How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our thriller focuses and represents a variety of social groups. Firstly, we have represented marriage. As a sociology student, I am fascinated by the structure and role of families and households. Whilst learning about the family, I learnt about the beliefs of feminism. Feminists argue that the role of the family is to maintain patriarchy (male dominance), and the only members who benefit from the family are the husband, and children. Our thriller takes a feminist approach as it displays the man as being the dominant character. He is the one aiming to control his wife, women. We have challenged the traditional view of marriage, of being associated with love, safety, security and passion. We have portrayed marriage as the dark institution which feminism paint. Furthermore, we have aimed to represent how gender inequalities still remain. However much the wife tries to gain control, (e.g. by following her husband), he is always one step ahead of her. This emphasises that however much womens equality is improving, it is currently at a standstill, and further changes are needed. In addition, the continuous pattern of the division of gender is once again represented by the girls who have been captured in the garage. The fact that these are girls displays the conception of girls and women being viewed as vulnerable. We aimed to maximise the fear created because they are easy victims. Additionally, there is the common theme of youth. The girls in the garage range between the age group of 16-17 years old. The fact that they are so young brings emphasises that the antagonist (husband) likes to have power, and he does this by targeting an easy, innocent and vulnerable group. This gives evidence to the audience that the husband is a dominant character who thrives from control and dominance. Moreover, in relation to youth, it is obvious that the couple are a very young couple. We did this in order to imply that it was a rushed wedding, young love. This is to emphasise that because it occurred so soon, she perhaps does not know him as well as she thinks. The audience may make the assumption that her family discouraged them, and there is no reference to an extended family, for example there are no photos. However this is all down to interpretation. Furthermore, the couple are represented by as a middle class couple. This is displayed at the beginning when the camera pans across the room. This pan acts as an establishing shot as it gives the audience an opportunity to examine the house. The neat, clean and tidy settlement emphasises that they are a couple with a good standard of living. This provokes the audience to ask: what is so dark about this couple? This technique of causing them to ask a question, engages the audience, as the curiosity acts as a dive to continue watching. Moreover, the couple are the only characters included in the sequence. The sequence displays no evidence of extended family; parents, siblings or even any children. We did this is order to resemble a symbol of desertedness. The idea, that there is no one who she can run to for help, or who will come looking for her, or to protect her (e.g. a father). She is completely alone. And this is the theme we wanted to emphasise to the audience, that she is alone. This idea of loneliness is a theme that consists throughout. She walks upstairs alone, she is in the bathroom alone, and she leaves the house alone. In fact, the only times when they are together, she is innocently unaware. We used this theme of loneliness, in order to create anxiety for the audience, and add to the fear of it. The fear that whatever happens, there is no one who cares enough that the audience are aware of, who can rescue her.