Fingersmith Analysis Essay

Silva 1 Wilmer Silva Mr. Furman AICE Media Studies 2 October 2016 Film Analysis o Fin!ersmit" #"e o$enin! scene o o  %Fin!ersmit"& Wals" Wals" 200'(& uses a variety o elements to build t"e re$resentation o se)uality and social class. *$on t"e irst ten seconds o  t"e ilm o$ener& +e reali,e t"e t+o main c"aracters& t+o +omen& +"o !o by Maud and Sue. #"e cli$ commences +it" a voiceover o Maud& e)$ressin! "er t"ou!"ts as s"e loo-s at Sue "old u$ a dress and looin t"e mirror. Sue is a monumental $art o Mauds lie& as s"e ta-es a very im$ortant $art in "er "eart. #"e voiceover ades into ne+ scenes and is non/die!etic. One can iner rom t"e tone and +ords t"at are said in t"e voiceover& t"at Maud indeed "as a se)ual desire or Sue. Maud is tormented by t"ese unin"ibited desires& but s"e cant aord to admit it& only -ee$ it to "ersel. #"e die!etic bac-!round music serves to $ortray a "a$$y and li!"t "earted eelin! +"en t"e romantic scenes +ere under+ay. unde r+ay. #"is #"is sound re$resented dierent actors o Mauds $ers$ective. $ers$ective. Maud lac-s t"e conidence to e)$ress "o+ s"e eels to+ards Sue& but still +it""olds a $assionate love or "er. Ironically& t"is uic-ly subsides as t"e music sto$s an d transitions into t"e ne)t scene. #"e mood o t"e bac-!round bac-! round music mor$"s rom a "a$$y tone& to a rat"er sinister sound +"en Maud is $aintin! sue. As s"e $aints Sue& a man -no+n as ic"ard "astily tries to seduce "er and convince "er to marry "im& even t"ou!" Maud truly loves Sue. e seems to be a+are o Mauds im$endin! love or sue. In t"e irst scene o t"e ilm& mis/en/scene immediately aects t"e vie+ers $ers$ective on t"e main c"aracters lives. As Sue "olds u$ t"e dress& !a+-in! at its beauty& Maud is loo-in!

3ast 4ame 2 at "er +it" eyes o tem$tation& admiration& and love. #"e dress is $ur$le& +"ic" combines a lare o !loominess +it" romance. #"e clot"es also mana!e to dis$lay t"at t"ese t+o c"aracters come rom a time $eriod t"at loo-ed do+n u$on suc" blas$"emy. It is also $revalent t"at t"ey are $art o t"e +ealt"y u$$er class. #"e use o dar- li!"tin! inside also induces t"at truly vinta!e eel& due to t"e lac- o electricity in suc" times. Fast or+ardin! to t"e outside scene& +e meet ic"ard. ic"ard a$$ears in an all/blac- attire& !ivin! "im a very dar- and a!!ressive loo-. 5lac- re$resents a!!ression& and even evil. is actions only conirm t"is notion& as "e later  $roceeds to $ull Maud a+ay and bid "er to love "im instead o Sue. e $ins "er a!ainst t"e tree and "is very obno)ious& not carin! or "er eelin!s. #"e red $aint also dis$lays meanin! b e"ind Mauds intentions. #"e $aint is red& +"ic" symboli,es love. Maud +as so cau!"t u$ in $ayin! attention to Sue t"at s"e didnt ta-e notice o "er $aint dri$$in!. urin! t"e +"ole o t"e scene +"ere s"e is $inned to t"e tree by ic"ard& "er acial e)$ressions s"o+ t"at s"e is uncomortable. ic"ard is orceul and $o+erul because s"e tries to deny "im but "e still ended u$ $uttin! "er in t"at $osition a!ainst "er +ill. Furt"ermore& camera s"ots also $layed a vital role in t"e lo+ and si!niicance be"ind dierent scenes. Close/u$s o Sue t"rou!"out t"e ilm o$enin! can be ta-en as a re$resentation o Mauds desire or Sue. #"e close/u$ s"ots brin! out t"e more se)ual side o t"e story& but t"e lon! s"ots do an e)cellent 7ob at s"o+in! t"eir romance as a +"ole. W"en Maud +as a $aintin!& s"e +as seen rom a "i!" an!le& an !le& as i loo-ed do+n u$on. u$on . #"is a$$lies $erectly in t"is situation  because ic"ard is loo-in! do+n at "er& ma-in! "er eel $ity or "ersel or "er blas$"emous desires. #"e initial o$enin! s"ot o t"e ilm o$ener is also very creative& because it s"o+s a t+o/ s"ot +it" a voiceover overlaid on to$ o t"e scene. *$on seein! t"e t+o +omen& t"e vie+er must assume +"ic" !irl is t"e one tal-in! rom t"e mis/en/scene. #"ere +as also meanin! $ortrayed

3ast 4ame 8 t"rou!" t"e editin!. Many o t"e scenes +ould dissolve to t"e ne)t one& on e& re$resentin! t"e $assa!e o time as Mauds love or Sue !ro+s !reater. #iltin! #iltin! is used to s"o+ +"at ic"ard +as doin! and t"e dis!ust t"at Maud "eld on "er ace +"ile ic"ard +as "astily tryin! to seduce "er. #"e re$resentation o se)uality in 9ictorian 9ictorian times is e)tremely $revalent in t"is ilm cli$. at"er t"an bein! e)$ressed t"rou!" sim$ly dialo!ue and actions& t"e mise/en/scene& sound& camera s"ots& and dierent editin! tec"niues all +or- to!et"er "armoniously to $aint t"e $icture o Mauds orbidden love or Sue. #"e camera an!les ocus on t"e acial e)$ressions and t"e actions o eac" c"aracter. #"e sound and mise/en/scene created t"e mood or eac" scene and also e)$ressed t"e eelin! o love t"at Maud "ad or Sue and t"e dis!ust s"e "as or ic"ard. Mis/en/ scene also s"o+s +"at -ind o bac-!round bac -!round t"ese t+o +omen "ave as +ell as t"e society t"ey are surrounded +it". #"e editin! +as used to c"an!e u$ t"e scenes and !ive a clearer descri$tion o +"at t"ey are tryin! to !et across.