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How does Life On Mars construct representations of gender?

In the clip of Life On Mars, the first scene is set in the criminals office. The room is dimly lit with a blue light, connoting masculinity. The criminal sits behind his desk, displaying the power he has as he is questioned. On the desk is an ashtray, symbolizing his bad attitude and rough approach. There is also a telephone on the desk, once again displaying his power as he is in charge of making the decisions, and gadgets are considered manly. There is also a fish tank in the office connoting the criminals status and wealth linked to his illegal doings. The office as a whole reflects the criminals masculinity and the power he has over others. The mise-en-scene of the roof is similarly masculine. As the action moves up to the rooftop, the characters a placed in a very harsh, rugged environment. The height at which theyre at creates a sense of danger and the angles of the buildings around are very sharp and straight cut, connoting the angular stature of a man. The dull colours such as beige and grey show masculinity and make the rooftop a generally manly environment. The camera angle used most frequently on the roof is a low angle shot. The camera is often placed on the floor to get the lowest angle possible. This makes the male characters appear bigger, stronger and taller. This creates a sense of power that exudes masculinity. The sounds used on the roof are very animalistic. During the fight scene, the males characters grunt repeatedly. This is an example of diagetic sound. However, there are also non-diagetic sounds as the characters punch and kick each other and sound effects are added to enhance the scene. Fighting is associated with men as it displays strength and power. These noises also help the scene to be more visceral for the audience as the characters build up adrenaline. This is helped with the intense backing music used during the scene that set the pace with drums and other instruments. A significant feature of editing that occurs on the roof is the use of slow motion. This makes the fight seem more dramatic and slows down the action for the audience. The whole scene is shot like an action sequence. The editing is fast paced and includes shot reverse shots. A flashback is also used during the scene to link the current action with the real life of Sam that he is experiencing problems with. An ellipsis is also used between being on the roof and coming down the stairs to keep the scene fast paced and to maintain the adrenaline built up by the fight scene that just occurred. Before Sam gets into the car, a life support machine and other hospital equipment can be heard. Much like the flashback, this links Sams coma life with his modern day life. This is the whole point of the scene as his coma life is dependent on his real life. A heartbeat can also be heard which adds to the visceral effect of the previous scene. Whistling from the radio is also audible when Sam is in the car, which further links his two lives together. The whistling creates atmosphere and causes the scene to become more intense. Whistling also connotes masculinity as it is considered a manly thing to do. Gene Hunt speaks to the operator on his radio about the location of the green car theyre in pursuit of. She is female. This connotes that women are

used on the phones whilst the men get involved in the action. The phone can be considered a gossiping device, which makes the job of operator a feminine one. Whilst Sam is in the car, the camera is at a canted angle. This allows the audience to experience the dizzy and distorted feeling that Sam is currently experiencing. The uncomfortable angles make it difficult to watch as the tension builds up within the scene. When the green car enters the scene, it is shot in slow motion. The car is also blurred. This shows speed, which connotes masculinity. Sams flashbacks also continue throughout the scene, constantly linking the man in the car with the man affecting him in real life. This editing continues the visceral effect as the car is in slow motion to create maximum impact and to draw out the scene. The sound during this scene is a continuation of the hospital noises from earlier on. There is also the sound of the car screeching which is associated with danger. The pace of the music becomes more dramatic, but the music slows down as the action slows down, once the car has stopped. As the criminal drives his car towards Sam, a series of close ups is used. These show the emotions of both characters, one of determination, the other of fear. It is shot in a stand-off style which is traditionally masculine and macho. It allows the audience to see the reaction of each character as the action unfolds. When Gene and Sam are talking back at the station, Gene makes sexist comments towards the female WPC. By saying things like grown up talk and referring to her as love and sweetheart, he patronizes her, and in doing so emphasizes his misogynistic masculinity. It also reflects the era in which the show is set and their attitudes towards gender. The mise-en-scene of the police station shows this as it is decorated with dark colours and has no natural light. It is messy and unorganized and has a very masculine atmosphere. Overall, Life On Mars constructs very stereotypical representations of gender by using mise-en-scene, diagetic and non-diagetic sound, camera angles and editing.

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