Sample EXAM Question 1

 This extract of "Agent Carter" has fairly simple transitions, which are elevated by mise-en-scene, composition, and sound. This clip, in its entirety, discusses women in male fields and the misogyny tied to those experiences and expresses the feeling of loss. The misogyny is also prominent if we consider the time period. The time "Agent Carter" is set in is the 1940s, which could explain the casual misogyny happening in this extract since it was more common during those times.

There are multiple examples in this clip that demonstrate the misogyny in the workplace. One of the first instances where we see this is when we get a mid-shot of Peggy sitting down at her desk before her boss comes into frame, asking her about her work. The conversation ends with her boss telling her that "they'll handle the rough stuff," 'they' being the men that surround her in the workplace. She's the only woman in her office, so it would be difficult to try and push back about not being assigned to missions even though she is more than qualified to attend. Throughout this scene, in particular, we can see the camera following Carter since she is the main subject. We can see a focus pull throughout this as well, with the camera first focusing on Peggy and then focusing on both her and her boss, showing how the boss' words affected her at that moment. When it transitions through nighttime, we see another example when Peggy is asked from some reports. This over-the-shoulder shot gives us a better view of her point of view while one of her co-workers asks her for reports, letting her know that he'd like it done preferably by tomorrow. This scene then becomes ironic when Peggy goes into her drawer and pulls out the paperwork, saying something along the lines of "How about yesterday?" This displays how underestimated she is at her job. This exact scene is one that gives us a glimpse of the grieving process when Peggy takes out the paperwork she needed to hand to her co-worker, we see her turn back to close the drawer, which is where she then finds a picture of Steve, her lover that was in the flashback at the beginning of the extract. This is followed by yet another clip where we see a wide shot of all of Peggy's male co-workers and boss. Now, before the camera cuts to the boss, we first hear him call out, "Carter!" in a semi-anxious voice, which could indicate how Peggy is caught off guard while reminiscing her lost lover. When the boss and all the male employees are standing around in front of Peggy, she's told by her boss that they're all going out to drink. This next part of the scene is comedic and ironic, considering the between the "you wanna..." to "polish up those field reports that are on my desk." As soon as everyone trailed out of the room, is when ironically (once again) there's a red alarm that blares throughout the office and the phone from the boss' office begins to ring. With Agent Carter all alone, the only way that she could get a mission is by her beig the only one in the office to fullfil it.