The location of this scene is in a busy canteen in a school, this is clear as there is the sound of people talking, kids shouting and knives and forks hitting plates. This sort of hectic atmosphere highlights how Ben is being publically humiliated implying the cruelty behind this bullying. It begins with a mid shot of Ben walking through the door happily; there is then a quick cut to a mid shot of Bolton walking forward, towards the camera. The use of the same shot allows the audience to grasp a better understanding of both characters, by focusing on the mise en-scene. Ben is wearing a black hoodie, a black necklace and a black bag. This reflects the darkness of this scene and the unhappiness of his life. The audience can then see that Bolton (who is the bully in this part of the scene) is also wearing a black hoodie and also a chain. This allows the audience to understand that the two characters are not all that different and would usually get along due to their similarities; however the rumour has destroyed Ben’s chances of friendship with anybody. However, Bolton’s chain is hanging out of his shirt, highlighting to the audience that he is a more upfront and cocky character compared to Ben. His earrings also indicate he is a rebellious person. Bolton’s body language can instantly be interpreted as violent due to the way he licks his gums before speaking, his aggressive and emphasised steps and his quick movements.
The conversation is opened with the loud slam of Bolton’s lunch tray hitting the table, reflecting the harm he’s capable of. There is then a medium close up of Ben’s surprised reaction to the noise. Bolton then begins to threaten Ben, shown in an over-the-shoulder shot of Bolton and the back of Ben’s head. As the diegetic dialogue begins, the background noise of the canteen quietens, allowing the audience to hear Bolton’s accent, furthering their interpretation of his character, as his harsh accent highlights his character-type. There is then a quick cut to another over the shoulder shot of Bolton’s head and Ben quietly and softly answering, highlighting his confusion to the threatening conversation.
There is then a two shot medium long shot of two girls noticing the heated discussion and questioning it, but not intervening and helping Ben, simply watching, highlighting how Ben has no real friends who support him. There is then a cut to a two shot medium close-up of Bolton and his mate still threatening Ben, highlighting how Ben is fighting a losing battle, as he is being ganged up on by more than one person. There is then an over the shoulder shot of the Bolton’s head as his volume increases and he begins shouting at Ben, this allows the audience to see Ben’s shocked and hurt reaction to Bolton’s threatening behaviour. A cut to a medium close up of just Ben, looking upset highlights his loneliness in this situation. There is then a single medium close-up of one of Bolton’s gang looking sternly at Ben, highlighting how people agree with Bolton and Ben is being victimised. There is then a long silence after Bolton says ‘got it?’ indicating Ben’s confusion and fear. The tension is then broken with the obvious sound of Bolton’s shoulder bashing past Ben’s, shown in a medium shot as Ben attempts to rush away. This highlights how Bolton is a bully and a violent character. As Bolton is a different ethnicity to Ben, this highlights also that the bullying might also be down to racial differences.
The scene then switches to a conversation between two girls, sitting at a table nearby. It opens with a medium long shot of a girl quietly discussing why the two boys were arguing, the volume of the girl’s discussion highlight how the reason the boy is being bullied is supposed to be a secret – indicating how people must have gone behind his back, making the audience feel sympathetic for Ben even more. There is then a medium long shot of the girls sitting at the table, this allows the audience to consider their characters and decided what they think of them. Both girls are wearing short skirts; they have their shirts hanging out and their ties on loosely. This indicates this is not a posh school and the students within it are not respectful or necessarily smart.
There is then rigid cross cutting of the girls, using medium close-ups, discussing the rumour about Ben and how everybody knows. The fast pace editing in this scene highlight the quick cuts which reflect the intensity of the conversation and also represent the frustration of the characters. This is then broken with a medium long shot of one girl slamming her fork on the table, the loud noise represents her anger that Ben is being bullied, showing that people do care about him.
The scene is then taken to a close up of Ben, who is at the food court, being served by a dinner man. His sarcastic tone highlights instantly to the audience that he is a bully that has heard about the rumour also, foreboding that Ben is about to get more grief from another character. The close up of this dinner man allows the audience to judge him as a character due to the mise-en-scene. He is wearing all white, which is a contrast to the connotations of white: calm, pure, angelic. However, the colour is used to imply he is staff in the canteen, and also to indicate how Ben is bullied by all types of people, the obviously mean and the unexpectedly mean also. He is wearing a hat which is twisted sideways, indicating his rude attitude.
A medium long shot of thee dinner man serving is opened with the loud clatter of the plates, reflecting Ben’s fear of what is about to happen. There is then a close-up of Ben’s shocked and startled reaction that even a staff member is bullying him. This is followed by a close up of the stuffing being served reminding the audience that this bullying is taking place in a busy canteen environment. The medium close up of the dinner plate allows the audience to hear the slam of the sausage being hit onto the plate reflecting the threat of violence and also the two loud hits of the spoon on the plate, indicating that Ben is powerless and the dinner man is stronger than him, mentally and physically. There is then a two shot of Ben and another student watching the dinner man, indicating to the audience that this bullying is being done in front of other people, highlighting Ben’s embarrassment. A volume increase of the dinner man shouting at the staff to ‘throw away’ all cutlery highlights how this man is more powerful than Ben and he is too weak to stand up to him. The dinner man’s violent emphasis of the word ‘catch’ demonstrates the cruelty of this bullying and reminds the audience of the rumour.
There is then a focus pull of the man to a close up of a dinner lady in the background who has been watching the way he has been bullying Ben. The silence highlights how, alike the girls earlier in the scene, she has witnessed the bullying but not intervened and tried to help Ben. This then cuts to a focus pull from the man helping another student, using a soft and subtle tone, to a big close up of Ben looking hurt as he notices the harsh and obvious victimisation of this bullying
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