Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of ethnicity using the following;
- · Camera shots: Angles, movements, composition.
- · Editing
- · Sound
- · Mise en scene.
The scene is set in a dimly lit apartment room, which seems empty and abandoned, however it is clear that it is a fairly high class apartment due to the enormity of the room and the classy wallpaper design. This tells the audience that it is owner of the apartment is likely to be wealthy and have an upper-class status in society. The sun shining through the window is the only source of light, which means the room is dark. The establishing shot at the beginning of the scene shows that the natural light is only shining on the two British spies who are being held captive, which connotes that they are the 'goodies', whereas the Iraqi man and his guard are standing in the dark, which suggests they are evil and playing villain roles. There are also very minimal props which create an empty, eerie mise en scene. There is a box-shaped item under a white sheet in the corner of the room, which creates tension and a fear of the unknown, as neither the audience or British characters know what is under there or what is to come.
The dominating character in the scene is the Iraqi man who has a pristine appearance and is dressed in a smart suit. His physical appearance also challenges the stereotype of the typical representation in the media of an Iraqian terrorist, who we might usually expect to see with facial hair and wearing turbans, etc. This tells the audience that he is different from the usual working class Iraqians, therefore could be a figure of importance.
It could be said that the two British people are also challenging stereotypes, as the main British spy is a woman, and the other is a black male, which we might not usually expect to see. It is broadening the stereotypical representation in the media that only white males are British spies. Both of these characters are also smartly dressed in suits, which has the connotations of power and importance. This tells the audience that the two parties are both upper-class citizens and are of equal power, therefore adding more tension to the scene as the audience do not know how the situation could turn out.
The Iraqi man's guard is dressed fully in black with just his eyes visible through a hat, which has connotes that he is a dangerous threatening character. He is also wearing a leather jacket, which suggests that he is likely to be more physically violent than the Iraqi man.
Throughout the scene there is non-diegetic atmospheric synth and string music playing minor chords in the background, which creates tension. At the beginning of the clip, the music is less noticeable, however; as the scene progresses, the music becomes louder and more noticeable, and more instruments are added which helps to build tension as more action and threats towards the British people are happening within the scene.
Steady cam is used frequently, which makes the audience feel as though they are involved in the scene, and adds to the tension and suspense. Shot-reaction-shot shows close-ups of the expressions of each character in the scene. An example of this can be seen when the Iraqi man questions the British spies about an agent who was killed. As his name is said it cuts from the man talking to the woman who has a look of fear on her face, and then onto the black male British spy who is staring at the woman with the same fear in his eyes. This editing effect hints to the audience, that even though the woman denies knowing anything they do in fact know what he is talking about as they both have worried, guilty facial expressions. As the Iraqi man places a picture of the dead agent onto the table, there is a non-diegetic slicing sound as the camera flashes white and suddenly cuts into a close-up of the picture. This helps create a very dramatic effect, as the British people realise that the Iraqi man knows they are lying and the horrifying image is revealed. This is a key point in the scene, as it when the Iraqi man drops his polite act and starts physically threatening the spies. The non-diegetic music also becomes more prominent as the situation gets even more tense and dangerous.
The black British man says very little in the scene, and plays the passive character compared to the woman who deals with most of the speaking and negotiations. This also challenges the stereotypes set down by the media of black men being aggressive and in control. We mainly see reaction shots of his expressions and how he is responding to what is being said.
