Explore the Representation of Disability in this Clip
'Coming Down the Mountain'
Camera:
The camera puts Ben in the corner of the screen when he is
around his brother and friends at school, this is a metaphor for Ben and other
disabled being rejected from society or pushed aside. This is contradicted when
Ben is in the centre of the frame when he is at home with his family, making him
the centre of attention by his parents.
The camera is generally level throughout most of the shots,
shots that include both Ben and David are level, as well as the two characters
on their own. This carries the image of them both being equal. The director
could have used the camera to look up/down on either of the characters if the
director wanted to look down on a certain character/member of society but he
did not.
Editing:
During the scene outside of the school, the editing is
purposefully cut quickly to cause confusion for the audience, there are 19 cuts
in around 30 seconds of footage. This is done to make us feel like we are in
Ben’s position. As well as this, there is a random cut to a boy shouting about
a can of petrol, followed by the explosion later, this gives an insight into
chaotic school life, but also highlights the confusion that someone like Ben
may feel. Whereas other students would just see this as an ordinary event.
During the first part of the clip, David is narrating over
an edit of old clips, showing evolution taking place. The clips show the
evolution of man as well as other animals, mocking disabled people as the
people who went ‘wrong’ during this process.
Mise en Scene:
During the first shot, the two-brother’s bedroom is showing,
on the left side is Ben, and on the right, is David. The left side is very
colourful with lots of posters and bright toys and bedding, whereas the right
side is very dull and stereotypical of a teenage room. This is most likely set
out like this because people with a disability like Bens are seen as childish
and immature, whereas the stereotype suggests that teenagers shouldn’t have
childish items and should be more adult. This shines a positive light on
disability as it shows that they are still young and aren’t influenced by
stereotypes. However, this could also shine a negative light on disabled people
as they aren’t able to grow up and may be stuck in a childish state until shown
otherwise, the fact that they are unique may make them be seen as outcasts from
society too.
There is natural lighting throughout the whole video. Ben receives
the same lighting as David and other characters, this was done on purpose to
remind the audience that Ben (and those alike) are also human and should receive
the same treatment as everyone else in society.
Sound:
In the opening few shots, David narrates how he intended to
kill his brother Ben, he also described Ben and other disabled people as ‘really
big potatoes with eye tentacles’. This obviously dehumanises disabled people as
not a part of society, but the ‘broken ones’ as the chemicals used to make us
have been ‘mixed up’.
We also sympathise for Ben later, the music slows down and a
compilation of sounds play, this is a mix of laughter, narration by David,
music and diegetic sound (the bus). Like the editing sequence earlier on, this
is done to create confusion and to make the audience feel sorry for Ben as we
hear what he hears all the time and puts us in his position. This makes us feel
sorry for him and also shines a positive light as it shows what people like Ben
have to live with and what the struggle is for them.
You have some good ideas Josh, and identify important parts of the clip.
ReplyDelete- You must use media terminology at all times. There are 10 marks available for this!
- Push your analysis further. At times it stops short; it needs development and more exploration of disability.