Research Task 'Wasp - By Andrea Arnold (2003) By Maiken Davidson

1) The opening shot of 'Wasp' we see a women carrying a baby with 3 little girls with her walking down flights of stairs in a hurry, as she is wearing a nighty and has no shoes on, the children’s clothes look dirty and their faces don't look washed. You start to see more as the clip goes on, you realise that they live in a block of flats and as they walk outside it looks like a typical estate. You realise that the children are the young women’s as she has a fight with another women in the street about their children. There is lots of close-up of characters, especially the children’s faces, and when Zoe see's a guy she used to like, they have close-ups of his lips and eyes, this is from her POV and lets us know that she likes him.

The camera pans out to show a street sign 'Shakespeare’s Road' which links to the britishness of the film, the children also use a lot of reference to Victoria and David Beckham, who are also well known Britain’s. We then get more establishing shots, which show us that this is a run-down estate, Zoe is shown to be the stereotypical young, unemployed, single mother living on an estate she goes on a date to the local pub.

2) 'Wasp' is a short drama, the way it makes itself stand out is the way it uses the camera, with close-up shots of the characters face to show their body-language and emotions. It's POV shots as well give it a more gritty feel, it's quite jolty as the children watch their mother when she's fighting and in the kitchen.

3) You are introduced to the characters early on in the narrative, and you can tell that Zoe isn't really able to look after all 4 of her children, she seems neglectful and selfish as she tells her children to wait outside a pub for many hours, starving, while she meets Dave, however you do know she cares for them as at the begining of the film you see her fighting other mums for them, but her bad judgement seems to get the better of her by the end of the film, revealing her caring role to the man she likes. The way the narrative goes leaves you in suspense, as you are worried for the children who are being left to fend for themselves, but feeling empathy with Zoe by the end.

4) The estate the family live on our by a main road, so you hear a lot of cars and machinery, not much of nature. The scenes at the pub you hear people chatting away as you would, and as its by the motorway you can still hear the cars, which makes you worried for the children by playing next to something dangerous, the loud music coming from the pub is songs that we all recognise and can link to being British.

5) 'Wasp' is a very gritty drama, showing life on a council estate as a young single mum, it shows us the life’s of the working class as you have a stereotypical pub with a pool table and everyone drinking cider. The audience are put in a position of suspense and a lot of emotion as they watch Zoe and how she looks after her children, it raises issues of poverty in Britain today and shows us how some people could be living. You feel protective of the children as she leaves them with her eldest child, whose about 8 years old, who are starving and bored while she goes for a date, however by the end you do start to see her side, she does care for her children but she is lonely and just wants someone.