2. The above image is one which I have taken from the Seinfeld classic, Bee Movie. The above image is taken from the part of the film where
Barry Bee Benson is in court attempting to sue the Human race for stealing the bee’s honey. Seinfeld portrays Layton T. Montgomery as a
callous, cunning and intimidating individual throughout the film, while trying to portray the bees as the characters who should be
empathised with and sided with. This specific image certainly reinforces that. Montgomery’s cruel nature can initially be highlighted by his
actions. During this scene he boastfully displays a small packet of honey in front of the bees to mock them and belittle something they
value incredibly highly. Not only does this characterize his heartless personality, but also demonstrates how he is deceitful and cunning, as
it is part of his plan to lure one of the Bee’s into stinging him and portray themselves in a negative light and manipulate the jury into leaning
towards his side. Montgomery’s unpleasant characteristics are further highlighted by the way this scene is shot. Traditionally we view
things from the top to the bottom and left to right. Montgomery is positioned in the top left of the screen, while the Bees only take up a
small segment of the screen on the bottom right. This gives connotations of the Bees being the ‘underdogs’ which further makes the
viewer want to root for them, and rival themselves against Montgomery, as it also makes him appear more dominant and intimidating as it
is also the audience looking up to him.
Another aspect of this scene which conveys Montgomery in a much more negative light is the colours used for the characters. Mr
Montgomery’s outfit is predominantly gray and black. Firstly gray typically represents something or someone being emotionless or dull,
while black has always been associated with concepts such as evil and mystery, as well as historically ‘The Black Death’. This idea of
emotionlessness represents characteristics of a callous and heartless individual, which reinforces the image Seinfeld is trying to get across.
Not only is Montgomery wearing colours which have such negative connotations, but the Bees themselves are yellow, a colour associated
with optimism and positivity. This also subconsciously influences the reader to root for the bees and take a disliking to Montgomery.
Although the majority of his outfit is gray and black, which have negative connotations, and in fairness is the expected dress code while at
court, something that stands out is his clown-esque bowtie. This highlights his immaturity and how he does not want to take the case
seriously, and is another example of him belittling the bees. This is even further highlighted as even the bees, a species not commonly
known to feature in court cases, are aware of the dress code etiquette in the courtroom.
