Research Tasks

Wasp (Andrea Arnold, 2003)

1. Identify the genre/s and style/s used

• The genre is social realism


• It uses a hand held camera which creates makes the audience feel uneasy and vulnerable. it makes it seem as if you are there as it is not set up, as such.


• It has a grainy image


• The clothes are dark and worn which shows that their lives are depressive


• They use natural make-up and there hair is unwashed, showing that the mum may not hav been able to pay her bills this month


• It uses naturalistic lighting and when inside uses low lighting to suggest mystery


• It also uses realistic prop such as the buggy and the bag of sugar. The locations are very realistic as it is set on a housing estate.

2. How does this film use genre/style conventions uniquely?

• The genre uses style conventions uniquely as it uses a hand helod camera. This makes the drama seem more real and makes it seem as if the audience are actually there. The long shots make the film more true to life as there arent any fast paced shot sequences.

3. How does the film use the short film format?

• There is a clear beginning, middle and end. It disagrees with Todorov's equilibrium theory as there isnt any balance in the beginning. The family are just as poor at the start as they are at the end. The opening shows the family walking. You can tell that they are not well off by the clothes that they are wearing, even though you dont know anything about them. The opening relates to the ending as they leave with Dave in the car. You are still wondering about where they are going and you dont know why the mum wanted to be with him.
• I like the style of this film as it represents a really good piece of social realism. I like the way that the camera is used. When it shakes it makes it seem less smooth and it makes the family have a more erratic lifestyle.

4. What do you find interesting about the use of sound?

• The sound is diegetic and very realistic. There isnt any non-deigetic music but there is diegetic music in the pub which adds to the tension. If there was non diegetic music, i think it would ruin the effect of the realism that is created.

5.Themes and issues and representation

• The film is about a young mum who is unable to cope with the family that she has. The pregnancies were most probably unplannedas she hasnt taken the time to think about money or where she will live. She then meets an old friend named Dave who she tries to befriend- maybe for money. I also think that she likes him because he can offer her some stability in her life. She leaves her eldest daughter in charge of the three others. While in the pub with Dave, the oldest finds some chips on the floor. They leave dirt around the youngest baby's mouth which then attracts a wasp. It flies into its mouth but comes out again. The children call the mum over, which ruins her reconcilliation with Dave.
  The last few scenes are of Dave and the family driving off in to the distance.


• The audience are positioned to feel sorry for the children as they are the innocent parties in the situation. They are not protagonist or antagonists. They are there to feel sorry for but they do not do anything to save anyone or help anyone else out.


• There is a stereotype of a poor woman who has made mistakes in her life. She has a lot of children for someone her age. This film could represent the lower class people living in this country. It shows how hard home life can be when you dont have any money, which is something that the majority of people on this country dont see. It could also show the country that the amount of benefits a lower class family recieves may not be enough, although the mum in this doesnt spend her money wisely.