Media Mock Exam - Monarch of the Glen (First Draft)

Monarch of the Glen successfully explores two opposing representations of age between Amy - the main character and her Headteacher , and follows Levi Strauss' theory of binary opposites - which states that within the narrative there are two opposing forces / characters clashing , causing conflict. I will discuss how youth is represneted as weak , powerless and naive whereas 'maturity' is presented as the authority and unsympathetic.

The costumer designer has chosen to put Amy in bright colours - making her stand out and more recognisable to the audience.This represents her innocence but also represents her reigonal identity - as people from city areas use clothes as a form of expression whereas everyone around Amy was in earthy colours for practicality rather than a form of expression.

Also , when Amy was talking to her headteacher the camera was at a low angle. This was chosen to highlight how powerless she was and for the audience to feel sympathetic. However if the camera was placed at a high angle we would feel that the was in the position of authority and not meant to sympathise with her.

The line "I hate you" is a very cliche , stereotypical teenage line which has been used to remind us that Amy is still very angry , very full of rage and then storms out the hallway. I think that this part of the clip was used to show that Amy doesn't fully understand what's going on , lost in a place filled with people controlling her life. By using this line at the climax of the scene - filled with tension - she uses this as a line of comfort . Feeling that she stills has some control over her life.

The director decides to present the audience with a series of close ups of Amy's bedroom.Typically a bedroom is a private / closed off space but mostly offers an insight to the owner's personality and by filling her room with keepsakes , teddybears and magazines we are reminded that Amy is an emotional character and offers explanation to her logic.

Her body language throughtout the clip is often slumped suggesting that she is unsure of herself , possibly something to hide. The camera angle is often at a medium shot , allowing us to see how Amy reacts - not too close that we can only see her face but also not too far that we can't decipher how she's feeling.

The first thing we notice with the headmaster is the earthy coloured suit h'es wearing. Suggesting that he is also more practical and traditional than Amy.