The director uses the mise-en-scene and characters costumes

to give the viewer an idea of setting. The cultural code of the

hi-vis jacket teamed with a hard hat indicates that the extract
begins in a construction site setting. This is a stereotypically
male oriented environment, and all of the characters in this
scene are men. This type of occupation is usually associated
with stereotypically masculine men who meet the gender
stereotype of men being physically and emotionally strong.
The two protagonists, (who are seemingly both homosexual
males) seem to meet traditional male gender stereotypes at
the start of the extract, hence challenging the stereotypical
representation of homosexual men as weak and effeminate.
The extract cuts to another interior scene in the nightclub. A
soundbridge of dance music is used between the scenes to
demonstrate the contrasting environments. A high angle,
medium close up shot captures the moving body of a near
naked male dancer in the nightclub. The camera peds down,
capturing the contours of the mans body and revealing to the
audience that he is not fully clothed. This places the audiences
in the position of voyeur and the director has used the concept
of the male gaze to encourage the audiences objectification of
the male. A stereotypical representation of homosexual
characters is that they are preoccupied with sex, and this shot
has connotations of sex and sexual activity, therefore linking
the two protagonists to this sort of representation.
Some fairly fast-paced editing captures shots of same sex
couples kissing or dancing in the night club in order for the
audience to understand that it is a gay club where sexual
activity is common, again perpetuating the stereotypical idea
that sex is something that defines gay characters.
There is a close up shot of one of the male protagonists face as
he calls Charlie over to the bar. There is then a matched cut at
eye level and a reaction shot of Charlies face moving through
the crowd. This shot captures Charlies confused and
bewildered expression and he seems shocked and shy. This
could arguably meet stereotypes of gay men as Charlie seems
passive here: a quality usually attributed to women. Therefore

Charlies reaction to his environment is a stereotypical

representation of homosexual males.
There is a shot reverse shot between Charlie and the male
dancer. A point of view shot captures Charlies view of the
male dancer. It is a low angle shot that peds up the dancers
body, therefore sexually objectifying the male from the
perspective of Charlie. Again, sex seems to be at the forefront
of the characters mind, meeting stereotypical representations
of gay male characters: the fact that he is gay is being used as
a plot device it is a defining feature of the character and
arguably therefore a two dimensional representation of
homosexuals.
The extract cuts to another scene within the club to show the
passing of time. There is a crab shot of the bar at a cantered
angle, possibly hinting at the hedonistic environment,
suggesting that the characters have relaxed a little as time has
passed. Additionally, the sound of the dance music is at a high
volume further emphasising the relaxed and party atmosphere
in the nightclub. There is a slow motion zoom in shot of Charlie
dancing which captures his happy, confused and drunken
expression demonstrating that he is more relaxed and more
accepting of the sexual atmosphere in the club.
The extract cuts to another interior scene inside the nightclub
toilets. The dance music can still be heard loudly. The mise en
scene in the toilet scene is dark the lighting is dim and the
dcor of the toilets is black possibly a symbolic code to
foreshadow the negative experience Charlie is going to have in
this scene.
When the character is assaulted in the toilets, the non-diegetic
sound of the music suddenly stops to shock the viewer and
emphasise the sudden nature of the physical assault. There is
a close up shot of Charlies head being banged against the wall
and the action code of his head being injured demonstrates
that he is vulnerable. This meets stereotypical representations
of homosexual male characters as Charlie is in a physically
weak position here something that is considered to be a
female quality. He is also passive in the situation, again

highlighting his femininity. This shot and the blood could make
the audience feel pity for the character. The production team
have hence used Charlie to evoke empathy in the audience
another stereotypical 2 dimensional representation of
homosexual males.
Whilst he is being assaulted, the camera match cuts from
Charlies eyes to the assailants mouth clearly highlighting the
negative effect that the criminals verbal abuse is having on
Charlie. The fact that the assailants identity is not revealed is
an enigma code, hence making the perpetrator seem like a
mysterious generalised voice of homophobia. The extreme
close up of Charlies eyes during the scene clearly show the
distress he is in, again meeting stereotypical depictions of
homosexual males as vulnerable and emotionally weak.
The extract cuts to a slow motion tracking shot of Charlie
walking out of the toilets, highlighting his pained expression
and the injuries he has sustained. This makes the audience feel
sorry for the character meeting the stereotypical
representations of gay male characters.
Overall, the extract does not really challenge stereotypes of
homosexual characters as their sexuality is used as a plot
device and Charlie is portrayed as physically weak, passive and
the audience is encouraged to feel sorry for him at points in the
extract.