Today we watch the opening 7 minutes of our tv drama text on Clickview and relate what we learned last lesson about:
- audience pleasures (why audiences enjoyed watching it). What is their relationship like?
- how Emma Peel is presented (including why her representation reflects the 1960s when it was made). Listen to what she reveals about herself.
- how John Steed is presented (including why his representation reflects the 1960s when it was made). How does he come across?
In the opening scene of 'The Town of No Return' there is an establishing shot of a beach as the camera pans towards the sea. In the sea, there is an unrecognisable being emerging from out the water. This immediately grabs the audiences attention as they are intrigued to find out what the being is. Once it has left the sea, the audience realise that the being is actually a sort-of bin bag and in that bin bag is a respectable looking man who seems to be unphased by what just happened and carries on walking up the beach. This is quite a humorous scene as even though the man just emerged from the rough waves of the sea, surprisingly none of his clothes are wet or even damp. Soon after, we are introduced to John Steed as he rings the doorbell of Emma Peel's flat. Once he rings the bell, a giant eye opens on the door and Steed seems to be able to talk to Peel through it; this would have been amusing to a 1960s audience as it shows the quirky technology of the future. This also represents Peel as she is young and likes to use new technology whereas the older generations may want to stick to the technology that they are used to and trust.
Once Steed enters Peel's flat, we find Emma fencing in a skin-tight outfit and a fencing mask; this shows that Peel is athletic and physical. After Steed and Peel briefly talk, Peel mentions that the coffee is 'over there' instead of offering to make one for Steed and serve him. This would have been unusual back then as in the 60s a woman was expected to offer and serve the man, however, Peel instead tells Steed to make the coffee himself which shows that Steed and Peel are for the most part equal. When Steed is making the coffee, Peel is practising fencing beside him. Steed takes this opportunity to criticise Peel's form as he tells her 'not enough flexibility in the wrist' and 'weight on the wrong foot'. This shows that even though Peel is almost equal to Steed, he still bosses her around and criticises her, although he just calls it 'friendly advice'.
I could having also written about the following but it is only a 10 marker: the fencing around the room, the tap on the backside, the sexual tension, the article for 'The Science Weekly', the furniture, the politeness of Steed (putting down the china), the double entendre, and the fact that Steed booked everything without telling Peel.
mark: 9/10
ReplyDelete1. You grasp that The Avengers pioneered the sort of whacky humour and surprising special effects that the opening scene exemplified and that audiences found entertaining.
2. You also note the appeal of the doorbell outside Emma Peel's flat and why it is 'modern'.
3. You draw attention to Emma Peel's 'modern' independence /sense of equality and social behaviour in her clothes, fencing and refusal to play the part of 'the little woman' and serve Steed coffee and cream.
4. In your final paragraph you make many valid points, which I think you should include in a 10 mark question.
5. Emma has an independent income (she has been writing for scientific journal), she has clearly travelled widely (art on her walls) and she is the one to challenge him at fencing.
6. Steed is the epitome of the English gentleman.