FILM ANALYSIS

Name: Jeffrey Ng Chen Feng

In this project, I will look through the components contained in a continuous 15-minute clip from
the 2017 biography sport film [Battle of the Sexes], which was based on the true events that took
place in United States 1973, centering on the epic tennis match between world champions Billie
Jean King and Bobby Riggs - a match that has been dubbed “Battle of the Sexes” by the media, a
match that became one of the most televised sport events in history. The film was directed by
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the filmmaker duo that made the satirical dramedy “Little
Miss Sunshine” in 2006; and written by Simon Beaufoy, the writer behind the acclaimed
masterpiece “Slumdog Millionaire” in 2008. Emma Stone and Steve Carell starred as Billie Jean
King and Bobby Riggs respectively. I will briefly detail the breakdown of the 3-Act Structure of
the film, analyze the scenes present in the clip by looking into the mise en scene and mise en shot
aspects of the scenes, before coming up with some of my personal recommendations at the end
of this project.

3-ACT STRUCTURE

ACT 1

As Billie Jean King won the title of the best tennis player in 1973, an out-of-prime Bobby Riggs
watched her interviews on a television from his office, while he thought of his golden days as the
world champion in tennis.
At a dance party with her husband, Billie Jean was approached by her manager Gladys Heldman,
who frustratingly informed her of the letter given by Jack Kramer. They had figured that Jack
and his team had approved of the decision to pay male tennis players by a larger portion
compared to female players, to attract more viewers. Billie Jean and Gladys tried to negotiate
with Jack, unfortunately to no avail as Jack claimed that ‘male players are simply more exciting
to watch’. Hence, Billie Jean and Gladys made the decision to hold their own tournament for
female players.
On the other hand, Bobby was having dinner with his family, and his young son Bobby Jr. tried
to bet a dollar with Bobby - which annoyed Bobby’s wife, Priscilla - as she was very
disapproving with Bobby’s gambling habits. During a tennis session with his buddies, Bobby
learned more about Billie Jean’s success, and an idea where he and Billie Jean faced off against
each other in a tennis match crossed his mind.
Meanwhile, Billie Jean and her fellow tennis players were getting a hairdo at a salon. Billie Jean
met a kind and gentle hairdresser, Marilyn Barnett, and took a liking in her. Billie Jean later
invited Marilyn to their tournament. Afterwards, Billie Jean and her fellow players attended a
photo shoot to honor their $1 contracts they signed for Glady’s tour. Jack Kramer showed up to
threaten Billie Jean that she would be kicked out of the US Lawn Tennis Association if she
decided to boycott his tennis association with her tournament. Billie Jean made the bold decision
to stick to her own tournament. Nonetheless, Gladys helped the ladies to get a sponsorship from
Virginia Slims cigarettes.

ACT 2

As for Bobby, he won a Rolls Royce from his gambling with his friends, which he brought home
to Junior’s delight. Priscilla, having become fed up with Bobby’s gambling vice, kicked him out
of the house during late night. Bobby later attended a support group for gamblers, which ended
up with him taking over the session and convinced others to participate with his gambling ideas.
Billie Jean met Marilyn again while on tour in San Diego, where they went to a nightclub before
returning to their hotel room and made love with each other. Bobby had located Billie Jean after
trying to call every hotel in the area. He proposed her with the tennis match challenge, calling it a
match between “the male chauvinist pig and the hairy legged feminist”. Billie Jean declined the
offer, so Bobby called and challenged another player - Margaret Court, who rivaled Billie Jean in
the tournament. Margaret, having discovered the affair brewing between Billie Jean and Marilyn,
was confident that she would defeat Billie Jean in their next match - hence, she accepted Bobby’s
challenge.
After a run in with Larry at a hotel elevator, Billie Jean’s husband, he figured out Marilyn’s affair
with Billie Jean. Larry confronted Marilyn and told her that Billie Jean’s true love would always
be tennis, and they both were just sideshows. A distraught Billie Jean lost a match to Margaret,
which worried Marilyn. Fearing that she was becoming too much of a distraction, Marilyn left
Billie Jean suddenly. Margaret proceeded to her match with Bobby, which all of Billie Jean’s
fellow players watched on live TV. Bobby had Margaret defeated in a big upset which was called
the Mother’s Day Massacre by the media. Bobby bragged about his victory and claimed how
male tennis players would always be superior to the female players, which Billie Jean found
insulting. Therefore, she accepted to face off Bobby Riggs in the match.
During their preparation for the battle, Bobby Riggs did numerous interviews to establish his
chauvinist image and gain more media exposure - while taking health supplements heavily to
return to his best shape. On the other hand, Billie Jean trained tirelessly to maximize her
physique and stamina. Due to the pressure she was facing, Billie Jean was struck by a flu. Gladys
advised her to take some rest but be fully prepared when the day of the match arrived.
Bobby tried to make amend with Priscilla over his gambling problems, and though Priscilla
appeared to have forgiven Bobby, she still could not accept Bobby’s notion that women mostly
belong in the kitchen and in the bedroom.
Billie Jean faced more oppression when she encountered Jack Kramer, as it was clear that most
of the people from his side, and even the media, favored Bobby over her. They were positive that
Bobby would win the match. Determined, Billie Jean aspired to change their perspective - which
would help the female players achieve more respect and recognition.
ACT 3
On the day of the match, Billie Jean entered the arena in the fashion of Cleopatra, whereas
Bobby wore a Sugar Daddy jacket and arrived with his team of beautiful cheerleaders. Bobby
gave Billie Jean a big lollipop and she gave him a piglet in return. All of Billie Jean’s friends and
families were present to support her, as were Larry and Marilyn. Priscilla and Junior watched the
show from their house. The battle began.
Initially, Bobby was leading the match, but Billie Jean recovered and scored more balls
progressively. Bobby appeared to be having a cramp on his hand due to being overheated in his
costume. After an extensive battle, Billie Jean emerged victorious to the whole nation’s surprise.
Bobby shook Billie Jean’s hand as they overcome their differences, and Billie Jean accepted her
trophy. Overwhelmed with emotions, Billie Jean cried alone in the locker room. As she walked
out to the press, her stylist Ted comforted her and assured her that she could happily enjoy her
victory, and that some day they would all be free to love who they want. Billie Jean walked to an
overjoyed and supportive crowd with a smile. Meanwhile, Bobby appeared to be very
disappointed with his loss in his locker room. Priscilla showed up and expressed her forgiveness.
The film ends with a text-on-screen describing what happened after the match. Billie Jean had
divorced Larry and found her true love Ilana Kloss. She remained friends with Larry and became
the godparents, along with Ilana, to his children when he remarried. Billie Jean also became an
icon for LGBTQ rights, and she was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011. Bobby and
Priscilla stayed married for the rest of their lives happily even though Bobby never gave up
gambling. The real photos of Billie Jean and Bobby Riggs attending the press conference and the
match were shown before the end credits rolled.
15-MINUTE CLIP

I have decided to use the first fifteen minutes of the film for this segment because I feel that there
is quite a lot of character and story development in the first fifteen minutes alone. I will separate
the scenes into 8 parts, and discuss the mise en scene and mise en shot present in the scenes
below.

SCENE 1
Mise En Shot
The first scene was shot in handheld movement to create a shaky effect. This shakiness
highlights the climatic feeling of Billie Jean winning her tournament. There are primarily
medium close-ups in this scene to show Billie Jean’s eagerness to win and her satisfaction when
she delivers the winning blow. The camera angle shifts from eye level to low angle as Billie Jean
wins to show her proud facial reaction.

Mise En Scene
The setting of the scene takes place in a tennis court as Billie Jean is playing in a tennis match
with someone, with the time setting being centred around 1972/1973. The props present in the
scene includes only a tennis racket, while the costume Billie Jean is wearing is her white sport
shirt, with white tennis shoes. The scene uses natural lighting primarily as the match takes place
in daytime. The staging here involves Billie Jean giving her best to win the tennis match, and as
she is declared victorious, a smile of proudness flashes across her face signifying her enlightened
emotions.

SCENE 2
Mise En Shot
The camera movement in the second scene is mostly static, and it involves the action of pan to
reveal the details of Bobby’s office. The camera angle here shifts from low angle to eye level
when Bobby takes a seat to watch Billie Jean’s interview on television. There is an instance of
over-the-shoulder shot which involves shallow focus to highlight Billie Jean’s moment on the
TV.. We see Bobby in both medium shot and medium long shot as it enhances the feeling of
distance for Bobby’s character.

Mise En Scene
The setting in this scene takes place in Bobby’s office building during late evening, and the props
present in this scene are his office desk, a sofa set, a television and a picture frame with Bobby’s
picture when he won his championship during his younger years put in the centre. Bobby is seen
in his thick glasses and white collar working suit. The lighting and color palette of this scene are
very warm and mild, to indicate the ending of a day. The staging in this scene portrays Bobby to
be quite stiff as he is way past his prime, and through watching Billie Jean’s interview, he is
reminiscing of his golden years as a tennis champion.

SCENE 3
Mise En Shot
In the third scene, the camera movement tilts from up to down to reveal the location of the scene.
The camera angle is positioned at eye level to focus on the facial expressions of the characters, as
they are suddenly informed of a bad news. The shot changes from medium shot to medium close
up as soon as Billie Jean’s manager, Gladys, enters the scene.

Mise En Scene
The setting of this scene takes place in a ballroom during a nighttime where the characters are
having a dance. The props in this scene include cameras from the journalists and a letter given by
Gladys to Billie Jean. Billie Jean is wearing an elegant pink dress and her husband Larry is in a
formal suit, whereas Gladys wears a long gown. The lighting of this scene is a bit darker because
the scene takes place in an internal environment. The movement present in this scene includes
mostly slow dancing, and Gladys’ voice delivery indicates that she has learnt something
unpleasant (the fact that female tennis players get ⅛ the pay of male players).

SCENE 4
Mise En Shot
In the fourth scene, the camera movement involves primarily tilting as Billie Jean and Gladys
take a seat upon meeting Jack Kramer. The camera angle in this scene shifts from low angle to
eye level following their action of siting as well, and the shot sizes in this scene include medium
long shot, medium close up and close up as the distance between Billie Jean, Gladys and Jack
Kramer decreases as they sit down to negotiate. When their negotiation falls apart, we see a
medium shot of Billie Jean and Gladys walking out of the room onto the corridor as they look for
new plans.
Mise En Scene
The setting of this scene takes place in the same time frame as the third scene, but a different
location. The characters are seen in what appears to be a luxurious hotel lounge. The props
shown in this scene includes the small tables, sofa sets, lamps, wine glasses, and paintings on the
wall. Gladys and Billie Jean wear the same costume from the previous scene while Jack Kramer
and his colleague wear formal suits. The lighting of this scene is also warm and mild to give the
comfortable atmosphere of a hotel lounge, and the staging of this scene involves action such as
arguing and walking as the characters fail to reach to mutual agreement.

SCENE 5
Mise En Shot
The camera movement of this scene is static throughout. The camera angle changes from eye
level to low angle for viewers to see the surrounding of Bobby’s house. The shot sizes present in
this scene include mostly medium close-up and close-up to reveal the details of conversation that
Bobby and his family is having, as well as their reactions to it.

Mise En Scene
The setting of this scene is nighttime with Bobby’s dining room being the location. The props
seen here including plates of food, glasses of wine, napkins and a bottle of pepper, which
Bobby’s son is asking how many pepper is contained in that bottle. Bobby is still in his office
uniform, and Priscilla is in a fuschia colored gown while Junior is in a casual homewear. The
lighting of this scene is still warm as the dining room is lit up by yellow lights all around, and the
staging present here showcase Priscilla’s irritated facial gesture over Bobby’s gambling influence
on his son junior.

SCENE 6

Mise En Shot
The camera movement involved in this scene is mostly handheld and tracking as viewers follow
Bobby’s movement when he is playing tennis with his buddies. The camera angle positioned in
this scene is of both eye level and low angle, to contrast the actions of the characters. When we
see Bobby in the tennis court, the shot size is of medium shot to reveal his action; but when we
see his friends betting and chatting around, it is in a close-up.

Mise En Scene
The setting of this scene takes place in an outdoor tennis court during nighttime. The props
shown here including a table of cash (for gambling purposes), tennis rackets and equipments, and
two sheeps Bobby was carrying as he plays tennis jokingly with his friend. All the characters in
this scene wear tennis shirts. The lighting of this scene is darker and the color palette is cooler as
the lighting is scarce in an outdoor setting. The movement in this scene includes tennis-playing,
gambling, and eventually chatting.

SCENE 7
Mise En Shot
The camera movement in this scene uses static tilting from bottom to up as the focus goes from
the newspaper the characters are reading up to the mirror Bobby and his friends are facing. The
camera angle in this scene shifts from eye level to low angle when the focal point moves towards
Bobby to highlight his character as a supposed alpha male. When the characters are all in front of
the mirror, the shot size used is of medium shot, but as the focus falls on Bobby alone, the
camera zooms and the shot changes from medium close-up to close-up so that viewers can see
that Bobby is having some idea on his mind.
Mise En Scene
The setting of this scene takes place in a male locker room after the characters have finished
playing tennis in the previous scene. The props included here are a newspaper, a bottle of
deodorant, a large mirror with basins positioned below. The characters are seen putting up their
uniforms after coming out of a shower, with one character wrapped in a towel. The lighting in
this scene is significantly brighter due to the lights present in the locker room. The movement of
the characters includes them putting on their ties, shirts or grooming themselves with deodorant.

SCENE 8
Mise En Shot
This is one of the more important scenes of the film as it showcases Billie Jean discovering the
true side to her sexuality. The camera movement in this scene is mostly handheld to bring a sense
of intimacy between Marilyn and Billie Jean, and to showcase Marilyn’s skills as a hair-stylist.
The camera angle in this scene is entirely of eye level, and the shot sizes present here are of all
types of close-ups, ranging from medium close-up (when Billie Jean first meets Marilyn), the
usual close-up (Billie Jean seeing herself with a new hairstyle in the mirror) to extreme close-up
(Marilyn trimming Billie Jean’s hair), depending on the actions between the characters.
Mise En Scene
The setting of this scene takes place in a hair salon during daytime, about an hour before Billie
and her fellow players head to the press conference. The props used in this scene include
hair-blower, scissors, hairspray, towel, a handbag and the tickets Billie Jean gives Marilyn later
on. The players have their clothes covered by a layer of thin sheet when they are getting their
hair done, and the hairdressers are seen in casual shirts. The lighting of this scene is bright with a
white tint to highlight Billie Jean’s fantasy-like sensation as she becomes attracted to Marilyn.
The movement in this scene consists of mostly hair trimming and the chatting between Billie
Jean’s players, and the voice delivery of between Billie Jean and Marilyn in their conversation is
soft to emphasize their mutual attraction.

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS:
With that, I end my report on the analysis of the scenes I have selected from the film [Battle of
the Sexes]. Overall, I find the arrangement of these scenes to be well done, but I do have some
opinions on some parts of the scenes that I would have done differently. For example, the scene 7
where Bobby and his friends are talking about Billie Jean in the locker room as they get ready
can use more close-ups on Bobby’s facial expressions. I feel that this would make the viewers
follow Bobby’s perspective to show the serious side in him, since he is portrayed as mostly a
joker throughout much of the film. This could have deepened Bobby’s personality and show that
he is someone who is really determined to prove his ideology. Aside from that, I would also
suggest the film to use more of the tracking camera movement instead of handheld during some
of the sports scene. Although I understand that handheld brings in a sense of chaotic or hectic
realism and urgency to the characters’ actions especially in the sports scene, I feel that the
tracking technique can showcase both of the characters’ physicality more explicitly as they are
battling it out on the sports arena.