Question: Explain how dialogue/voiceover constructs a character and reveals key themes of the episode.
Try and use at least two quotations and link to other filmic techniques where possible. Endeavour to incorporate your quotation into your discussion. Paste your comment after this post. I have put a sample paragraph here and if you want to look further at the structure I have followed, visit our page at the PC Portal.
Bree bristles with perfectionism in the first episode of Desperate Housewives; she is constructed as a woman devoted to projecting an image of success. Through the dialogue between Bree and her husband, we learn of the unhappiness beneath the surface, illuminating the theme of the differences between appearances and reality. When Bree's husband abruptly announces "I want a divorce" the viewer is shocked by the abrupt shattering of the domestic ideal. More telling though is Bree's reaction - she ignores him - suggesting her power and determination to cling to the role of the domestic paragon. Her husband announces, “I just can’t live in this detergent commercial anymore” highlighting the superficial strain of their relationship. Indeed, the idea of a "detergent commercial" suggests that Bree has constructed a polished world, with a veneer of success and domestic virtue. As the viewer has seen earlier from her rehearsed speech and uptight deportment at the wake, Bree's role is entirely performative. Overly attentive but often neglectful of others' emotional needs, she appears to control and manipulate her family's behaviour. Classical music from the kitchen of the Van de Kamps echoes the dining scenes from American Beauty where the highly composed pieces reflect the uptight desire of Carolyn to control the domestic setting. The scene from Desperate Housewives closes on a private moment of Bree sobbing, alone, actions which don’t necessarily arouse sympathy but instead reinforce the quiet desperation of the life of yet another housewife. Surfaces shimmer brightly on Wisteria Lane, masking family dysfunction and pain as illustrated in the tense discussions of the Van De Kamps.
Try and use at least two quotations and link to other filmic techniques where possible. Endeavour to incorporate your quotation into your discussion. Paste your comment after this post. I have put a sample paragraph here and if you want to look further at the structure I have followed, visit our page at the PC Portal.
Bree bristles with perfectionism in the first episode of Desperate Housewives; she is constructed as a woman devoted to projecting an image of success. Through the dialogue between Bree and her husband, we learn of the unhappiness beneath the surface, illuminating the theme of the differences between appearances and reality. When Bree's husband abruptly announces "I want a divorce" the viewer is shocked by the abrupt shattering of the domestic ideal. More telling though is Bree's reaction - she ignores him - suggesting her power and determination to cling to the role of the domestic paragon. Her husband announces, “I just can’t live in this detergent commercial anymore” highlighting the superficial strain of their relationship. Indeed, the idea of a "detergent commercial" suggests that Bree has constructed a polished world, with a veneer of success and domestic virtue. As the viewer has seen earlier from her rehearsed speech and uptight deportment at the wake, Bree's role is entirely performative. Overly attentive but often neglectful of others' emotional needs, she appears to control and manipulate her family's behaviour. Classical music from the kitchen of the Van de Kamps echoes the dining scenes from American Beauty where the highly composed pieces reflect the uptight desire of Carolyn to control the domestic setting. The scene from Desperate Housewives closes on a private moment of Bree sobbing, alone, actions which don’t necessarily arouse sympathy but instead reinforce the quiet desperation of the life of yet another housewife. Surfaces shimmer brightly on Wisteria Lane, masking family dysfunction and pain as illustrated in the tense discussions of the Van De Kamps.
