Analysis of Primeval

How is gender represented through camera, sound, mise en scene and editing in the clip from Primeval?

Our group focused on the Non verbal language of the film. We looked at the characters costume, gestures and body language to give us an idea about their personality.

In the beginning frame we see a mans hand on a womans back, this shows the audience that the man is in control and has authority over her. However, it could also show that he is comforting her as when people are upset the other person tends to rub their back to show they care. On the other hand, it could suggest that he is leading her to somewhere. The gesture implies they have a relationship with one another because of this physical contact.

Another woman is then introduced, she has blonde short hair and is driving a tractor. The fact she is driving a tractor communicates to the audience that she is unfeminine as this is normally seen as a mans job. She uses this machinery to help the man (from the beginning) from being attacked by a cheetah. The woman tries to distract the animal and scare it off by driving towards it. This communicates that she is a hero's helper.

A third frame was of a man low on the ground, placing a piece of meat in to the bushes/grass. He placed it carefully and delicately which is unusual for a man to do. The fact that he is putting it there in such a gentle way could show that he is doing it secretly as if he has something to hide. However, it could imply that he is a bit feminine and has a soft touch.

We then see the blonde woman again from the beginning walking with three men. From this we can see that she is wearing a black leather jacket, which looks like a biker jacket. This communicates that she is butch and comes across as a tom boy. The fact that she is with a group of men and is the only girl also suggests that she is a tom boy.

The gender roles then swop, this is seen through props, body language and costume. In the beginning the blonde woman was a hero's helper, but as the film goes on the man from the beginning becomes the hero. A smartly dressed woman gets captured by a rough looking fat man. Her cream jacket is very sophisticated and looks expensive, this implies that she is upper class and wealthy. The woman is dressed very different to the other characters, this shows she is feminine and cares about her appearance. The man who captured her grabs her arm and throws her to the ground with force. This connotes that he has control and has power over her. At this part of the film we get an idea that he is the antagonist as he is acting like a bully using his aggression to hurt a woman. The man is also holding a gun towards the woman, this suggests he is violent.

The camera is mostly focused on the man from the beginning. It follows him and his every move.This suggests that he is the protagonist aswell as the hero. The man is a stereotypical looking hero as he has a strong, masculine physique.