Downton Abbey, Representation of Class and Status

Camera angles are important in this scene, as they can show the audience a clear representation of class and status. We are taken on a ride through the different levels of class and status as we begin the scenes from the wheel of the boys bike and move up through the ranks until we are introduced to the pinnacle of the social hierarchy. The boy on the bike represents the lowest of all of the classes, slowly escalating to through the ranks to the workers and then to the lord of the house. We are given a high-angle camera angle to show the woman's view of the boy on the bike. This women is clearly of a higher class and status, we are shown her point of view, looking down on him. This is a clear indicator to the audience that this character is of a higher position of authority than the boy. A tilt is technique that is used twice during the clip. This is used both times when a character of higher authority is introduced into the scene. The camera is raised to show that they are above the others in the scene and the position of power is passed to them. The camera tends to be positioned in a way during the scenes that allow for the higher authority in the scene to be faced away from the lower classes. This ensures that no eye contact is made and it shows the audience, who in the scene has the higher status and respect. A dolly is used to create a tracking shot and is used on the lord of the house after he discovers that he must deliver some bad news. This focuses all audience attention on him and makes it clear that he has the highest authority by the way that the audience are forced to follow him.

Sound is very prominent in the scene, and it shows an accurate representation of class and status. The clip begins with a build up of music as the boy is riding his bike. When the woman is introduced, the music changes to a higher quality, this shows the difference in class and status between the two characters as they are given two different music selections. The music changes into a different tempo when we are introduced to the workers. The tempo is more hurried and it represents the high pressured work rates of the characters to impress  the higher class. A bell sound effect can be heard frequently throughout these scenes. This sound is very sharp and quick, it adds further to the rushed tempo of the working class people. Accent is another way in which class and status are shown throughout the scenes. The lower classes all have a rough, non-standard english accent with use of slang words, as the classes improve the accent shifts to a well spoken standard-english way of speaking. This is used to give the impression that the lower classes are unintelligent while the upper classes are better educated; this indicates to the audience that the upperclass are of a higher status as a result. When we are introduced to the lord, the music changes into something that we have never heard before throughout the entire clip. The slow and beautiful instrumental music also shows us that he has the highest authority out of every character that has previously been introduced.

Mise-en-scene offers a diverse range of examples of class and status. The outfits of the people in each class offer the audience a good idea as to what status and class they belong to. The boy on the bike can be seen wearing scruffy clothes, the working class can be seen wearing work clothes of a slightly better quality and the upper classes can be seen wearing expensive and well made suits. This shows the status of the characters by showing the audience the type of clothes that they can afford. In the scene with the workers, the person with the highest authority can be seen sitting at the head of the table, drawing all audience attention to him because he has the highest status. Stairs are used twice throughout the clip to show difference in authority between characters. The first example that is noticeable is when the paper is being handed over by the paperboy. The man can be seen standing on a step, this makes him appear to be in a higher position than the boy as he is made to look down upon him. The second example is when we are first introduced to the lord and we can see him walking down a intricately designed staircase. This shows the audience how he must physically come down to the lower classes level in order to address them. While walking down the staircase, we can see marble structures and paintings of ancestors, this shows us the status of the lord. We can see from this that he is from a very rich background that is able to afford to live in a place like that as well as a wealthy ancestry that can be seen in paintings on the walls.

Editing is important to capture the emotion of the different classes. We can see some quick cuts in the scene with the workers in the kitchen. This shows us the panic in the scene as they are purely trying to please the upperclass. The same editing can be seen in a later scene with the lord, the only exemption is that the pacing between different camera shots are slower. This shows us that the lords problems, even though they are dramatic, are not as extreme as the working class' due to the laid-back lifestyle that he is able to have. During transitions, music is used to bridge the gap between and make the cut less sharp to the audience. Through this technique, we are able to get an idea to the class and status of the people in the scene to come. We are also shown an example of sound and camera editing when we are introduced to the lord. The music and camera shots are edited together to create a slow tempo that shows us that the lord is a character with a high and elegant status.