Thursday, 8 December 2016

The first scene begins with a pan shot across a group of young children. The children are shown in the extract covered in mud,looking hungry and sad this relates to the common stereotypes of the working/underclass. The adults in the scene are shown dressed in expensive clothing showing the divide between classes. Diagetic sounds of coughing and sniffing are constantly heard throughout the first scene and the entire extract, this connotes the abysmal conditions that are being forced upon the impoverished underclass children. It also shows the poor health and hygiene stereotype commonly paired with the underclass. Shot-Reverse-Shot is used in the confrontation between the boy and MR Bumble the balance of power obviously opposes the young boy as the shot from Bumble's perspective has the boy shown on a low angle and with Bumble dominating the shots blocking. This combined with the subdued low key lighting creates a hostile atmosphere and raises tension for the scene's climax. The second scene begins with a wide angle tracking shot that connotes to the audience the power classes have over each other. The director has used this tracking shot to show the middle class authority over the underclass. Mr Bumble is holding a cane which he uses to hit the the ground with as he walks, this positions the audience into believing his state of authority and has been used to show the divide between the lavish dress and ornament of his cane in contrast to the dirty rags worn by the underclass workers. "God sees thou" is revealed on the wall behind Mr Bumble through a birds eye view crane shot into a longshot. This reinforces the common stereotype of the poor and uneducated being devout christians a motif that remains throughout the entirety of the extract. The use of non-diagetic sound in this scene also enforces the religious motif as church bells can be heard in the background. The director may have used this to portray the historical exploitation of the poor through religion. The ambient silence in the end of this scene portrays the lack of power the poor have.It also references classical victorian beliefs of children being "Seen not heard"

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