Textual Analysis...

Grease - We Go Together.

Grease was written and composed in the 1970's however it is set in the 1950's this is evident from the fashion that is used.This careful use of mis-en-scene makes us believe it was filmed at the time of which it is set. The filter that is placed  on the camera gives that vintage effect and it is this style of editing that makes the music video believable and realistic. This is what I like to call the 'Instagram effect' as there are a range of different filters that you could use to represent a selection of different time periods and the technology available then. The cinematography used is often a hand held camera or a track this allows us to follow the actress's or actors as they move about the frame. This is essential in this music video as the cast are very fast moving because this reflects the tone of the piece. Because this music video is taken from a film the audience recognize the characters and the story line from the film itself. Therefore the mis en scene is meant to represent this, especially the costume. From the image above you can see that the costume not only just fits with the 1950's style but also to individual characters. I will now analyse two of the characters costumes...

Rizzo's costume:

This is a very plain and simple dress with a sinched in waist, this is a typical 1950's tight dress that aims to show of the curves. The simplicity of the dress with matching plain accsessories show that Rizzo is a confident character who doesn't need anything complicated. In some ways Rizzo is seen as the more tom boy of the group as compared to the other characters she is quite masquiline. However she is also considered to be the most experienced of the group. This is shown through the relationship (in the above music video) with Kenickie, the camera angle when they pass the screen (1:11) is on a track however sweeps up her body, this is the male gaze that attracts the audience. Laura Mulvey's theory of the male gaze states that women are portrayed as sexual objects and the slow sweeping camera angle up her body is meant to be like the male's eyeline. This is exactly what i want to create in my coursework music video.



This compares with

Jan's costume:

Jan's costume is very simple and matching with a simple orange shirt and a orange blouse. She doesn't appear to be wearing allot of makeup and her shirt is extremely bright. This makes us stereotype her and assume she is the "geeky" one of the group. This back's up Tessa Perkins theory of stereotyping based around costumes. It is interesting how the director of the film and therefore also the music video, has places these two contrasting characters (Rizzo and Jan) in the same friendship group as they are completely different.

Not only is this just shown in the costume choices but also in the cinematography, the theory of the male gaze Laura Mulvey's theory, backs this up. Laura Mulvey commented that women are seen as 'sexual objects' as the camera angle often skims from up the feet to the top of the body. This is shown in Rizzo's screen shots however Jan is not seen in the same way therefore supporting the idea of stereotypes within the media industry.