Analysis of
Merlin Series 5 Episode 8: The Hollow Queen 10:11-15:50
Merlin agrees to leave Camelot on a dangerous
mission to help a young Druid boy. In his absence, a deadly net closes in
around Arthur.
Camera
The clip starts with an LS to MCU pan of Gwen as she reaches
for a key above the door, and as this is how a boy got into the castle earlier
it hints to the audience that they are in cohorts. The next shot is an LS of
Gwen putting down a letter, and later there is an CU of Morgana picking it up,
presenting an image of women standing together, and it is also positive that
they are clever and sneaky enough to come up with a plan as villains are
normally played by men, however the fact that they are both evil and keep
failing presents quite a negative view of treacherous females. There are no two
shots of them in the clip, unlike with the male friendship shown in the CUS of
Arthur and Gaius as well as the large numbers of Merlin and the druid boy,
perhaps suggesting that the men’s friendship is honorable and noble, and
contrasting with the stereotype of girl BFFs. The two shows also indicate
equality between Merlin and the boy, giving the boy an incentive to save his
friend later on in the episode. On the other hand, Gwen is shown to be more
powerful bt being shot from a single MS LA looking down on everyone else,
whereas Arthur’s knights are all standing behind him in a triangle formation
illustrating their unity and his liberal mindedness, making the audience
respect his for his modern views.
Editing
The shot reverse shot technique is used extensively as most
of the clip comprises of dialogue, an the 180 degree rule is never broken which
means that the audience can get immersed in the story as they build up the
tension through cross cutting. There are 3 parallel scenes that the clip cuts
between: Merlin and the boy on their journey then arriving at the spot where
Morgana attacks, Arthur preparation then meeting an enemy king and Morgana and
Gwen doing their evil plotting. These cuts indicate that the different story
threads are happening simultaneously, creating suspense as we know something
bad will happen in Camelot as well as to Merlin which keeps the audience of the
edge of their seats.
Mise En Scene
In shots with Arthur the lighting is far brighter and whiter
than it is in shots with Gwen and Morgana where low key lighting creates a
sense of evil around the characters. Arthur is also shown to be brave and good
through his clothes and furnishings, which are all red and gold (which also
signifies his rank), creating a bright and regal atmosphere while also matching
Merlin’s short which suggests that they are a team. Gaius on the other hand is
clothed in pale greens and browns to show his age and his lower rank, and his
robes contrast with Arthur who seems more magnificent. As Merlin and the boy
get nearer to Morgana’s trap the lighting darkens, and all the villains
(Morgana, the Sarum and his men) wear black clothes to show their evil nature,
and even Gwen and the boy were dark clothes, matching the black poison that
Morgana pours into Merlin’s mouth to kill him.
Sound
In the beginning of the clip cellos and double basses are
used to create a deep, foreboding sound, alerting the audience that Gwen is up
to no good again, and the creaking gate and locking sounds are horror
signifiers, indicating that something bad will happen, making the audience want
to watch on to find out what it is. Tension is also built through the use of a
synthesized glockenspiel as Merlin gets nearer to Morgana which plays one of
Merlin’s signature motifs letting the regular audience know something bad is
going to happen, and it is repeated by the orchestra later when Merlin is lying
is a ditch poisoned. Discordant Brass music announces the arrival of the
bandits and creates suspense and an atmosphere of fear, and the following
voiceover is used to convey the fact that the boy is lying as if he was a druid
he would have been able to hear it. Two of the storylines are linked y the
repetition of the discordant brass, and many familiar motifs are repeated with
slight alterations, and because the audience know them so well they create
dramatic irony, as we know what will go well or badly.
