Class and status -representation

Class and status is being represented as a stressful lifestyle for the two families we are being shown. Both couples in the clip seem to be trying to have a comfortable lifestyle for the family however it's evident that money is the reason for some of their arguements.

At the begining of the clip we are shown a darkly lit terrace house displaying industrial/urban location in which the family live.Which could suggest that money is tight and the family can't afford to have the lights on during the day.  Fast camera cuts, whilst the digetic dialougue between the two parents arguing and using bad language is heard. Creating an uneasy atmosphere from the start. An over the shoulder shot is used during the arguement to illustrate the young girls point of view. The girl seems to be shocked at her parents arguing, yet when the camera alternates to her brother's reaction they seem calm and the arguing of their parents is normal.

Whilst the parents are arguing, asychronus sound of the childrens TV programme can be heard. This may have be aimed to drown out the sounds of the parents arguing. The husband of the stereotypical 'housewife' can be seen in a mid-shot wearing a white vest. This represents his casual style and could conotate his working class status.

As the clip progresses a long shot of the husband carrying out a manual job in a heavily industrialised area. The synchronus digetic sound and jumpshots of him hammering could conotate his previous fustrations with his wife because the scene then changes to his wife alone in the kitchen and the hammering can still be heard for a short time afterwards.

The house is quiet, and continuety editing is used through longer camera cuts, creating a more relaxing and realistic scene. As the woman bites into her sandwhich the digetic sound of her chewing can be heard and shortly after the sound of water. The woman could be eating on her own as a way of comforting herself from the stressful household.  The pace of the scene dramatically increases as the digetic sound of water rushes into the kitchen along with the woman screaming. The camera shot vary from a high angles shot, showing the woman scrambling on the floor, to a over the shoulder and close-up of the characters face.

The audience is shown a contrasting character compared to the womans husband. This man is dressed in a suit carrying a briefcase, we are also shown his car in a long shot. Suggesting that he has a higher job title compared to the womans husband. Once the leaking tap has been fixed the neighbour (smartly dressed man) share a kiss. It seem that this isn't the first time that the two characters have been intimate. Suggesting a possible stereotype for working class-lower class citizens. Non digetic synchronous sounds of a mysterious piano is played in the scene, this connotes the bad that is taking place in the scene and the music helps to make the audience aware of this.

Later in the clip a close up of the mans face also shows the daughter in the foreground, similarly to the mother on her own in the kitchen. The camera then cuts to the street where the audience is shown a long shot of the industrial area. We can also see a neighbour and people walking along the street who are dressed similarly to the characters being represented in the clip.

The clip speeds up again as the smartly dressed man enters his busy household. A typical working class housewife is being represented looking after the children and arguing with daughter. Which is similar to the other family. As soon as the man leaves the house the scene has slowed down again. The changing pace of the scene has an effect on the audience's ideas about the working class families being represented.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pJhL-A8XyE&feature=player_embedded#!