Shameless Analysis

Shameless Clip Analysis:

At the start of the clip we are introduced to a stereotypical lower class family from Manchester. The audience can instantly tell from the beginning that the family are working class due to the Mise-en-scene, there are 5 siblings surrounding a crampt dining table and one presumably teenage sibling has a baby (who is in a full baby tracksuit). The siblings are arguing with their father, there is no mother in the clip whatsoever suggesting that this is a single parent family, giving the audience the idea that this family are welfare dependant and living in a council house which is also stereotypically working class. The dining table is incredibly messy and surrounded by bottles of empty alcohol which is something that would be frowned upon by higher class families, especially considering that there is a baby living here as well as a young brother who appears to be no older than 10 – some audiences may argue that this is not a suitable living place for young children, also the walls half peeled wallpaper and the house itself is is generally dirty. When the father first appears in the scene he has dirty looking long hair and is unshaven, his clothes are filthy and look as though they haven’t been washed in a while, his body language suggests that he may be drunk he doesn’t seem to be steady on his feet and is almost swaying when arguing with his children, also his eyes seem to be heavy with his mouth slightly open at some points – this suggests that he is a ‘lay-about’, welfare dependant and a drunk which are all negative connotations linked with the working class.

The audience are made aware that this family are from the very start that the family are from Manchester due to the sound of their accents, for instance the pronunciation of words like ‘them’ are ‘em’, which also furthers the working class stereotype of using slang words, families of a higher class would not do this and would talk with received pronunciation, however the father is aware of this – he knows he is not from an upper class family and has no problem mocking the upper class by making a comment when arguing with his daughter about the ‘stables’ – something stereotypically higher class, owning horses and going riding. The fact that the family use slang often could also be a stereotype of the lower class being uneducated and therefore unable to speak ‘properly’, suggesting that their social disadvantaged has caused them to communicate in the only way they know how; with lots of slang and swearing quite frequently (in front of a baby and a child). Before the father comes into the scene and begins arguing with his children, calm zen music plays before it all ‘kicks off’ almost showing the ‘calm before the storm’ in a sense, suggesting that the stereotypical ‘Jeremy Kyle’ working class family with problems is not always true and they do get along and are happy as a family at times. However, when they are arguing the father begins the shout out ‘GREED’ and ‘ME’ continuously whilst pulling faces and moving his arms about at a fast pace, this could be described as animalistic behaviour suggesting further he doesn’t know or understand how to act in an argument or is able to handle one, his lower class upbringing and lack of education has caused him to flip out with animalistic behaviour, when the argument is resolved with the youngest brother saying “we need you” the zen music plays once again.

The editing of this clip also helps to show the families class, for instance when they are arguing and the father is shouting ‘GREED’ and ‘ME’, the camera shows quick shots between each word and action, some shots are close up and some are medium pan shots helping to show how quickly he is getting angry and some of these shots are at a slanted angle whilst the camera is almost shaking slightly – helping to show the emotions of the father raising. Generally, throughout the whole clip of them arguing the shots are quick from one character to another showing the fast pace of the shots being fired in the argument. However, whenever the scene changes as does the music e.g before and after the argument Zen music, and when the family talk outside the music is upbeat showing all is forgotten in their argument prior. Class is also shown in the editing because the colours and effects used are extremely dull and lack any brightness giving off a gritty and almost realistic effect to the clip, the grittiness of this dull colouring furthers the fact that it is set on a ‘gritty’ or ‘dirty’ council estate.

Within the different camera shots used class is represented, for instance the almost unprofessional use of the ‘hand-held’ effect with shaking and distorted camera angles whilst the family are arguing help to show the anger and emotion building within the scene whilst creating tension, but also help to show that as the family are working class the camera shots do not necessarily need to be professional or perfect and the gritty, realistic effect of this helps to further their class. However, many different shots are used within the clip, when arguing the camera often shows quick paced close up shots of each family members faces to help show their expressions, and when the how family are conversing the camera often fly’s to a pan shot to get all of the members in.