cutting it media studies

The first shot in the extract of ‘Cutting It’ is a medium establishing shot. It shows a man and a woman, and we can infer that they are a couple as the woman’s head is on the man’s shoulder and they are holding hands.
The framing of the opening sequence indicates the intimacy in their relationship. Through the back window of the cab we can clearly see they are in an urban environment, as there are many cars and high-rise buildings visible. This is reinforced by the naturalistic sound-scape and the non-diegetic sound. This adds to the impression that they are an average city couple.
The woman’s femininity is emphasized by her floral dress, her curled hair and her make-up. Furthermore the woman’s jacket is a light one, which contrasts with the man’s dark clothing. This emphasizes both their gender stereotypes.
Also, the man’s hair is short, which is quite stereotypical of men. We can connote from the positioning of the couple the man’s superiority and the gender stereotype that he is her protector. To further show this the woman is lying on his shoulder, which also supports the idea that she is vulnerable.
During their conversation in the cab, the editing is sped up. The connotations of this is that they both mutually forgive one another.
Also, extreme close ups of their wedding rings re-occur during the sequence, which are cultural symbols of marriage. The rings seem to be new, as they are shiny, so we can infer they have recently become married. In one close-up of the two holding hands, the woman’s hand contrasts with the men’s hand, as it is small, pale and slender compared with his rough, large, hairy hand. The two hands are almost microcosms of the two characters. Her hand is also stroking his, which shows her caring and the couples intimacy, but also denotes her superiority in the relationship, and also her confidence in their love. The idea is supported when he hesitates to stroke her hand back, suggesting a vulnerability in his part of the relationship. This challenges gender conventions.

Towards the beginning of the next sequence, we are shown the female character gracefully ruing across the road towards the hospital. It is a point of view shot from the male character. It emphasizes firstly the distance between the two as she goes to the hospital. But this has further implications – we can connote a loss of power for him, because as the distance between the two increases, so does the female’s domination over the screen. We can infer that the events are not in his control as all he can do is wait.
The fitted, light colored coat is again used to good effect here – when she runs, the audiences eye is drawn to it, and it emphasizes her gracefulness as she runs, and her stereotypical woman’s shape.

The next sequence is very surreal – it is a crane shot of a dark office room, with light shining almost like a spotlight on one table. The connotations of this are that it is all the woman can remember from the room. The female character is presented as vulnerable and submissive in this scene, as she is half submerged in darkness.
Again, the man has the authority in this sequence; while he leans forward, she leans back, and sits in a tense position.
Next, there is an extreme close-up of the male character toying with his wedding ring. It shows how important she is to him, and challenges gender conventions as men are stereotypically tough and close out emotions, not being depressed and wallowing in romance like the male character does.

The end sequence where the woman leaves the hospital begins with a point of view shot, through the mans eyes. A bus is almost used like a screen wipe as it drives past the screen to put the woman out of the mans sight. It is followed by his face, looking anxious. It shows his worried nature towards their relationship, and how he cares for her greatly. This challenges gender stereotypes, as the man is expected to be uncaring. This helps build sympathy for the man.