winters bone

Winters Bone

Winters bone strongly uses its social construct to help emphasise realism in the film. For example, during the production of the film, the film makers chose to film in the public area, had the characters wear clothes from the shops in the area and even used local actors to help create an authentic feeling.

A sequence that’s strongly shows the use of the films social construct is when Jennifer Lawrence’s character Ree takes her younger brother and sister hunting for squirrels. The fact that it is the older sister who is having to take this mother role on due to her mother’s health highlights the fact that the place the family live in is very self-reliant and quite poor. Another example of this is the fact that the character of Ree has to look for her farther herself which also shows how that community is often forced to take matters in to their own hands in order to live a relatively stable life. Furthermore, the idea that Ree has to take her very young siblings hunting with her shows that the family are very desperate for a basic meal. The film makers may have done this to compliment the cold and desperate nature to the entire film.

Furthermore, mise-en-scene is a key element used to help recreate the social construct the film is based. Natural lighting is used in this sequence and also throughout the whole film to help emphasise the realistic atmosphere the film makers are trying to create. The low-key lighting and the grey trees emphasises the cold temperatures in the film and to an extent it makes the viewer feel the cold in the film. Also, there is only diegetic sound in this sequence, this also helps create a more realistic feeling and also adds to the almost depressing atmosphere you get from watching the film.  Also, the characters clothing helps represent the social construct in which the film is based off, the grey coloured clothes adds to the cold atmosphere that comes off the screen and also helps emphasise the saddening atmosphere.

Later on, in this sequence, Lawrence’s character Ree shows her brother how to skin and prepare the squirrel, this it’s self could come as a shock to the audience as the boys age doesn’t fell appropriate for the job he is having to do in order to have a basic meal.   The dialogue in this scene is also important as it helps emphasise the importance of learning the skill at a young age and it also highlights how desperate the family is. “there’s a bunch of stuff that you’re gunna have to get over of being scared of” this shows how important it is to the characters that they learn how to survive in this place and it also helps present the harsh reality people have to live in this social construct.