How is social class represented in ‘shallow grave’

 

Social class is represented in a number of ways in this scene of shallow grave. One of the more clear examples of this is when Alex shouts ‘I want my money back’ after hearing that the money raised will go to the sick children’s unit and Alex consequently doesn’t like children.  Alex shouts it loud enough for the man giving the speech to wave sarcastically knowing it was a joke but not approving of it in the slightest. Showing that he is in a different social class to Alex as he does not respond positively. In that same shot (which is a long shot) five people sitting down turn their heads and at least three of them have a facial expression that looks as though they are angry at Alex. This is combined with the fact that Juliet and Gordon do not seem too affected by Alex’s actions, and it implies that it is the sort of thing that they are used to with Alex, perhaps it would be seen as more of a joke if they were with other middle class people. The shot that shows Alex shouting also includes Gordon and Juliet on the left using composition and framing (medium shot). This is to show how unfazed they both are by Alex. Again showing that their social class would perhaps see that sort of gesture as funny or of the norm.

 

Another similar section of this scene soon follows. After Alex shouts for the first time he then shouts again. This time at the waitress as he holds up an empty champagne bottle and shouts ‘excuse me’. This shot is the same as the one where he shouts for the first time, a medium shot with Gordon and Juliet on the left and Alex on the right with people (upper class) sitting behind them, the framing and composition used here is to show their reactions to Alex as he acts this way. Not only this but we can also see the waitress which Alex is shouting at in the background. Again, after Alex shouts this Gordon and Juliet do not seem to react in the same way as the other guests behind them. Perhaps it is because they know that they do not belong there themselves. They are middle class themselves and have only been introduced to this party because of the money.

 

The following section of the scene shows everyone dancing. Gordon is sat on his own on their table whilst Juliet and Alex are dancing together. One thing to notice is how Alex and Juliet are dancing together only, and not with other people, this shows again that they do not fit in with everyone else at the party. The same goes for Gordon. One brief shot (long shot) shows him drinking alone and looking around, this is particularly significant as it shows that he doesn’t feel as though he belongs in that environment. This is also coupled by a few encounters with some other guests at the party. In one instance for example, a man asks Juliet to dance to which Gordon shouts at him furiously for interrupting them. This is significant as the man did not do anything to provoke them as such, however Gordon reacts in such a way that would make you think otherwise. This shows how the three do not get along with upper-class people or even know how to get along with them at all, as they are from different social backgrounds.

 

 

Another thing to notice in this scene is the mise-en-scene and that all three of them, (Juliet especially) are all underdressed compared to everyone else at the party. Referring back to one section of the scene, which Alex shouts in. We can see that the other men and women are far better dressed than our three characters. If we take Juliet for example, Her dress is much more plain compared to other women in the scene. She is also not wearing as much jewelry as anyone else either. Gordon’s glasses are also prominent as they seem to be much more basic and less expensive than some of the other guests glasses.  This represents their wealth in comparison with others at the party, and therefore represents their social class.

 

Dialect is also another thing we can look at. Juliet, Gordon and Alex all have less well spoken dialect compared to everyone else we hear talk at the party. Again, going back to the section where Alex shouts. He says ‘ Oi I want my money back ‘ now this is definitely not something that would be said by an upper-class gentleman at a ball. Alex truly reveals his social background when we does this and also the social division as the people around him react to his un-formal middle-class outburst.