In the extract from the episode of Merlin class is
represented through the various aspects of the mise en scene, camerawork, sound
and editing. In this scene we see the protagonist Merlin sneak into a woman’s
bedroom to find something. He is caught in the act though by the woman and
leaves promptly. He is then seen walking through the streets of Camelot when he
comes into contact with Arthur, the prince and future king. He teases Merlin
and provokes him, which leads to a fray between the two. During this we
discover that Merlin has magical powers which he uses to his advantage and
almost wins. However he is distracted by his fried Giaus and is defeated.
Finally the scene ends with Merlin being scalded by Giaus for using magic in
public and Merlin becomes upset, feeling worthless and unimportant.
In the opening shot the mise en scene instantly tells the
audience a lot about Merlin and his status in class. We can see a long shot of
a large landing that contains stained glass windows and grand arches,
immediately giving the impression that this building is a castle or similar
place of importance. The clothing however that is worn by Merlin and another
person that walks past him (who appears to be carrying a candle stand) does not
match up with their surroundings; they are wearing rags, and the colours are
dull. This suggests that they are both servants or that they do not belong in
the castle, as the clothing usually worn by residents are vibrant and made of
high quality material. This is emphasised when the scene cuts to the next
sequence of shots that show Merlin looking around the room. Whilst the
furnishings are luxurious and plentiful, he just doesn’t fit in with the
clothes that he wears (which can now be seen more clearly). Another way in
which class is represented in this scene is when the woman discovers Merlin and
asks him what he is doing in her bedroom. She looks down on him through her
cold expression whilst he stands there, uncomfortably shuffling and flicking
his eyes around the room. This shows that she is intimidating to him as she is
of a higher class, conforming to the stereotypical view of the higher classes.
Namely, that the power they possess is generally respected by the lower
classes, and thus is normally exploited by them to command others. In a similar
way to this, the next scene in which Merlin walks through the streets of
Camelot shows how class is a defining characteristic of how people act towards
others and the manner in which they behave. Many peasants can be seen hard at
work, selling products from their market stalls, sweeping the street and
chopping wood for fires. You can tell they are of a lower class though when you
compare them to the knights that can be seen walking through the street. Their
clothing entails armour, a weapon and a large cape embellished with a yellow
dragon. This has a prestigious feel when you see it next to the brown leather
of the common peasants or the beige rags of the beggars. Also, the expressions
on their faces vary. The peasants look generally unhappy and tired, whereas the
knights look proud and walk with their heads held high. When Merlin challenges
Arthur to a fight we can see more of the surroundings as they move through the
streets and into the market. The area looks generally dirty and worn out, emphasising
the fact that this is a very poor district. Arthur, as prince and therefore
carrying a lot of political power, doesn’t care much for this though, as he
shamelessly smashes into stalls, wrecking the livelihoods of those they belong
to without hesitation. Merlin however tries to be more careful and dodges
obstacles as best he can. This conveys another stereotype about upper class
people in that they do not care much for those around them, but only for what
they want. They are therefore often irresponsible and, as they have more money
than sense, do not worry about the cost of breaking things as it will not
impact much on their lives.
Camerawork in the extract is also crucial in representing the
class of the characters in the scenes. The first shot, which is a long shot,
pans across the scene from a fixed point to follow Merlin as he enters the
bedroom. The way in which this is set up gives the impression that it is being
taken from the point of view of a person. They might be watching Merlin from
afar as they could be suspicious of him due to his ‘misplaced’ appearance or
the fact that he doesn’t belong in the castle as he is a peasant. When Merlin
first looks in the room the shot cuts to another panning movement where the
camera shows the contents of the room. A vignette filter is used to darken the
corners of the shot slightly to add realism and ‘gloom’ to the shot, making the
audience suspicious of Merlin and what his intentions are. This seems to be
made clear though when we are shown a close-up of him placing a pot of yellow
liquid on the desk. This shot is composed so that the pot is in the centre of
the scene, making you focus on it. Also it is set up so that you can see Merlin
place it on the table. This represents class in the fact that it gives context
to the scene; it looks as if he has been sent to deliver this jar to the woman,
meaning that, as he is being ordered to do this, we can see he is of a lower
class as there are others who have power over him. As the scene continues the
shots are generally taken at close range so that the audience can easily see
what he is up to. There is also an over-the-shoulder shot of him when he looks
back to check if no-one is there. This odd behaviour that has been shown
indicates that Merlin is obviously up to no good, which links to the idea that
in society today, stereotypically, working class people are more likely to
commit crimes than those of higher classes, such as theft and vandalism due to
the fact that they cannot afford as much as those of greater status. What Merlin is up to is not made clear;
however it is unusual all the same. Later when he is walking through the
streets there is a long take filmed from a mid-distance with an even focus.
This is done to allow the audience to take in the action around Merlin,
ensuring that they notice the fact it is a poorer area of the kingdom. It is
the fight scene however that is the most significant in representing the class
of the characters. The scene was filmed with handheld cameras which give the
shots a sense of realism. Taking into account the mise en scene (there is a
large crowd of spectators behind Arthur and Merlin) the shot appears to have
been composed as if it was the point of view of one of the spectators; the
camera follows the characters intently and weaves between them as they battle
it out.
Throughout the extract the use of sound varies to suit the
composition of the scene. When Merlin is in the castle an eerie soundtrack can
be heard, adding atmosphere to the scene. This naturally makes the audience
feel uneasy, making them curious about what is going to happen next. When the
camera cuts from Merlin to the woman walking down the hallway though the track
shifts slightly and a choir can be heard. This represents class as it makes the
woman seem as if she is an important figure. Perhaps she is of royal status, as
choirs are generally seen singing when royalty is present. Her footsteps can
also be heard sounding loudly as she walks, increasing the attention that she
draws. The tone of her voice when compared to Merlin’s also conveys class. When
she says “What are you doing in here?” to Merlin she sounds authoritative and
formal, whereas Merlin replies in stutters and utterances. As I mentioned
earlier, this shows how her status intimidates him and makes him feel weaker,
meaning that he hesitates as he talks. This could however also be down to the
fact that he had been caught ‘snooping’. The most prominent scene with regards
to sound representing class is when he comes into contact with Arthur, there is
a lot of non-diegetic sound that can be heard in the background. People can be
heard shouting from market stalls, goats call out and labourers hammer away at
wood and iron. This shows how there is a
major difference in class between the inside of the castle and the peasants’
market; it is peaceful in the castle as there are not many people and it is a
large area (this is more noticeable when Merlin walks down the stairs and out
into the courtyard where there are hardly people at all). But in the market
there are many in a rather cramped space, showing that they are poorer as they
own significantly less land and are thus congregated in one small street.
The editing that is used to construct the extract represents
class subtly by exploiting the narrative time and length of shots to put
emphasis on the importance of characters. An example of this is when Merlin
searches through the desk in the woman’s bedroom; the shots cut frequently in
quick succession, showing action and desperation in Merlin. But when the scene
cuts to the woman walking down the corridor, the take is significantly long,
and allows the audience to focus entirely on her. This difference in length of
shots could represent class in such a way that it makes her seem much more
important than Merlin, as she is given more camera time (and therefore more
attention) than he is, and this could be down to the fact that she is of higher
status. Another example of this is when Merlin exchanges insults with Arthur.
Interestingly though this focus changes as the conversation goes on. At first
the camera is more focused on Arthur, showing how he is an important figure in
their society. But when Merlin begins to retaliate he is given more attention
as it starts to seem as if he has the upper hand, teasing Arthur back as he did
to Merlin initially. This therefore goes against the social view that upper
classes have more importance as in this case the focus is placed on Merlin; he
is made to seem more significant, yet he is part of the lowest class and thus
should be considered as obsolete.
