Winter’s Bone close-Up (“Squirrel Gutting” Sequence)

Key elements:

Cinematography –

The woods stretching into the background of the shot of Ree and her siblings look monotonous, grey and dead, evoking a quiet, still, empty environment.

Ree is shown in the shot to be the one in charge, centrally framed, surrounded by her shorter siblings, with the prominent rifle aimed.

The camera focuses on the gutting of the squirrel, displaying the gruesome nature of this lesson the kids have to learn.

When Ree is cutting wood, she is shown in a wide shot, showing that she feels trapped in her environment, reflecting her struggle with poverty, surviving, and finding Jessop. This shot also allows for us to see the large mound of discarded tyres littering the foreground, further establishing the poverty of the community, alongside the large, imposing barn that Ree stands in, which is made crudely out of wooden planks. Tight over the shoulder shots during her conversation with Teardrop increases the tension and uncomfortable nature of the moment.

Sound –

The choice of only using diegetic sounds in the sequence create a sense of realism, and evoke a silent, dead atmosphere, also giving the film a more serious tone.

Editing –

Mise-En-Scen –

An example of Ree being presented in a way that denies the male gaze by being naturalistic and unappealing is through her chapped lips. Teardrop is also presented in a realistic way, presented as a man who is clearly living in depravity and addicted to a harmful drug. He looks menacing, and this is also shown through Ree’s clear discomfort around him.

Performance –

The characters act in a naturalistic way, seen in how Ree tells her brother “bless you” after he sneezes. This presents her as caring, polite and a realistic person. Her behaviours and mannerisms are naturalistic. She is also shown to be a strong, if harsh mother figure, sternly telling her brother to get used to gutting the animal. She takes on the attitude of a stern mother while doing a typically male job, acting as a parental/teacher figure. She is also clearly knowledgeable on the subject of hunting, showing her experience and her comfort ability/skill in these traditionally male roles.

When Ree receives news of Jessop’s burned car, she gives no apparent emotional reaction, presenting her as mature, composed and strong. It also shows how disconnected her father is from her family. Teardrop is patronising to Ree, calling her “little girl” and trying to intimidate her by grabbing her face after she confidently tells him that she wont sell her land. She does not seem afraid though, meeting his gaze and refusing to shy away. In this way, she is presented as being above Teardrop morally, physically healthier than him. He blinks slowly and speaks in a way that makes him sound slow or inhibited or tired. She speaks with confident clarity, while he has to rely on intimidation to sway Ree. This subtle power dynamic is also seen in how she is clearly disapproving of hid cocaine usage, which she literally turns her nose at. This shows that she recognises her responsibilities as a parent figure and role mode. She also confidently and sarcastically tells Teardrop “not so far”, when he asks if she is addicted to it herself yet. Despitre all this, Teardrops aid through money, advice on how to financially support herself, his enquiry about Ree’s mother, all suggest that he does care about her and the family’s welfare.

Ideology:

Ree is further shown to be the one with responsibility, caring for the family by hunting, a traditionally male role. However, she also cares for the children, teaching them to fend for themselves, a maternal role. This role as mother and father at once is seen in her life lesson of “never ask for what ought to be offered” to her brother, and, in contrast, her teaching them to hunt animals for food. By acting as a maternal and paternal figure, she is presented as un-gendered /in a way that is not particularly one gender or another. Rather, she is an individual, not a stereotype. In this way, the film denies the male gaze. Ree is also shown to fill masculine roles by her cutting wood with a wood splitter in the next scene.

The young girl seems to be taking most roles, as she pulls the guns trigger, and intently watches the gutting, showing her concentration and eagerness to learn. She shows no signs of disgust at the gutting, and does not shy away from the corpse. In contrast, her brother seems upset by the sight, and is clearly bored while waiting for a squirrel to appear. In this way, the female character actually takes on more responsibility than the male one. She represents the next generation of women who will take up traditionally male roles.