Category: Media

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How do the camera angles represent gender and the nature of the relationships in Harley Street?

The popular TV Drama ‘Harley Street’ is a representation of how the NHS differs from a private surgery through the observation of a male doctor and his antics.

As the episode begins immediately there is a tracking mid shot of a male doctor. He is shown wearing the traditional teal green overalls and stethoscope which directly informs the audience as to who he is and his importance. The camera shows him walking down the middle of the corridor however he is interrupted by several nurses who query him about what appears to be all severe traumas. The importance and message of this shot shows that the doctor is male and juxtaposed against the idea of the female nurses in the ‘wings’ of the dominant corridor. It also implies that because they are unsure they are unskilled and have a reliance upon his presence and knowledge to succeed. The diegetic sound is of his voice giving technical instructions to a variety of people against a background of diegetic generic hospital noises. The doctor – Robert Fielding- is privileged by the camera in that this scene is one long uncut tracking shot, dollying around, keeping him in focus at all times. Also the over the shoulder shots
make the audience aware of the contrast between the male doctor and female nurses sometimes showing him fore-grounded in a low angle shot with the women in the background. As the scene changes the doctor in a two shot is filmed having a conversation while all the time moving on, laden with sexual suggestion with an attractive nurse, showing him in control both at work and in a private sense.

This is broken by the sudden entrance of a screaming woman of African race, seen in a long shot, wearing a blood stained top and followed by a scrum of young people crowding round a blood covered boy lying on a stretcher as he is rushed towards the doctor. The significance of this is to dramatise what the NHS deals with routinely against the Harley Street practices. It also shows the difference between social classes with the working class being represented to be associated with criminality, gangs and violence. This is shown in an over the shoulder wide shot to establish a context but also to emphasise the doctor’s expertise and importance as he gives orders and acts in a controlled, professional way unlike the woman and others shown in a group shot to be threatening and out of control.

Jump cuts are now used to bring the scene to a close having given us an idea of an average day in an NHS hospital. A complete change of pace is heralded by a fade to black opening on a high angle shot of a man (Fielding) lying sprawled in exhausted sleep on a bed. Close ups of his trainers and dirty scrubs are later contrasted with his smart suit, jacket and shoes in Harley Street. A long shot completes this section with a male friend opening the door and reminding him that it is time to ‘sell his soul.’

The scene moves outside to what appears to be the city of London, tracking shots follow Dr. Robert Fielding speeding in his expensive sports car. The camera then films a close up of the street name ‘ Harley Street’ which clearly shows the viewers where he is, but also this is the first moment they learn the basic storyline. The action takes us via a series of swift jump cuts to a scene of him in the shower accompanied by non-diegetic music, which increases the rush and frantic mood that he seems to be in a rush. As he pulls back the shower curtain, he is unperturbed by the presence of a woman. The over the shoulder shot shows us the first woman of authority. She is dressed in a dark, tailored suit and sharp cut hair which differentiates her from the previous NHS nurses. The relationship between these two appears to be very different as the roles have changed and she is the one in control, apparently showing his vulnerability whilst in the shower. Yet the deliberate over the shoulder shot from behind his naked back focuses our attention on her face as she too is unfazed by his nakedness. Their banter carries connotations of a sexual nature but here she is leading it.

As the storyline continues, the pair are framed in a two shot in his office, with a potential private client, Ms Gill. The camera conveys authority on each of the three characters through close ups of Dr Fielding and a wide over the shoulder shot from behind and between the female boss and Fielding talking formally to the well dressed older client who seems positioned in the middle of the pair. In a close up the authoritative woman indicates she has seen his blood stained NHS teal green overalls by making eye contact with the doctor and with a minute movement of her head implies they must not be seen. A close up of his slight smirk followed by a mid-shot of her movement to pick up and hide the offending item immediately makes us reappraise their power relationship. This also familiarises the audience of the ‘double’ life he leads.

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Ashes to Ashes episode 1

What representations of gender are constructed by the extract through the use of: Mise en scene / Editing / Use of camera / And sound             

In this extract clear contrasts are seen in the representation of males and females in the two different eras: 2007 and 1981.

This scene opens in 2007 with a hostage situation; a woman is being held by a desperate man who wishes to speak to DI Alex Drake who is first seen in her element; controlled, in charge,
dressed in masculine jacket open necked blouse and trousers, with her hair tucked behind her ears. She is a plain clothes officer who specialises in the psychological profiling of criminals. She is seen in contrast with the uniformed officers in flak jackets crouching on tops of near by buildings seen in long shots with steadicam work which add to the tension as we feel like we are there in the crowd. She has nothing in her hands and, shown in a mid shot to reduce her threat level, approaches calmly, talking reassuringly to the gunman. He, again by contrast, is shown in a midshot almost as anxious as his terrified female hostage. He is backed up against the railings of the Thames walkway waving his gun around to show his desperation and that he is effectively backed into a corner. The action and camera angles are complemented by the diegetic sounds of a helicopter and police siren and overhear the radio traffic between the SWAT team to increase the level of tension.

In a long shot we are shown him pushing his hostage away and demanding Alex approach, only to be thwarted by Molly, Alex’s 9 year old daughter who suddenly rushes through a gap in the barricade towards her mother only to be grabbed in her turn by the gunman. Here the swift jump cuts and montage of point of view and tracking shots, as we see Alex lose her cool, increase the tension. Now Alex is seen in a series of mid shots
screeching and whirling around with her arms outstretched as she seeks to protect the gunman and her daughter as she demands the snipers hold their fire; her vulnerability and weakness are exposed. She is no longer in control of the situation or her emotions. The gunman is now seen in a long shot as if to keep the police at arms length and to show his threat level. This is a man whose masculinity is threatened by women who disempowers them by using them to get what he wants.

The overall representations of gender portray males as either using violence or having the capacity (guns) to use violence to resolve their issues. Women by contrast are either directly the victim as in the case of the initial hostage and Mollie and later Alex when her own daughter has been taken or as powerful but whose power is fleeting and possibly not real as Alex loses any power which she thought she had at the start of the extract.

Section two is set in 1981 and DI Drake is thrown back in time. She comes to consciousness dressed as a prostitute. The location is a derelict urban industrial area which, coupled with her utter confusion, enhances her vulnerability. She realises her situation as the camera gives us a high angle shot of her as she catches sight of her reflection in a puddle and then pans up her body from her red shoes via black lace-topped stay ups to a skimpy low-necked red dress, fake diamond necklace and earrings and the ubiquitous fur coat! Her expression is caught on camera in a close up of her shock and horror. Too quickly for her to react she is grabbed by the criminal of the moment who by the time the police arrive has her by the throat. This man is dressed in a business suit and cravat conveying the impression of his superior social status and creating an interesting contrast with the earlier hostage taker who was unkempt, with lanky unwashed hair and an air of desperation. This man has arrogance and money on his side – a winning combination he thinks. Another close up of her face reveals her complete incomprehension. She is in a situation she has no idea how to deal with.

Enter Gene Hunt and team in a wonderfully stylised MTV style montage of tracking shots of the red Audi Quattro screaming to the rescue like the old cavalry in a cloud of dust accompanied by a 1980s rock track and diegetic tyre screeches;
very masculine entrance. In a long shot from between and behind Alex’s legs in silhouette, we see the car door open then the camera tilts down to show feet exiting the car dressed in a pair of animal skin boots with heels (very 80s!) and up to a low angle of Gene Hunt dressed in a suit with a long coat and toting a gun. (Reminiscent of the Baz Luhrmann scene where Tybalt gets out of his car at the gas station the intertextuality immediately alerts the viewer as to his power!) (or like a classic Western shot of the bad guy’s heels with very Western style music) Gene Hunt represents the law and his power and status are confirmed by the low angle mid shot. As he threatens the man holding Alex Drake by calling himself a ‘bastard’ he doesn’t want to get on the wrong side of a point of view shot shows him looking Alex down and up and drawing the logical conclusion about what she is. His two side kicks now get out of the car and, standing the far side, we see them in a mid two shot, slicked back hair, sunglasses on and holding their guns
authoritatively in both hands across the roof.

Suddenly Alex is back in an arena with which she is familiar; a hostage situation. Using shot reverse shots we see her talking to her captor in a mid two shot, with reassuring, confident, psychological jargon, he recognises the truth in what she is saying and capitulates, juxtaposed with a midshot which captures the faces of the other two officers as they turn from the scene in front of them to each other with a shrug of mutual lack of understanding and a comment ‘is it me or are the toms getting more intelligent?’

Now taking the business man into custody Carling is seen in a mid shot smashing the prisoner’s face into the side of the car in a casually violent act.

Finally Alex makes the link; she knows who is standing in front of her. A series of jump cuts to each in turn as she names them showing them in a low angle mid shot and back to her face in high angle close up reveal her growing amazement. The camera finishes with a low angle close up of Gene’s face as he appreciates his fame and a tracking dolly shot as he and we watch her slump to the ground in a faint – no doubt reinforcing all their prejudices about women! It is the men with the power and status in this era; women have their place and this isn’t it.

The two extracts from the two different time zones show very clearly that the representations of gender have changed. In 1981 men were aggressive, insensitive, sexist and arrogant gun toting thugs; whereas by 2007 the sexes are more equal though DI Alex Drake’s role is arguably a more feminine one – talking to hostage takers while the men still have the guns – at least her expertise is recognised with a senior rank.