Andrea Arnold is an example of a British director who has made several feature films and was especially successful for her short film 'Wasp' (2003) which won an OSCAR in 2004 for Best Live Action Short Film.
The film was directed and written by Arnold and lasts 26 minutes overall. The plot of the movie is about a young mother and her children; she leaves them outside whilst she goes out on a 'date' with her ex-boyfriend which leaves them in danger and at one point a wasp enters the mouth of her young baby but fortunately flies away. The family then embrace and the next shot shows the children in the ex-boyfriend's car eating chips, with the mother and ex-boyfriend sitting in the front. He then tells her that he wants to have a chat and they drive off.
WASP from Tomboy Films on Vimeo.
The mother (Zoe) is played by Natalie Press who has featured in many different films since then including My Summer of Love. The ex-boyfriend (Dave) is played by Danny Dyer who is currently a recurring character on the soap opera EastEnders. Child actors are used to portray the children and so some issues may have occurred doing production as there are several criticisms when using child actors. The movie itself has very strong language (swearing) and involves the children being placed in some very controversial situations such as eating ribs that were dropped on the floor, although it is more than likely that they were 'protected' from any actual harm during filming.
In 'Wasp' there are several stereotypes of lower class citizens especially of females. On one side we have Zoe who during the first scene is seen with her children storming, down some flat stairs and across the estate to another woman's (Bullet-head's) house. Zoe and Bullet-head proceed to argue and fight each other. The stereotype of lower class females is shown by Zoe's costume and make-up as well as the way she acts towards others. When she leaves the flat she is dressed in a nightgown with no shoes and her hair is messy. Her lack of organization reflects the everyday struggle she goes through. She has to look after her children constantly and has no real social life so when the opportunity arises that she'd could go out with Dave she takes it. Although she tries to get a babysitter she is unable to and so she has a decision whether to not go out out all, go out but leave her children at home or go out and take her children with her. Instead of her top priority being her children she is conflicted with her desire to go out and so chooses to take them with her. This follows the negative stereotype that lower class women do not make good mothers and are unable to multi task daily and social life.
Camera
The camera in Wasp is often very shaky which gives the impression that it is a P.O.V shot. This could be from the perspective of the 'wasp' as because it moves around, it's view point would rarely be still. Close ups of the children's faces are used to show their innocence as it's not their fault that their mother has left them outside to play in the street/ car park whilst she goes to the pub. Shaky pans are used to represent someone watching the children and possibly wondering why they are on their own. Overall the shakiness of the camera places the audience within the scene. For example when the children are playing in the pub car park, the camera is seen following them as though they too are playing with the children. The audience are the "wasp" that are watching over the children and the idea of a wasp is a symbol for truth, so by being the wasp the audience are shown the real world and what is happening to the children where as the mother has no real idea what is happening to her children as she isn't with them.
Mise-en-scene
One of the most important mise-en-scene is the wasp. Near the start the wasp is trapped in the mother's house where she lets it out. As the wasp is a symbol of truth it is as though the woman doesn't want to know the reality of her situation. Near the end the wasp is seen crawling into the baby's mouth. It is used to show the mother that she should be more careful with her children and as she has a "waspish tongue" (shown when she has a fight with Bullet head) she is a threat to her children. The overall location of the movie is in London and represents the lower classes. This is shown through the streets and houses the characters live in as they are rough looking which is stereotypically of where lower classes are meant to live. The costumes and make-up of the character also suggest poverty and the time of when the movie is set.
Sound
Ambient sounds are constantly used to make the scene realistic. Birds are heard singing in the background and implies a sense of peace but this contrast with the reality of how the mother feels. The sound of cars and buses helps set the location. The dialogue (especially the children's) is very simplistic with no complex words being said but instead at times swearing is used which is a stereotype of lower classes.
Editing
Quick cuts are used frequently to show the havoc of the mother's life. Nothing is calm in her house because she has to look after her children constantly and she herself is still quite young. Transitions are not used at all in the movie because Arnold wanted it to stay as realistic as possible where the audience is always with the characters.
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