Merlin Essay

Overall the representation of class and status constructed in this sequence is of people of the higher class wearing better clothes and living in better than conditions than those in the lower class, causing them to be more powerful rich, and thus superior. As well as this status is represented through age and skill.

Firstly, an establishing shot is used of a room in a castle to show the audience where the action is taking place, and it is clear that Merlin doesn’t fit in with his surroundings due to his appearance and his behaviour, as his clothing is quite frayed and shabby, suggesting that he doesn’t have the money to fix his own clothes, let alone buy new ones. Also, the director uses a close-up shot to show Merlin’s worried facial expressions, showing that he’s not meant to be in that room as it clearly belongs to someone of a higher status than him (this is shown through the bright flowers, grand furniture and jewellery in the background). While Merlin is searching, short quick shots are used to emphasise that he’s in a hurry as he’s not meant to be there, however when the lady is introduced she has longer on screen, suggesting that she’s of a more important status than Merlin. Sire sound is then used to create tension as the lady is coming to her room and it is clear that she will catch Merlin. The tension is increased further, when the camera is back on Merlin who can hear footsteps outside. The use of the diegetic sound of footsteps was done using the Foley technique to emphasis the lady’s entrance and status as it was her room Merlin was searching, causing her to have more power as she could control what happened to Merlin after catching him as he is of a lower class. This is emphasised by the fact that she’s the one who questions him. Throughout their discussion, over the shoulder shot is used to show the contrast between their classes as you can clearly see the differences between their appearances: she’s wearing a nice purple dress with jewellery, while he’s wearing fraying clothes and no jewellery. The use of purple for the dress connotes royalty and highlights the fact that she’s of a higher social class than him.

When Merlin does leave her room, there is a use of a high angle camera shot of him leaving the castle. The use of this shot causes the viewer to look down on him physically as well as metaphorically as he’s going down steps, suggesting that he’s of a lower social class. This shot is also an establishing shot of the castle and provides a contrast between the clean castle and the poor village, as the ground of the village is dirty, has goats running around everywhere, lots of straw on the ground and lots of people, while the castle is practically deserted and cleaner. The difference in people also constructs the representation of class and status as because there are more people in the village it suggests that the majority of people at that time were poor, while the deserted castle suggests that a small amount of people are there as you have to work hard or be born into it to live that sort of life. Finally, the lighting in both scenes is very different: the village is dark, while the castle is light; the dark colours suggest dirt and death, while the light colours connote hygienic and happiness, suggesting that people who live in the village have a dark and dirty existence, while the people like Arthur and the knights live a bright and clean life.  This is stressed by the fact that when Merlin leaves the castle he only spends a shot amount of time on, in comparison to the longer time he spent in the village screen and is at eye level with the camera, which implies that the village is where he belongs as he’s a servant. This contrast in scene, editing and camera angle is also a binary opposite (Levi-Strauss 1969) which was used to emphasise the fact that Merlin is of a lower class.

In the village Merlin is spotted by Arthur and the audience can instantly see that Arthur is of a higher social status as Merlin’s clothes are juxtaposed by Arthur’s shiny armour which connotes strength and wealth, implying that he has the higher status of the two. Also, through Arthur’s and Merlin’s banter the audience can clearly hear the crowd, but the noise of the crowd stops when Merlin calls Arthur a ‘royal ass’ and says ‘my lord’ sarcastically, when apologising, suggesting that he’s not acting properly. This is stressed by the use of over the shoulder shot as it suggests that Merlin doesn’t care that Arthur’s royal because as far as he’s concerned, he’s no higher than him, which the others and Arthur included sees as disrespectful. Through these over the shoulder shots, we can see that Merlin is having high angled, close up shots alone, while Arthur has mid shots, showing off his clothes and the two armoured men behind him, which shows the audience Arthur’s wealth and the fact that he is superior to Merlin in every way, but Merlin is standing alone and it suggests that he doesn’t need anyone as Arthur does, causing him to look powerful.

When Arthur and Merlin get into the fight, Merlin didn’t have his own weapon – he was given it, while Arthur had his to hand, suggesting that Arthur has enough money to afford weapons, while Merlin doesn’t. This also gives Arthur the higher status he expertly demonstrated the batons use, while Merlin dropped his and clearly didn’t know how to use it, as he wasn’t privileged enough to be trained, which suggests that Arthur is more powerful than Merlin, thus giving him better status. Throughout the fight scene jolly, fast paced music is played suggesting that both of them are having a fun and playful fight, regardless of their status, however status is still represented as the director slows down the speed when Arthur swings at Merlin, causing him to have a graceful and powerful presence, which represents class and status as the higher classes are expected to be graceful and elegant and using slow motion represents this. However, Merlin’s fight shots appear to have been sped up slightly, causing him to look more frantic compared to Arthur, which I think is used to represent the division in the two classes as Arthur is in control and therefore superior, while Merlin doesn’t appear to know what he’s doing causing him to look stupid and thus inferior. Although, the roles of Arthur and Merlin are reversed slightly when Merlin used his magic – this is shown through an extreme close up on Merlin’s eye and creates dramatic irony as the audience know that his magic is meant to be a secret and as shot reverse shot is used, this time the camera spends longer on Merlin’s face, inferring that Merlin now has more power and is now superior to Arthur. On the other hand, his social class is still clearly represented as he uses simple objects like ropes and boxes to help him, while Arthur still uses his metal baton. His use of simple objects is also humorous and is emphasised through the use of the Foley technique making the chemical twang when Arthur tripped over it. Nevertheless, Merlin’s new found authority is short lived as Arthur hits him over the head and comical music is used to highlight every time Arthur his him to remind the audience that it’s a play fight. It also suggests that people who have wealth and power will always be superior.

While the fight is going on, the scene is cut to an older man with long white hair, looking out of the castle window, onto Arthur’s and Merlin’s fight. Here a high angle shot is used to show that he is both higher physically and metaphorically as he’s above the fight and doesn’t wasn’t to get involved as he’s more mature and sensible. We can also see that he’s reading a book and wearing glasses, which infer that he’s clever and therefore superior because of this. When the old man does come down to the fight an eye-line shot is used between Merlin and him to show that Merlin knows he’s done wrong, causing the old man to be a teacher- like figure to Merlin, thus giving him a higher status than him.