Thursday 15 November 2012



Discuss the ways social status is represented in the extract from Merlin.

In the extract from Merlin, class and status are represented in many ways as the extract displays and differentiates between upper and lower class. Firstly, the protagonist is introduced to the audience with several wide shots whilst the camera is panning. The panning and wide shots happen when Merlin walks in and out of the castle which emphasise Merlins class and lower status as he is compared to the enormous setting; The castle and the market, conveying to the audience he does not have much importance as he looks small. Also, when Merlin is looking through private belongings in the castle his screen time is shortened as there are only close ups of the belongings which reinforce Merlins lower class and feebleness in the extract because of his lack of screen time. The sound also helps reinforce the social status of each of the characters. Firstly, when we are introduced to Merlin the sound is diagetic and is quite mysterious connoting he shouldn’t be at the castle which means he isn’t upper class enough to enter the castle. However, when the women is introduced the camera slowly zooms into her which gives her a slower introduction to her character indicating she is upper class. The low angle shot of her also denotes she is dominant as the audience are looking up to her which conveys her social status. This combined with the peaceful and soothing non diagetic sound helps emphasise her importance. Additionally, the mise-en-scene also makes it apparent to the viewer that Merlin is of low social status as he is wearing old ragged clothing iconic for working class. The colours of the costume are also symbolic of the simplicity of working and lower class. On the other hand, the prevalence suggests otherwise as he is given a large amount of screen time denoting his importance throughout the extract. Whereas, the colours of the woman’s clothing which is purple symbolises power, luxury and ambition. It indicates the woman’s wealth and extravagance signifying her high social status.

As Merlin walks out of the castle grounds, there is a sudden jump cut to the market establishing Merlin amongst his peers who are also lower class. The contrast between the current and previous setting gives the audience a more advanced insight on the separation between the two of the classes. The antagonist, Arthur is in soft focus when firstly introduced, whereas, Merlin continues to walk towards the camera establishing a close up of him revealing that although he is lower class but he is the dominant character. This allows a connection between the viewer and Merlin as they sympathise with him. The dialogue juxtaposes with the close up of Merlin as it represents Arthur as the more powerful character because his tone is  patronising towards Merlin. Furthermore, the mid shot of Arthurs fellow knights reveals to the audience that they are mocking Merlin as each of the knights have a sarcastic facial expression whilst turning to each other for approval. This and the fact they are wearing body armour conveys their relevance and significance because of their higher social status. Merlin then goes onto challenge Arthur to a fight, the close up of Merlin dropping the props which have been used such as the medieval weapon signify the danger he is in as he has never had the chance to train for a fight because of his  lower class and has been brought up with only skills for manual labour.

The use of jump cuts during the fight increase the intensity and allows the viewer to recognise that Arthur is currently winning, emphasising  how he has been brought up to fight whilst remaining courageous. The upbeat non diagetic sound also helps increase the pace and is parallel to the duel and makes the fight seem humorous as Arthur is easily winning. This reinforces the difference between upper and lower class. The scene then cuts to a point of view shot of Merlins teacher who witnesses the fight from the window. The low key lighting and the costume of the old man express his low social status to the viewer and his similarity to Merlin. The shot reverse shot reveals the teachers disappointment as we see him walk out of the room in distress connoting his fatherly role towards Merlin which convey his equal social status. It then cuts back to the fight, still portraying Merlin as weak through the use of fast pace editing of him falling over. Merlins body gestures such as raising his hands also reinforce the fact that he is losing as he is struggling to keep his body stable. The extreme close up Merlins eye, changing colour signifies Merlins use of magic towards the end of the fight and makes it evident that he is now winning. Merlin’s magic helps make him more relevant and important in society which indicates that if you have some kind of strength, upper and lower class become irrelevant. However, the mid wide angle shot reveals Arthurs guards holding Merlin, reestablishing his high social status as he has protection. The over the shoulder shot of Merlin and Arthur after the fight create slight confusion in the scene as the director has represented their social status as equal.

The scene then goes onto a shot reverse shot of Merlin and his teacher at eyeline match denoting and reinforcing their equality of social status. Whereas, the dialogue contrasts with this as the teacher is raising his voice to Merlin, creating a hostile mood and atmosphere within the scene. It also displays the teachers power over Merlin which portrays him as slightly higher in society. Additionally, the dialogue of Merlin when he says “I’m just a nobody and always will be” indicates his awareness of his low social status. There is then a close up of the teachers face displaying his sympathy for Merlin and this combined with the end shot on the teacher reinforces how he is more dominant than Merlin.

Overall, doing this essay has helped me expand my knowledge as I am frequently using the technical terms which help them be memorable. However, I did struggle with this essay as I found the extract hard to understand. I tried to focus on sound and editing they were both in my targets from my previous essay. 



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