Gender Representation - Sherlock Holms

Gender Representation - Sherlock Holms

The beginning of the clip begins with a establishing shot of London, specifically the houses of parliament. From the old fashion setting that this opening shot shows and the time period that this film is set in, we are given the idea that this is an area and clip dominated by men. An establishing shot gives us a feel for what lies a head and the fact that we are shown a location of power we can tell that we will mostly be seeing men. This is especially since in that specific time period, most, if not all, powerful figures within society were men.



The camera then cuts to the inside of a carriage being driven by horses. Whilst viewing the inside of the carriage, we can hear loud and intense music and can see only men. The men that are visible in this scene are Sherlock, who seems to be restrained in some way, and two policemen. This clear combination of intense music and the fact that Sherlock is surrounded by men presents the idea that it amy be a very serious and even dangerous situation, which we often see men in however we are less likely to see a woman in such circumstances. This would be because we often assume men as being much stronger and dangerous than women, thus more likely to get into trouble like Sherlock in this particular situation.



The clip then quickly cuts to an over the shoulder shot of a handcuffed Sherlock who is being escorted through a building by a large group of police men. None of the officers in this scene are women which plays upon the stereotype that being a police officer is a man's job, especially regarding the time period that the film is set in. Th building that they are in is filled with dull colours and the clothing of all of the people seen (which is only men) is black and white. This very plain colour scheme suggests a level of seriousness and black is often a sign of fear or danger. This sort of enviroment would be stereotyped with men and not women since it incases a serious, dark and dangerous vibe which we would much easily associate with men.



The next scene in this clip takes place within in a room that is located at the top of the stairs. The colour scheme of this room is similar to that of the area downstairs which is dark and pain. This again suggests a 'man's environment'. We are introduced to a man only referred to as "my lord" in this clip. This is a title that is mostly granted to men and would have defiantly not been given to a woman in that time period. He is dressed in black and white and in a formal suit. This hints at the level of importance he possess which was common for men at that time. In this specific scene, there are many jump cuts. This is used to add to the tension and build upon the idea that they are currently in a harsh environment that a man might actually enjoy to be in, especially Sherlock, but not women. As this scene progresses another stereotype linked specifically with men. Once Sherlock has disappeared into the smoke cloud that he created, we see the Lord instantly pull out his gun. This represents the idea that men resort to using violence to try any problem that they are faced with instead of trying a much more peaceful method such as discussing the issue. Near to the end of this scene we find Sherlock smoking a pipe. Again this, especially considering the time period, is an activity that we would associate with men.


The final scene in this clip from Sherlock takes place outside the houses of parliament. An establishing shot shows Sherlock leaping out of a window into the river Thames. A reaction shot is then used to show Watsons emotions to what Sherlock just did. In this shot Watson looks shocked and worried which again highlights the danger of the situation and how this is the sort of situation that we would only expect a man to be in. This stereotype is represented in most action films. Once Watson has seen that Sherlock is ok, he immediately throws him a rope, pulls him towards the boat and lifts him in. This is stereotypical of a man because we assume they are stronger than women, this is why the one women in this whole clip who is in the boat does not help Watson and simply places a blanket around Sherlock. This is a task that society would view as much more 'manageable' for a women. It also plays upon the stereotype that women are meant to run around after men if necessary. The women on the boat however is much more visually appealing than the men. Her hair seems like it took a lot of time and effort and she is wearing a fair bit of makeup. This plays upon the stereotype that in 'serious' situations such as this, a women is supposed to stay out of it and just look pretty.