How are the camerawork and editing used to empasise difference in the clip from 'Our Friends In The North'?

The footage begins with the master shot. This is a two shot of Nicky and Helen Windsor. They seem to be comfortable in their surroundings and are dressed smart casual. This contrasts to the next shot where Tosca and Mary are dressed smartly and do not seem to be comfortable in their surroundings. Tosca is wearing a suit which goes against the stereotype of a working class northern. Nicky and Helen are shown to be smiley and happy, this again contrasts with the shot of Tosca and Mary where seem to be awkwardly looking at Nicky as he is presenting his new girlfriend to them. The shot transitions in these shots are slow which goes with the mood of the two couples.






This is the first shot that looks onto the table rather using a two shot/over the shoulder shot. The camera angle that looks onto them makes them seem there is a gap behind Nicky and Helen, the southern, and Tosca and Mary, the northerners. This gives a awkward look to the situation between the group of people. You can tell by their body language as well that the situation is awkward as they have their hands under the table and are looking downwards.






The use of the close up in this shot makes Helen seem evil, glaring at Mary across the table as if she is looking down on Mary in a snobbish way. This also symbolises the first sense of awkwardness between the two couples. The close up of Helen's face makes her seemed closed in and trapped, like a animal caught in a trap.



This close up of Tosca happens while Helen and Mary are talking, this gives the sense that he is always involved when Mary is doing something, this gives a controlling and dominating side of him to the audience making them look at northerners as controlling and quite arrogant that they can treat women in that way. The shot also shows the daftness of his character as he is struggling to eat spaghetti, while someone like the character of Helen finds this difficult task to Tosca very easy to achieve. This shows the difference in intelligence between the two characters and between northerners and southerners.