Research Tasks - 3 - Keira

'Wasp' - Andrea Arnold - 2003

• Genre = social realism. Setting - working class flats in London. Realistic - on-location sets. Dirty/messy interior of flat. Costume - represents each character. Man wears cheap sports clothing, chain around neck. Children wear ill-fitting, dirty clothes (one little girl wears a tutu) which shows their lack of money. Same with mother - we first see her in just a nightie as she strolls accross the street to confront another parent, not even wearing shoes. Introduces her to the audience as someone who's got used to not caring how they're seen / percieved in public. Her next outfit is designed to be provocative: very short denim mini skirt, strappy top and no bra (perhaps because she can't afford them?). Is what would steoreotypically be seen as 'trashy'. The language used consists of alot of slang and swearing, is often offensive. There are little details in all of the mise-en-scene (e.g. the mess inside the flat consists of children's toys, feeding bottles, empty crisp packets) which help to construct a realistic portrayal of their life and convince the audience to get more involved with the characters (because they seem more real). It's well acted and doesn't go too over the top in order to detract from the realism. Natural (and naturalistic, giving the impression of natural) lighting is used which is a key convention of social realism. The camera work is often shaky and out of focus which gives the impression someone else who lives on the estate could just be filming it in real life rather than it being the action in a representation of real life.



• Interesting close ups / extreme close ups on particular parts of faces to highlight facial expression. For example (-->) shows the oldest child in a mother-like position - holding the baby and looking on with worry and contempt while her mum flirts with a man in a car - it's like role reversal. Another example (<--) shows a shakier, in-and-out-of-focus extreme close up, which is more to make the audience identify with the woman by showing what she's concentrating on (in this case, different parts of Dave's face).




• The audience are brought into the scene when action is already in full swing and then watch, almost as though spying, the events that take place. It uses the short film format by showing just one day in the lives of the characters from morning to night, but with a disruption to what we assume is their usual routine with the introduction of Dave. I found it interesting that there were some extreme long shots of setting at the end of the film rather than the beginning where you would usually expect to see them, but perhaps Arnold wanted (as I mentioned earlier) to bring the viewers directly into the action which creates a more bold effect than establishing the setting first. The climax of the film comes near the end (about where you'd expect it to be) when the wasp flies into the baby's mouth, and we see the woman (for the first time) put her children before Dave, which tells us that ultimately she cares for them alot - despite the shouting and leaving them behind.



• There was no non-diegetic sound (e.g. music) throughout the film which I think was purposeful, and although at times I thought music could have heightened the emotion, it gave it more of a raw, realistic edge. There were plently of diegetic sounds, however, (as there always are in social realism) to help build up a 'sound scape' in the background. For example, in the pub scene there were lots of people talking, the juke box playing music, drinks being poured and put down on tables etc., all to make it seem more natural. For our piece this would be something important to consider, whether it be that we put them in as post-production foleys or record them on-location.



• The film constructed both a positive and negative view of the working class, as at points we felt angry towards the woman and the treatment of her children, but were always made to sympathise with her position and financial dissiculties. This was acheived with a realistic portrayal of their home and clothing, and close ups of the children, for whom it is likely the audience are going to feel sorry. Some of the things that take place might be some what shocking to some viewers (for example, the children swearing). But the comedy that often comes with the shock is enough to make it un-offensive.

By Keira Smalley