Monarch of the Glen-"representation of age" essay re-write

This clip from Monarch of the Glen depicts a 16 year old who’s pretending to be older so she can miss her exams and stay out of school, but her acting can only go so far as you cant act your way out when driving a car! This leads to a crash and ultimately reveals she isn’t who she’s saying she is. A confrontation with the headmaster and relatives reflects Amy’s true age and the stereotypes that follow it, like running away from your problems.

The clip begins with two men entering from behind a stone building into a grassy area filled with other men from the village. We can tell these men are locals due to the remote location exhibited through the rolling hills as the backdrop as well as the costumes. All the men are decked in boots; tattered and stained trousers, woolly jumpers or body warmers and jackets, indicating we’re somewhere cold and barren. There are two women in the scene, apparent only by their furry feminine hats. All characters’ clothing are muted, and natural earthy colours to reflect their surroundings and lifestyle on a farm. Bright sparkling dresses and flashy cars would be out of place here.  All the clothing looks aged, worn but comfortable. The wardrobe indicates the age of the characters, as the older you become; the more you value comfort and practicalities over style.

The camera uses an establishing shot, panning from left to right as Paul and other characters enter the scene. The camera follows their movement and fixes on a truck which they load tools onto, confirming they work in landscaping or farming. This rural job is usual reserved for older adults, under the pretence that the younger generation are either in education or the city. It is usually not until having children or retirement that people ”escape to the country”. Hence the lack of bright colours or technology- both associated with youth.

The scene does not cut until Paul has left screen, indicting he is a main character. Paul himself is neither young nor old, and as we see later, he is older than Amy but younger than the headmaster. Paul’s ability to change from a cheeky friend throwing the keys to Amy to a father figure who’s throwing her in a fit of rage indicates that he is the bridge between both age groups.

Paul’s absence cuts to a courtyard of a stone building, which in itself is an indicator of age as newer houses tend to not have paint peeling from walls or weeds growing through cracks and suggests a lack of change and stubbornness to remain the same and not move on with the times. The backdrop is a huge contrast to the girl who emerges from the door centred in the screen, as she is dressed high-street designer jeans, jewellery, yellow long sleeve top and white trainers. Her wardrobe is brighter in comparison to everyone else so far, suggesting she is young and energetic and does not belong in a sleepy village, but also naïve as she doesn’t realise how dirty they’ll become when living in the countryside. Her wardrobe is clearly of teenager in a city who has access to shops and not “hand me downs”. She takes pride in her appearance, indicated by her bold makeup and clean clothes.

In the foreground is one of the farmhands, with his back to us, sweeping the ground; which suggests he is not a main character. The act of sweeping in itself reminds me of Cinderella who also lived on a farm, and indicates the different time periods the two characters are living in. He’s a rural boy; she’s a city girl.

Despite the actress clearly being older, she plays a 16 year old girl… pretending to not be a 16 year old girl. To make the actress look younger, her hair is styled in a ponytail with a scunchie that is worn mostly by schoolgirls. However, to make the character seem older, she wears makeup. Personally, the makeup is a bit “hit and miss” for the character, as although girls wear it to feel older, it actually accentuates her big, young eyes and gives her a youthful glow. Stereotypically, the older you are, the more wrinkled and damaged your skin is, and your eyes appear smaller- closer to squinting.

Amy tries to confide in the ‘sweeper’, as if wanting to confess something. Looking back we can presume it is her wanting to tell him her age. But, Amy is told to “go into town”- more evidence that they are in a remote area and have to drive to go anywhere else. Amy’s delayed reaction when asked if she can drive indicates her conscience deciding whether or not to continue lying or tell the truth. Stereotypically, teenagers lie more than adults as they are going through “rebellious” phases. Of course, she lies and says she can drive, leading to a close up shot to focus on her discomfort behind the wheel. She mumbles to herself, as if reciting the manual, and nervously fiddles with controls and raising her eyebrows when it splutters on. She smoothly drives out of the driveway whilst biting her lips and grimacing. A moment later, off screen, there is a diegetic sound of a swerve and skid of tyres and a loud crash; heard by the remaining characters. The camera remains on them for their reactions- confused after Amy ensured them she “passed first time”, before running to investigate.

The camera cuts to a smoking engine where Amy’s truck and another have collided, signifying a crash. Both drivers, Amy and a man, get out of their vehicles. The new character exclaims “AMY MACDONALD”, like a parent scorning their child. The man’s tone changes as soon as Paul appears, highlighting the way we speak to people depending on their age. Amy is spoken to with a patronising tone, whereas the headmaster addresses Paul calmly, signifying he Amy cant be treated like an adult.

The headmaster, although (originally) from the same area as Amy, does not dress in vibrant clothing, indicating her fashion choices are not because of her surroundings but her age. The headmaster wears a blazer, jumper and red tie. He is dressed smartly, indicating he does not belong in the countryside. Aside from his greying beard, it is mainly his voice that embellishes his age. He pronounces every word properly, as a teacher would, and speaks so confidently and wisely embellishing how well educated his is, but also how old he is. When he was young, modern slang and abbreviations weren’t in his vocabulary. His voice is a stark contrast to the other characters and speaks with authority, compared to Paul who responds with “ ‘ho are ya?” (who are you?)

The headmaster is invited back to Paul’s home, and they enter the library, furnished in wood, with a bottle of brandy in the foreground. Brandy is associated as an older mans, “business” drink. The library has no evidence youth, and with heavy wooden doors and wooden panelling, and dusty books it reeks of history and age, also indicated by Amy’s absence.

Paul goes to the window to pour a glass of brandy, natural light flooding in. The lighting represents Paul as being younger and full of life, suited to the countryside and longing to be out of the dusty library, whereas the headmaster remains in the dark, closer to the books, suggesting he is closer to death, and wants to stay inside, away from the cold- typical of the older generation who complain of being cold.

After finding out Amy hasn’t sat any of her exams. The camera cuts to Paul storming out into the hall, where an older woman is bending down to Amy, trying to comfort her. Her stature reflects a mother cradling her child, implying Amy’s youth. The characters’ different levels are used to imitate a child looking up at her mother, signifying Amy’s vulnerability.

Paul grabs Amy’s arm, flinging her round like a father striking his child, and the camera follows with a tracking shot so that the audience can feel the force and anger of Paul. Despite being older, he still has a lot of strength, and (again) is the bench mark between youth and senior.

Amy begs Paul to stay. She exaggerates her words, lengthening “sooooo sorry” to convey how little she has to say for herself. As soon as Paul brings out the finger gun (pointing finger) and lectures her about her responsibilities she plays the empathy card as a cry for help. Paul uses short sentences, demanding she go pack, to which Amy screws up her face in anger. She flails her arms in a tantrum, before screaming “I hate you” as a final attempt for sympathy, and runs to her room, like a typical teen.

The camera cuts to her leaving notes on her bed. This anchorage as well as the melancholy music imply her self-pity, and sub-consciously instructs the audience to sympathise. The notes left behind with the teddy bear foreshadow her running away.  When you are young, it’s difficult to face your problems, and running away seems like the only option. This goes for saying goodbye as well. She is selfish, knowing the other characters will long for her to come back and be safe, and thus forgive and forget her truancy.

Amy puts on a backpack, similar to a school rucksack which implies her childish way of thinking,  and the camera rolls to her looking at photos taped to her mirror. We see her reflection. It is ironic as this is the first time we get to see Amy on her own, free to express her true emotions, in a children’s bedroom. Mirrors show you what you look like and it is only now we see how scared and desperate she is.  Amy’s attention however is on the photos, reminiscing of her time spent at the farm, and the camera focuses on the photo, and Amy slips out of the frame, similarly to how she slips out of the farmhouse. Undetected.

It is not until the older woman who was mothering her earlier comes to check up on her that she is realised to be gone. The camera scrolls up from outside the window to watch the woman enter the room. The camera angle could represent Amy taking one last glance, and lingering on the woman. It is also to show an outsider’s perspective. So far, the main characters have been Amy and Paul, and this is the first time this woman has been seen on her own. The camera panning up defines her as a main character and not an extra anymore.

The woman sees the notes and does not even have t read them to realise where Amy’s gone. She picks up the bear, knowing Amy put it there deliberately, and clutching it as if it were her. She sprints to the window, hoping to see Amy outside so she can stop her. The woman, with greying hair, clutching the bear is symbolic. She is clutching on to the only light and youth in her life, which used to be Amy. The contrast of an older woman holding a young girl’s bear symbolises how, despite your age, a tragic event such as losing someone can make you feel vulnerable and small, like a child. She puts the bear back on the bed, as if to say ‘Stay there, I’m not losing you too!’ which indicates her maternal nature.