Class
and status
In the British drama series ‘Downton Abbey’ which shows the life of an extremely wealthy family in the Georgian era, a time where classism was prevalent and there was still high tension between the upper and lower class; being prior to world war 1 in which the divide between rich and poor was narrowed as the two classes united in service. However, being prior to ww1, there was still a strong sense of the importance of class and status in society
In Downtown Abbey, the viewer is constantly reminded of the divide between rich and poor throughout, be it using the accents of the actors or even more intricate details such as the panning of the camera when showing different people of different classes.
Sound
From the onset of the clip, the elegant sound of an orchestra playing classical music is befitting to the setting of the extravagant house of the Crawley family. This sets the tone of the programme early and reminds the viewer that, this is not the average British family in 1920, but an upper class and wealthy family as back in the Georgian era music was a luxury enjoyed by the rich exclusively.
As the film then transitions to the servants having lunch, the soundtrack of classical music fades and is drowned out by the loud hurry burry of the servants, as they frantically shout orders at one another as they go about their errands. This shows class and status as the viewer is shown that such a luxury only exists in the life of the Crawley family as the servant couldn’t afford such luxury.
Around the midpoint of the clip, several bells repeatedly being rang to summon the maids show the animalistic way in which they are treated, not even being called by name but by a bell like livestock. The number of the bells also shows the large number of servants under the Crawley families payroll which again is a symbol of the wealth and privilege the family have.
The servants can be heard speaking in northern accents, which plays into the stereotype of the lower class people living in places such as Liverpool where the cost of living is significantly lower than places such as Surrey, Oxfordshire, London where you are more likely to find wealthy people as they can afford to live in such areas.
Mis En Scene
In Downton abbey, the elements of mis en scene are where the differences between rich and poor are visible. In the show the upper class live in a large, well built, pristine house with extravagant and luxurious decorations and furniture such as the gigantic painting inside the manor similar to those made of members of the royal family, whilst the servants live in filthy makeshift housing with poorly nailed together wooden planks which look unstable.
The use of costume in Downton Abbey is also key to the theme of class and status. For example, the women of the Crawley family are shown in beautiful exquisite garments complimented by various expensive jewellery. However amongst all the female servants, not one piece of jewellery can be seen and instead of exquisite garment they are dressed in plain, dirty rags.
Historically, clothing has always been a main symbol of wealth and in Downton Abbey the director have also used clothing for the viewer to be able to distinguish between the wealthy and poor.
In the wide shot at the round table, the unimpressive attires of the servants are first shown after switching from a scene showing an upperclass man wearing an expensive suit which shows the strong contrast between the two
Camera
Throughout the programme, the camera is fast panning and uses several cross cuts to represent the fast paced, busy life of the subservient class as they tend to the needs of the upper class in a hurry. The pace of the shots is reduced when showing the life of the upper class to show the leisurely pace at which they go about their life as they can afford to live as such.
Inside the mansion, the camera switches angles much less frequently so the audience bask in the luxury and wealth and also to represent the relaxed life of the upper class in comparison to the lower class who must work day by to make ends meet.
Editing
The majority of the scenes which include the servants are shot between wide shot and mid shot to show the activities of the servants, as their scenes tend to be fast moving and includes multiple subjects as the servants work in teams.
When the Crawley family are first shown, a longshot is used to show the size of the mansion and also the numerous expensive decorations which are symbols of the families wealth. The camera then moves into a close up shot, to show the well-groomed and smart look of the Crawleys which portrays them as intelligent and respected, however the tattered dirty look of the servants portrays them as unintelligent and not respected which was typical of the medias portrayal of the working class.
In the British drama series ‘Downton Abbey’ which shows the life of an extremely wealthy family in the Georgian era, a time where classism was prevalent and there was still high tension between the upper and lower class; being prior to world war 1 in which the divide between rich and poor was narrowed as the two classes united in service. However, being prior to ww1, there was still a strong sense of the importance of class and status in society
In Downtown Abbey, the viewer is constantly reminded of the divide between rich and poor throughout, be it using the accents of the actors or even more intricate details such as the panning of the camera when showing different people of different classes.
Sound
From the onset of the clip, the elegant sound of an orchestra playing classical music is befitting to the setting of the extravagant house of the Crawley family. This sets the tone of the programme early and reminds the viewer that, this is not the average British family in 1920, but an upper class and wealthy family as back in the Georgian era music was a luxury enjoyed by the rich exclusively.
As the film then transitions to the servants having lunch, the soundtrack of classical music fades and is drowned out by the loud hurry burry of the servants, as they frantically shout orders at one another as they go about their errands. This shows class and status as the viewer is shown that such a luxury only exists in the life of the Crawley family as the servant couldn’t afford such luxury.
Around the midpoint of the clip, several bells repeatedly being rang to summon the maids show the animalistic way in which they are treated, not even being called by name but by a bell like livestock. The number of the bells also shows the large number of servants under the Crawley families payroll which again is a symbol of the wealth and privilege the family have.
The servants can be heard speaking in northern accents, which plays into the stereotype of the lower class people living in places such as Liverpool where the cost of living is significantly lower than places such as Surrey, Oxfordshire, London where you are more likely to find wealthy people as they can afford to live in such areas.
Mis En Scene
In Downton abbey, the elements of mis en scene are where the differences between rich and poor are visible. In the show the upper class live in a large, well built, pristine house with extravagant and luxurious decorations and furniture such as the gigantic painting inside the manor similar to those made of members of the royal family, whilst the servants live in filthy makeshift housing with poorly nailed together wooden planks which look unstable.
The use of costume in Downton Abbey is also key to the theme of class and status. For example, the women of the Crawley family are shown in beautiful exquisite garments complimented by various expensive jewellery. However amongst all the female servants, not one piece of jewellery can be seen and instead of exquisite garment they are dressed in plain, dirty rags.
Historically, clothing has always been a main symbol of wealth and in Downton Abbey the director have also used clothing for the viewer to be able to distinguish between the wealthy and poor.
In the wide shot at the round table, the unimpressive attires of the servants are first shown after switching from a scene showing an upperclass man wearing an expensive suit which shows the strong contrast between the two
Camera
Throughout the programme, the camera is fast panning and uses several cross cuts to represent the fast paced, busy life of the subservient class as they tend to the needs of the upper class in a hurry. The pace of the shots is reduced when showing the life of the upper class to show the leisurely pace at which they go about their life as they can afford to live as such.
Inside the mansion, the camera switches angles much less frequently so the audience bask in the luxury and wealth and also to represent the relaxed life of the upper class in comparison to the lower class who must work day by to make ends meet.
Editing
The majority of the scenes which include the servants are shot between wide shot and mid shot to show the activities of the servants, as their scenes tend to be fast moving and includes multiple subjects as the servants work in teams.
When the Crawley family are first shown, a longshot is used to show the size of the mansion and also the numerous expensive decorations which are symbols of the families wealth. The camera then moves into a close up shot, to show the well-groomed and smart look of the Crawleys which portrays them as intelligent and respected, however the tattered dirty look of the servants portrays them as unintelligent and not respected which was typical of the medias portrayal of the working class.
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