Deconstruction of a Periodical Drama - Pride and Prejudice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hasKmDr1yrA&NR=1&feature=fvwp

In Pride and Prejudice, the upper class are represented through mise-en-scene, camerawork, sound, and lighting.

Mise-en-scene
The long shot establishes how nicely kept the meadow is which suggests the lower class works for Mr. Darcy to maintain it, and how large the landscape is signifies wealth which is needed to buy the land.  The fact that he can afford a horse shows the audience the extent of his wealth.  The clothing he wears is what would be deemed as what the very wealthy would wear in that  time period to highlight their magnificent status.  His shirt is crystal white which is realistic as the very wealthy were expected to have everything perfect, prim, and proper or else their name would be shamed.  This is connected to how Mr. Darcy looks perfectly groomed.  There is a contrast between upper class and lower class when Mr. Darcy is walking back with the horse and another man who supposedly looks after the horse, as Darcy's crystal white outfit is drastically juxtaposed with that of the worker who is wearing an unappealing brown outfit which seems dirty.  Miss Bennet is wearing a bonnet which signfies wealth.  The wide shot of inside the building shows just how immense the rooms are, this creates a psychological reponse in the viewer of awe and possible jealousy.

Camerawork
As mentioned previously, a long shot is used at the beginning.  Match on action is then used when the shot changes to a close up and low angle of Mr. Darcy taking off his scarf.  The low angle is used to give him power as he is the main character.  Then there is a cutaway to the woman looking at the painting.  A point-of-view shot of the painting at a low angle is used so we know that is what she is looking at. The painting is looking down as though there is an eyeline-match between the woman and the painting.  Match on action is used as Mr. Darcy jumps into the water; from a close up of his face, to a wide shot of him jumping to capture the length of the pond, to a high angle shot of him horizontally in mid air above the water to create a sense of its depths, to finally a low angle shot underwater of him plunging into it.  These cutaways are very rapid to make the scene realistic seeing as jumping in would take approximately a second.  A wide shot is used of Darcy walking down the hill to the castle, the beautiful image of the flowers and sunlight again suggests perfection and his life is amazing.  Shot reverse shot is used during Darcy and Bennet's conversations to focus on a particular person as they are saying something and to capture their expression.  Also, the 180 degree rule is put into effect here as both characters are in the same place during each edit, so the scene seems fluid and makes sense.

Sound
Non-diagetic opera music is played to present an atmosphere of sophistication and elegance, also the wealthy are stereotypically known to like opera music so the mise-en-scene matches with the sound.  The music is melodic to move the scene forward on a leisurely pace, which creates a sense of relaxation to match Mr. Darcy's emotions as he unwinds n the meadow.  Diagetic sound is used when Mr. Darcy is underwater from his point of view of how he would be hearing it.  Colloquialisms suggests wealth also, for example how the characters use proper English and clear enunciation suggests exellent education and the posh accent is conventional to a high class.

Lighting
High key lighting is used at the beginning to establish that it is daytime and it also signifies happiness and purity, which is linked back to the idea of perfection.  Underwater, low key lighting is used to suggest the water is murky.