemas. The genre of the films is another problem as they are repetitive; the most common films are related to teenager gangsters, this then breaks down into teenage pregnancy, drugs or unemployment the same genre used in most movies all with the same results and the same kind of ending. This could be the British film industry’s way of connecting with the younger generation, also a change in time to young people’s social life.

     In conclusion the British film industry has changed over the film years and there have been many problems with this change. Audiences would prefer to see a film produced in Hollywood than in Britain as it is the same genre also not enough money is used in the budget of making the film resulting in limited resources and low quality equipment this effects the production of the film making the final print less appealing to watch in theatres.

Peak Practise Analysis

Peak Practise

By Stephanie Rallison

     From the clip from Peak Practise there is a theme of gender, the main character Dr Glover, a female doctor, helps a drug addicted man who is in prison. The female character goes against the stereotype about female doctors however  the vulnerable side of a female is shown clearly as the patient in prison shoves Dr Glover  to the ground, with the male guards rushing in to control the prisoner we see a fragile moment of Dr Glover, her facial expression shows fear and shock. The camera is slightly above her so we can see how small the doctor is at this moment.  Throughout the scene in the prison there is no sound being played in the background, only the sound of the keys being used by the guard, this represents loneliness of being locked away, being hidden from everyone else. The uniform being worn by the prisoner is the same as everyone else’s showing no individuality and blue to represent grief. He grieves for his friend who died and the fact he wasn’t allowed to pay his respect at the funeral makes him believe it was his fault for the death. The prisoner begs Dr Glover “please make it go away” this is emotive language allowing the audience to connect with this character and to make the audience think about is it his fault, the death of his friend and his addiction to the drug his body is so used to. The quote can also refer to the prisoners pain of losing his best friend and his addiction also it can suggest the prisoner believes everything can be taken away by medication the pain can disappear if he has a form of drug.

      In the opening scene the camera slowly zooms in on Dr Glover and her partner Jack this symbolises the growth of their relationship.  We see Dr Glover with her husband Jack, he stands over her as he talks suggesting his level of authority in the relationship. Even when Jack shows his care for Dr Glover he stands behind her but still above her, with his arms around her also symbolising his power over her and his authority in the relationship. There is no background music during the clip this could be for the audience to hear what is happening, how the characters are feeling clearly and to hear what the characters are hearing. The only sounds we hear are actions in the background and in the scene, the keys being used to open the cell door and the knock on the office door which interrupts Dr Glover’s time with her husband. We don’t know much about Jack or his role in the clip, all we can tell is the fact he is married to the main character.

      Dr Glover is the only women in the whole clip compared to the many male characters in the camera shot, this can symbolise a women struggling in a male society and how she has to prove she deserves to be a respected doctor and this can explain why she went to the prison to treat the drug addicted patient even though she would known the risks. Dr Glover is knocked down physically and mentally in the last scene showing the true face of an innocent victim, a fragile women and a women trying to earn the same rights and respect as a man, the guards had to drag the prisoner back to his cell while Dr Glover sat in shock at what had happened, this gives the argument on what a man would of done in that situation, would he of fought back, defended himself or got back up straight away. The fact that Dr Glover done none of these actions shows the reality she is a women and she was able to go down so easily that it frightens her.

     In conclusion this clip was interesting however not much editing had been done in the making of it leaving the clip uneventful, in my own opinion I believe this show was not very appealing to the audience compared to the drama shows we have now. The clip only suggests the theme but doesn’t enforce it unlike most dramas today however the clip does leave the audience wanting to watch more and to find out how3 Dr Glover develops from this shocking experience bringing her back to reality of the argument of women vs. men.