GENDER IN TELEVISION DRAMA: OUR GIRL
When coming to analyse the widely popular second series of
the BBC drama Our Girl, starting Michelle Keegan, I was asked the question of
how the show confronts the shift in the roles of genders that are shown in today’s
society and how we may see it as out of the ordinary to see a female lead in a
dramatic war show.
Camera Work
In the opening shot of the episode it starts with an
establishing shot that establishes the setting of the scene, in this case a
shot of the ambulance being attacked by terrorist and the main protagonist
being kidnapped. In the attack the camera work takes the over the shoulder shot
approach, this increases the tension of the scene as we are looking in the view
of the characters being attacked. When the attack has finished and it begins to
focus mainly on the antagonist with shots of below the gunner to show they are
the overpowering force and when they kidnap the protagonist the antagonist is
always above her. When they kidnap the protagonist they film the shots in a
hand hold style to increase the tension and display the panic and fear of the
character.
Sound
The scene opens with the sounds for speeding cars and
ambulance sirens in the streets this creates the frantic and rushed tension
creating a definite sense of urgency. The opening scene has a mixture of both
Diegetic and non-Diegetic sounds from the characters under attack screaming and
calling for help. The diegetic sounds mainly coming from the protagonist
showing she is the victim. The scene ends with non-diegetic sounds, in this
case the intense build-up of loud music, this is a great way to create tension
from attack to escape.
Editing
The attack at the beginning of the episode is very fast paced intense to watch. The scenes rotate to each character and show how they are effected by the dangerous circumstances from the main protagonist and her team to the attacking terrorists. These fast changing scenes change in a way to create and portray the panic and confusion of the characters being attacked this created a tense atmosphere for the characters and the audience. Once the attack has been carried out the shots slow right down and spends a lot of time lingering on the antagonist kidnapping the protagonist, it does this to show who's in control and at this point the antagonist is the one in power by the point the attack is over.Mise-en-scene
The show Our Girl tackles and challenges many of todays stereotypes when it comes to gender and terrorism, topics that and are very apparent in todays society. The fact that the main character of the show is a female soldier which is acting against what we may see as the norm with the military largely built up by males. In the show she is presented as a strong independent character but in the episode she does need the help from the "men" which does act towards the stereotypes that the show tries to abolish. Terrorism is a strong aspect of the series with the scene and main plot of the show being on the modern war on terror, the show does strongly act on the knowing of the attackers being inhumane savages who kidnap women and kill the soldiers defending our country. But the main antagonist of the show is white in skin colour which could be involved in a deeper meaning to the plot which may be discovered later in the series.
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