Representation of Sexuality

Representation of sexuality
The costumes worn in the clip help to show sexuality and the show the difference in the treatment by society. The women characters in the scene are seen wearing long dresses that cover there entire body with the only flesh being shown is the face and hands. This suggests that they have to be covered up in order to be respectful and even when the two female characters are in bed they are wearing night clothes that cover their entire bodies. The richer women appears to lust over the other girl shown when she hovers her hand over the characters body as she sleeps. both of the girls are wearing a plain white night dress suggesting that they are pure contrasting with how the characters facial expressions suggest that her intentions are not entirely innocent. The male character is wearing a scruffy sort of suit suggesting that he is quite smart yet also quite rogue as shown in his behaviour. The clothing helps to separate the sexuality of the characters as stereotypically (especially at this time) men would wear the trousers and women the dresses. Neither of the women seem to be wearing make up so this continues to make them seem respectful and pure.
The décor in the girls bedroom suggests that one of them is very wealthy and it contains very stereotypical objects for women such as a dressing table and mirror. The girls are trying on a dress another stereotypical activity of a female character. At this point you can see the look that the wealthier lady's look of lust as she strokes her shoulders suggestively. At one point in the clip the richer lady character can be seen reading suggesting that she also has some intelligence and has learned to read unlike other people, less fortunate people at this time. Both women are wearing there hair the same in a very simple scraped back way suggesting that at this time hair and appearance were not as important as they are now. When the richer character draws the other female character this shows how she is longing for her and drawing the person desired is often seen in films as a sign of romance and desire.

Both of the female characters have high female voices that could not be mistaken for a males which just continues to show the sexuality of the women. Both of these women are very feminine unlike the typical stereotypes that you get with lesbians. The non diegetic music playing in the beginning of the clip helps to show the time period of the clip and the wealthiness of the characters due to the music being quite classical, music stereotypically listened to by the upper classes. The wealthier characters voice is heard as a narrator allowing the audience to hear her feelings and emotions at this point although her facial expression also suggests her thoughts. The symmetric sound of the poorer girls breathing is heard quite a lot at this point of the scene which seems to be enticing to the richer character.

The clip starts of with a match on action as the girl holds the dress up to the other girl showing the continuity and reality of the clip. It then does a straight cut in to a medium close up of the women showing the action of the woman as she strokes the other characters shoulders, this allows the audience to understand how the character is lusting after the other character and will use any excuse to touch her. When the clip then changes to the main character reading the book in the library it uses a dissolve to go from one clip to the other so for a short time both clips can be seen at the same time. This makes the clip flow and seem continuos as well as suggesting that time has passed and that the character is thinking about the previous events showing that it meant something to her. Once again when the shot change to the girls in bed it dissolves again once again showing the passing of time, also shown in the change of costumes showing that it is now night time. The next transition is a dissolve again and once again shows that the character is thinking of the actions seen in the previous clip. Also in both of the scenes the same character is asleep so helps to keep continuity as the clip goes on and adds a connection to the previous clip. This shot is showing the characters facial expression at what she is looking at, there is then an eye line match as it shows the girl sleeping so it becomes clear that her facial expression is lust and she it once again lusting after the other female character. A while later the shot changes to back to the woman admiring the sleeping woman and then back again to a close up shot of her chest. The shot does not stay on that for long. It then goes back to the face and then back to the sleeping woman for a final time but this time is a close up of her lower body which it stays on for even less time. These quicker cuts show how the first woman should not be looking at this and only takes a quick glance so as not to get caught. The facial expression becomes even more obvious that it is lust and there is then a cut to the whole seen when it becomes clear that the man has realised how she is lusting after the woman.
The cuts begin to get a bit quicker as the man is whispering in the woman's ear and shows an eye line match when he looks around to see if anyone is watching him when he try's to grab her wrist. This maintains continuity in the clip as it allows the audience to see each cut in order.
The camera starts of with a slowly zooming establishing shot showing the location and establishing the characters in the scene. It then changes to medium shots showing the action of the girls holding up the dress and the facial expression of the characters, especially the lustful expression on the wealthier characters face. These shots also allow the audience to see the feminine but plain features of the characters. When the camera shows the character reading the camera is a medium shot and slowly pans past her constantly moving representing the thoughts running through this characters head.