Finger Smith: Sexuality
From the clip we witness a women
struggling to understand and control her passionate feelings for another women.
Set in thr early Victorian time period of which condemned these thoughts, the
desire for two women or two men to have a relationship was looked down upon.
In the opening scene we see the two women
together one of which complimenting a dress as the second female character
holds the dress up, a voice over begins this shows who is the main character in
the clip, each scene fades in the transition from one to the other almost as a fantasy/
dream. As the main female character lies next to the second female of which she
has feelings for she moves her hand carefully over the perimeter of her body,
during the voice over she says “full of meaning” from this we can assume she is
beginning to understand her emotions towards the second women. As her hand moves it trembles this shows a variety
of feelings at the particular moment fear, lust and temptation she wants to be
with this person but she is prevented. Through these scenes the main female
character (the voice over) has worn white gloves on both of her hands these
could relate to purity and innocents, also relating towards her social class.
The camera focuses on the movement of the
main females breathing emphasising her emotions growing from every moment with
the second female. Quiet sounds such as red paint falling onto her dress is
increased showing her fixation on the second women; who is asleep next to a
boat, puts herself in her own world away from the cruel reality of life. The
splattered paint on her dress represents love, fertility or a sign of
approaching danger. In this outside scene the main female continues to wear
white emphasising her purity and innocents, string instruments are used in the
background relating to the time period.
We are introduced to a third character in
the clip representing the reality of life he manipulates the main female
character as he realises she has feelings for the second female character. He
stares intensely at the main female painting as he approaches and tries to make
physical contact with her she flinches showing signs of fear, he explains he
will be leaving, their time together almost to an end the main female continues
to focus on her painting unresponsive to his frustration.
Non digetic music builds as the main
female character stares at the second female still in position for the
painting, she tells the male character to wake her so she does not burn in the
sun but he refuses showing a dominant male figure, the theme of sexuality is
clearly shown as the man is a dominant position in the gender ratio.
The male character begins to understand
she has feelings for the second female he approaches the main female again, she
removes her white apron and begins to move towards her friend but is soon prevented by the male character quickly
grabbing her by the waist and covering her mouth, this shows an aggressive side
to the man. The diegetic music is stopped as the man has her pinned against a
tree.
As he speaks about their plan (love)
needing to appear realistic the man uses words to attack her, almost raping her
as she is prevented from moving or responding he threatens her “she’d laugh in
your face if she knew” shows he she has feelings towards another women and he
twists the emotion and uses almost like a knife to punish her. She agrees to
marry him this is due to this attack on her emotions, he leans towards her for
a kiss but she flinches this shows she
does not agree with the common sexual partnership. He removes her glove taking
away her innocents
Overall I
believe this clip strongly represents the sexual desires towards the opposite
sex. With the use of slow fades and transitions to emphasise her emotions which
the audience are able to see.
