Showing posts with label Representation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Representation. Show all posts

Monday, 29 October 2012

How Is Tony Stonem Represented?



    Tony Stonem can be seen as a typical teenager when reviewing his relationships. He is close to his sister which is shown by the way he covers up the fact she has stayed out all night from their parents and he also does a very typical act of irritating his father - and enjoying it. However he is very unlike a typical teenager in the way he wakes up before his alarm as most teenagers stay in bed for as long as they can. He times every minute of his morning - from the time the woman in the house opposite him gets dressed, to how long it takes his sister to sneak back in the house - showing he feels the need to be in control of his actions, unlike typical teenagers who tend to just go along with what goes on around them.
 He is also very confident as shown by the way he openly watches the woman in the house opposite him get changed, when she notices him he doesn't react but  instead keeps watching her whereas any other teen boy would have been embarrassed and hidden from her.
  The mise-en-scene also shows a lot about Tony as a character. His room is very neat and tidy showing that he is a perfectionist who likes things in order and is unlike a teenagers bedroom in that it seems very plain and unremarkable - especially when compared to the room of his sister, Effie, whose is colourful and cluttered like the room of a typical teenage girl. The fact his room is very light and white shows that he is a very clean and pure, almost godlike which would suggest that he is a complex character that has a lot of power over other people.
 When he is in the bathroom he is reading Nausea, a philosophical novel by Jean-Paul Sartre - which is a contrast the 'Lad mags' that teenage boys typically read. His duvet cover is of a naked man and woman, which would show that he is undecided about his sexuality, which is common among most teenagers.
  Although he does share many traits with 'typical' teenagers, he does not appear to be a stereotypical representation of a teenage boy, which was most likely purposely done by the creators of the show to add depth to his character and make it more interesting for an audience to watch.

Monday, 10 September 2012

Good Cop Homework

     The character of Sav is first introduced to the audience walking through the rain late at night - which we know as there are no other people around. This intrigues the audience as to where he has been and what has caused him to stay out so late. The rain suggests that he is in an emotional state and sad or distressed about something, and the fact  he is completely alone conveys that Sav is not just physically alone, but emotionally alone. It shows that he has nobody to turn to and nobody who will understand what he is going through.
  When he enters his room he leaves a bloody hand print on his door and drops a gun on his bed. This interests viewers due to the fact they would be naturally curious about what he has done, who he has injured and why. It is assumed from the start that this is the main character and the camera is following his journey, however this would be confusing as the main character is thought to be the 'Good Cop' which conflicts with what we have seen of the character so far, as he has not necessarily been 'good' or acting within the law.
At the end of the first scene, Sav runs a bath which could symbolise that he wants to be clean and have his bad deeds 'washed away' meaning he feels guilty for what he has done and therefore portrays him to be a good man that has made a mistake - causing the audience to be sympathetic towards him.

   Eighteen hours before the first scene is set we see Sav running on the beach where he bumps into Cassie and her daughter Libby. He appears to be trying to reconnect with her as he offers to walk with her to her car yet she refuses him, indicating to the audience that the two have had a history together that didn't end well as she is very hostile towards him and protective of her daughter. When Sav asks how old Libby is, Cassie states that she 'was six last week' in a way that tells Sav he should have known that and he also asks if she is shy to which Cassie replies ''you're a stranger'' proposing the possibility that Sav is her father, which would cause the audience to feel sorry for him as he seems to want a role in Libby's life.

   When he is at a cafe with his friend and work college he notices a group of men that are dealing drugs and one of them begins to be sexually abusive towards the waitress, Amy. This man then follows her into the women's bathroom and becomes increasingly threatening towards her which grabs the viewers attention making them become protective over her as she is young and scared whereas he is intimidating and scary. Sav notices that Amy has been gone for a while and is concerned that the creepy man has harmed her so he goes to the women's bathroom where he confronts the man. This shows that Sav is a good person and tries to do what he thinks is right, gaining the viewers respect. When Sav forces the man to leave by revealing that he is a policeman, the man states "You know the next copper I see all alone? I'm havin' him" which foreshadows what may occur later on in the episode and leading to the viewer suspecting what Sav does may not be entirely out of pure evilness. This leads Sav to be seen as a victim rather than a criminal as the audience would have to question what they would do in his situation and causes conflict as to whether people are really either good or bad, or if good people can do bad things.