There are a variety of features of gender displayed throughout this short clip an example of this is shown through the female character- Rachel. The establishing shot is a medium close up shot of Rachel sitting accompanied by a male at a high-end restaurant. The medium establishing shot gives enough viewing of the characters involved also the setting, also, a medium shot is usually the main shot of middle aged characters as it is not a close up to show ageing; however not a long shot to show a lot of background usually used for teens. Therefore we can suggest these characters are aged 35-45. The initial sound we hear is the song Warwick Avenue by Duffy being played as a sort of background music to the restaurant. The song is used to give a representation of love and romance, and therefore we assume the characters in this scene are involved in some form of relationship. I can infer this song is a non-digetic sound and has been placed over the already filmed scene to show the audience that there is some sort of romance in this scene, and they are in a restaurant, as most restaurants have some sort of backing track to benefit the audience. There is some digetic sounds like the rattling of plates and cutlery just to give the audience that bit more of a feel of a restaurant setting. Rachel is shown dressed in a floral evening dress with styled makeup and hair. This suggests this part of the scene is some sort of date or evening meal between a couple. This is supported further by the setting of a restaurant and glasses of wine on the table. The lighting is dim and suggests romance and there is use of candles supporting that inference. There is often an over the shoulder shot to show there is two people enduring a conversation. This is used to show the audience that both characters remain in the scene however the camera is focusing on the one character that is talking. Throughout the scene, Rachel seems to be very insecure and questioning when the male ends their relationship, this is typical female attitude to the end of a female relationship as females are more reluctant to express their emotions as opposed to males. However, halfway through expressing her feelings she asks her partner to pay for the drinks. I believe this shows a lack of feminism and class as she seems more interested in the matter of the bill than the end of her relationship. I believe the male in this part of the scene lives up to his expectation in a perfect manner. The setting of a high end restaurant shows class and expense which shows he is a romantic but likes to express his money. He is wearing an expensive suit and looks very clean cut which again shows expense. When ending their relationship he seems very blunt and vague and there is a lack of expression in his face or words, this is common male behaviour when reacting to something that requires an emotional response. When questioned is he bored of her he does not directly answer the question but simply explains it with his delayed silence. This is a common male feature of avoiding awkward questions that answering them directly. The man is very formal speaking which suggests he is well educated and has a good profession.
The next part of the scene shows Rachel in her work. The part of the scene shows a medium shot of Rachel with a rather bored and uninterested expression on her face. It then shows a jump shot to a male colleague whom is tilting his head to one side. It then zooms changes frame to a women colleague and shows a cut shot of her upper leg, the camera then follows it down to her shoe then back to the boss of the workplace, with the male colleague blurred out in the background. This is a point of view shot as it shows the audience the change in framing from the male to the women’s leg is from his perspective and from his view. This is said to be the common attitude of a male to judge a women in a seemingly discriminating way and without manners. An example of the representation of gender is shown throughout the boss in this scene. The boss is a female which can be seen as uncommon for many businesses. Since an early age, women have always been viewed as the carers, and should be very maternal and have good motherly instincts, therefore, they never really had a position in the workplace. Therefore, it is a great achievement for female bosses as they have clear power over their colleagues whom combine of males and females. Also, the female comments on one of her employees to stop tossing a coin and gives a vulgar threat at then end of it, the male seems very intimidated and follows her order immediately. This is not the usual female attitude and is more likely to said by a male than female, therefore this all is a clear example of a swap in gender roles. The next scene shows Rachel banging on an apartment door under the influence of alcohol. It shows a long shot also combined with a two-shot of the apartment and Rachel and her ex. In this shot we get to see a full length image of the couple, also the apartment in the background which seems very luxurious and again shows his expensive lifestyle, Rachel is shown from a medium shot to be very emotion and expressive. This is a typical female reaction to a break up as; females find it difficult to comprehend with the news at first and are very expressive of their feelings. The male at first seems very blunt about the relationship but then gets angrier when being questioned by they broke up. He discusses Rachel’s enjoyment for alcohol and suggests she is unhygienic. This is odd as stereotypically most females take pride in their appearance, which most males seem unaffected by. This shows a huge swap in gender roles as it shows the male to be more affected by his appearance than the female. The final scene shows a medium close up of the female rifling through two present bags; one containing lingerie and the other a Chanel nag containing perfume. Both presents are very personal and intimate gifts that may only be given to a female loved one. This raises the idea of lust and an affair and again shows expense through the designer Chanel. It then shows a long shot of her leaving the room whilst saying “I wont let your tires down” It then jump shots to Rachel in the mirror saying “I might slash them’ though” This continues the scene and shows a more revengeful opinion towards it which is more typically expected of a male.
