Room At The Top

Opening Sequence to Room At The Top:

Representation

We analysed the representation of the working class men through the protagonist Joe Lampton focusing on:

Mise scene – lighting, settings, composition ect
Characterisation – Facial expression and body language
Costume – suits, shoes, socks ect
Props – drink, cigarettes ect

The character of Joe Lampton is working class from Dufton an industrial town trying to move up in class by moving to Warnley an a office job. In 1959 the class system was very clear cut and this film connects to the Marxist theory ‘the dominant material force’ is also the ‘dominant intellectual force’ basing the film on the views of middle class and how they view them.

Joe Lampton's costume shows how he is trying to become a higher class from working class to middle class. During the opening of the film we see him riding the train with his feet up, he is wearing a sock with a hole in it representing hiw as working class but then over the top he wears new shiny, squeaky shoes which is what he wants to become middle class.

Audience

Room at the Top won several awards:

1 Golden Globe
3 BAFTAs – Best British Film, Best Film from any Source, Best Actress in a Leading Role {Simone Signoret}
Cannes Film Festival
Room at the Top did however receive an ‘X’ rating, due to ‘strong sexual content’. It was issued by the British Board of Film Censors in the United Kingdom. This was “suitable for those aged 16 and over” from 1951 to 1970, which was within the time when the film was released {1959}. From 1970 – 1982, it became “suitable for those aged 18 and over”.

Institution

Room at the Top was directed by Jack Clayton. The film also gained commercial success and marked the beginning of Jack Clayton’s career as a director. It was produced by British Lion Films, a film production and distribution company since 1919, and was considered first British New Wave Film.

Room at the Top is a kitchen sink drama which expresses social realism, showing a frank view of life. Social realism aims to depict the cruel realities faced by the working class and could arguably be a representative of the working class Writers can approach texts as realist. In genre theory, “iconography refers to visual motifs that allow audiences to identify certain films as belonging to certain genre”, means that the genre is shown through what the film is made up of.