FILM VIEWING PRACTICE: AGENT CARTER

In the extract of Agent Carter, the eponymous character is a member of an intelligence agency known as the Strategic Scientific Reserve. Throughout the course of the short film, Agent Peggy Carter is shown to face sexism and workplace discrimination indicative of the period of the film, which is set in the 1940s. The 5-minute extract uses various elements of cinema like editing, camera angles, and mise-en-scene to create meaning for the audience. The opening shot utilizes editing and sound to imply to the viewers that the action happening is a flashback, as the self-sacrifice of Captain America is described, with emotional music indicating that the event was in some way important to the main character. Within the context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this flashback sequence provides context for the one-shot and places it chronologically after the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, and allows for viewers to understand what is happening even without any prior knowledge of the film franchise. Additionally, on-screen elements like text reading "One Year Later" over a wide-angle shot of a city indicate that the flashback has had a meaningful effect on Agent Carter and has defined her trajectory since. Following this long shot of New York City, the camera changes to an interior shot of Agent Carter, and the excerpt immediately defines the conflict of the short film: Agent Carter, although she is presumably an excellent field agent, is often overlooked and looked down upon beacause of her gender. The mise-en-scene aspect of blocking is used to demonstrate this as Carter is shown standing near the back of the frame in one of the first shots, and additionally the mise-en-scene aspect of lighting is used to lend contrast, portraying Carter in slight shadow to show how she is forced into the background of her workplace. Immediately after, the divide between Carter and her male coworkers is shown, as she is shown sitting and working while several of her male coworkers are shown opposite, lounging against the table and the lighting emphasizes her boss, distinguishing him from the other male coworkers to reinforce his status. After they all leave, Carter is left to do the real, difficult behind-the-scenes work, which is actually in this case a good thing, as someone calls and gives information on a case that the agency is working on, which Carter takes note of. The camera then abruptly shifts to show Carter confidently walking towards a building in an industrial district, holding a briefcase and in highlight. She is presumably approaching the hideout of the enemy that she just received information about, and this is confirmed when one of the men in the building asks two others to "handle [her]." After the men approach her, the camera uses a typical shot-reverse shot sequence to demonstrate their conversation when Carter suddenly lashes out, taking the two men down with ease while their superior is shown, humorously and ironically oblivious to the action taking place right outside. Agent Carter's obvious and easy competence in this short fight scene only reinforces how cheated she is in her workplace as the men belittle her and treat her as weak simply because she's female, when in reality she is likely more competent and fearsome than they are. The fight escalates when Carter kicks one of the henchmen through a window, crossing into the actual enemy hideout. The lighting within is dim fill, but there is a slight spotlight on Carter, at least until the superior within the building pulls out a gun and Carter is nowhere to be found. The editing at this stage in the excerpt is intense and choppy, quickly cutting between shots to keep the viewers on edge and with baited breath as they watch the scene unfold. The final shot in the excerpt shows Carter's hand emerge from offscreen, while the camera is focused on the enemy, holding a gun to his head as the music suddenly crescendos. In this final shot, the combination of tight camera shots, non-diegetic sound and the intense editing all combine to provide a very action-packed, tense atmosphere while also continuing the story.