Analyse How Gender is Represented in this Extract of Prime Suspect.

Analysis of the first 5 minutes.


In this extract there is a strong connotation that being male is somewhat of an advantage in this workplace, or at least that the men in the extract believe this. However the main character is female and she is shown as very important, the camera regularly tracks and pans following the main character. However the male characters seem to consider themselves superior to the main character. This is shown in the first scene and throughout the rest of the extract, the camera first shows the male character starting the dialogue. He refers to the female character in an angry, condescending tone, dismissing her rights by saying that "now is not the time" to discuss them. As the audience we are led to believe that to fit in the character, who is female attempts to make herself more masculine, this is shown immediately as she has short hair and little make-up, she is smoking as is the man perhaps trying to create a connection between her and the "boss".

The following scene is of two male characters, they speak to each other as friends and equals despite the difference in rank. Their tones are helpful they are anxious to contradict each other. Once again another reference to the female character attempting to be male as referring to her one of the characters says "She's got balls". Hellen Mirren (the main character) is then shown walking out of the Commanders office, shown together with a plaque on the door it tells the audience that she is important appearing in the same shot as the words "Commander". She has got a smile on her face and has obviously just received news of promotion.

The following scene shows the rest of the office, the whole room is filled completely with men, many of them complaining about a woman being placed in charge. The boss character from the first scene associates himself with them, this creates a seperation between all men in the office and Mirren as earlier on this very character dissociated himself with Mirren.

During the next scene close-ups of both pictures and Mirren showing a connection between the character and victim, she shows empathy with a sad expression on her face you can see that she has a passion for her job whether other characters believe she is capable or not. She speaks quickly but respectively to people of a less superior rank than hers, she knows what she is doing and what she wants.