Composition and Framing

Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of AGE using the following: 

• camera shots, angle, movement and composition & editing
• sound
• mise-en-scène.

The clip begins with a wide shot of two men walking into the surroundings. These two men, and the people surrounding them, are shown to be elderly or middle-aged by the old farmhouse, traditional farmland and very old-style handy work being done. This is because this kind of environment is not generally associated with a younger generation, so most people that live or work here will not be young.  Also, a lot of the older people tend to be in typical clothes worn for outside labour such as farming e.g. boots and caps, which are seen to represent the elderly.

     In the next scene, we are introduced to the 16 year old, Amy, who appears to be very young from the very start. The quick cut from the previous scene shows the contrast in ages due to their activities, clothes and body language - whilst the younger man is still doing work, it is not as hard labour as the scene before, and Amy is doing no work with very relaxed body language as opposed to the hustle and bustle of the hard working men in the scene before. Her clothes are very modern and bright with a yellow top that stands out from her surroundings. These bright colours are representing her youth that is standing out against the older crowd that is living and working in this area. Her makeup and jewellery are also typical of a young person in a time that this was made. As she walks out of the house, we see another man who appears to be in his 20’s - this is not only because of his facial features, but because of how he is asked to do something by the middle aged man and because of how he is dressed. His clothes are more casual and relaxed than the rest of the men in the film but not bright and modern, suggesting that he is young but perhaps not a teenager. We see the contrast between the teenager and this man when there is an over-the-shoulder shot which emphasises their relationship and the difference in their behaviour and clothing. Their relationship appears to be somewhat romantic which comes into play later when the man is surprised to find out that she is still in school - this once again shows us that he is no longer a teenager.

     Next, the middle-aged man asks Amy to drive somewhere and she agrees despite the fact that she is lying about her ability to drive. We hear non-diagetic sound here, which sounds cunning and scheming - these are qualities often associated with youth and so this may be a hint towards her age once again.

     When she gets into the car, the slow pan along with the music shows Amy’s nerves and confusion in order to tell the audience that she doesn’t know how to drive which is another sign that she is very young. 

     In the next scene, we see her headmaster get out of his car wearing a very classy and old style suit. This costume makes him appear a lot older than any of the characters we’ve seen so far and so represents that he is elderly. As he begins to talk, we can hear that he is very well-spoken and articulated, in contrast to both Amy and the middle-aged man who speak at a normal level - this makes him once again appear quite a lot older. Added to this, the older man appears to have an older accent. It is very posh and he is well spoke, which would be uncommon in a Middle Aged or younger person and in turn, shows that he is elderly.

     In this scene, the camera pans from the middle aged man down to Amy. It goes in a downwards movement, which shows that she is smaller and this makes her appear weaker and therefore younger to the audience. At this point she is also being comforted by the middle-aged lady, almost like a mother and daughter, and so both of their ages are emphasised- Amy seems very young and vulnerable, whilst the woman seems strong and very protective of her like a mother, henceforth being in her 30's or 40's.

     As the middle-aged man and the headmaster enter the house for drinks, we see a wide shot of them. This emphasises both of their ages as we see a contrast in their clothing, facial features and body language. The room that they are in is very dimly lit and sophisticated, which assures the audience that the owner of this house, which appears to be the middle aged man, is not young. The dim lighting, paired with the disappearance of music, makes the scene more dark and serious, which would not be the case if the two people in conversation were a lot younger. As well as this, the man offers the headmaster a drink of brandy which is a very old, sophisticated and expensive drink that would rarely be seen being drank by a younger person.

     As Amy and the middle aged man are talking, high angles and low angles are used. A low angle is used when looking at the man, which makes him appear more dominant and father-like, hence older, in regards to Amy who we see a high angle of - this makes her seem a lot weaker and almost childlike, to emphasise her youth. Here, there is also an eye line match between the two characters, so that we can see their view of each other. This further reinforces the idea of a father-daughter relationship as Amy's view of the man is from a low angle, making her seem and feel younger and more child like.

     When the man says "damn right" and tells Amy to go and pack "right now", his sharp and firm dialogue seems very harsh and serious, which also represents that he is a strong character - this is often not associated with the elderly, and so we can assume that he is middle aged. Also in this scene, Amy screams "I hate you!". These temper tantrums and harsh words are typical of teenagers in both real life and film, and so we can see here that she is not an adult but simply a teenager.

     When we see the mid shot of both the women, it is clear that there is a difference in age. Once again, the middle aged character appears stronger and more confident as she has her arms open and is speaking despite the argument at hand, whilst the elderly woman has her hands crossed and appears very meek and afraid of what is happening, showing that once again, the elderly are often portrayed as weaker characters.

     In this scene, there is also a cutaway shot of the older woman as the conversation between Amy and the man goes on. Here, we can see that she is elderly due to her costume which includes an older woman's jacket and a broach. Her quietness and lack of input into the argument may also be due to the fact that, in film, elderly women are often portrayed as having little power or will and being quite weak.

     The next scene opens with a long shot of old countryside. This shows that most people in the next scene will be older as these traditional outdoors are not a typical setting for teenagers and younger people. They are doing a lot of manual labour, which is also associated with an older generation. As the people are working, there is incidental music of an upbeat traditional style. Like the work they are doing, the traditional aspect is strongly associated with older generations who are maintaining their culture.

     The sudden cut between this scene and the scene in Amy's room shows the contrast in both the visuals and the audio. The upbeat traditional music suddenly changes into slower sad music. This shows the different reactions to the argument between Amy and the man - the man is still upbeat and at work, whilst Amy is very down and upset in her room, which is typical for a teenager. Her reaction may also be seen as immature which emphasises her youth, and stands in contrast to the man's reaction, which is mature and sensible - this shows that he is older and wiser than Amy. Amy’s room is very brightly lit and colourful in stark contrast to the darker setting in the house. Like her clothing, these bright colours, teddies and colourful cards show that she is still a teenager, young and full of life. We see a mid shot of her in the mirror surrounded by photos and memories of her life, which zooms into a close up shot of a photograph that shows Amy having fun with her friends at what seems to be a party. This framing shows Amy in her real element, who she really is and what she does in her spare time which is being with friends and having fun. Her surroundings, including the lights and the photos, truly show that she is a young teenager.

     After Amy leaves, there is slower music. This may emphasise how her fast and youthful pace is gone and shows how the only characters at this point in the film are middle-aged and elderly. This music is no longer incidental, so it seems obvious that she is gone.

     At the end of the clip, there are close ups of the older woman and the middle aged man. These close ups, coupled with their concerned tone, intensifies their emotions, particularly their fear and concern for Amy. This in turn, shows that they have taken on the role of Amy's parents and henceforth shows that they are older than her - specifically being Middle Aged and elderly.