Ethnicity exemplar – 43 marks1

1. Ethnicity Exemplar – 43 Marks
An establishing shot shows what looks like a prison which then cuts to a bleak barren wide
shot. Negative representations are immediately apparent with the camera then cutting to a
hand held shot of a prison officer walking from long shot into close up to open a door. The
non-diegetic music is disturbing and enigmatic while the scene is shot using low-key
lighting with grainy resolution. The diegetic sound of the clanking of bars anchors the prison
setting while a cell door is unlocked to reveal a wide shot of two prisoners. A young white
working class prisoner is lying on the top bunk, which is symbolically within the narrative,
while on the bottom bunk is a young Asian prisoner.
The white prisoner has confident body language and immediately responds to the authority
of the white prison officer by jumping off his bunk while the Asian prisoner remains on his
bed framed in long shot as vulnerable and isolated. Objects and props in the cell as part of
the mise-en-scene reinforce the emotional binary opposition between the two prisoners
already established. On the top bunk pictures and photographs of semi naked women adorn
the walls while on the well-ordered table next to the bottom bunk is a chess set and water.
The dominant reading of this shot is that the young Asian prisoner is sophisticated and
educated while the young white prisoner is represented as an ignorant thug with no respect
of diversity. This is revealed by his racist comment to the Asian prisoner on leaving the cell,
“You eat pork chops Muslim boy” which is ignored by the prison officer who then makes a
negative statement himself telling Hazad he “needs to get acclimatised”. At this early point it
is clear that the representation of ethnicity has so far been negative focusing on
stereotypes but in terms of dominant preferred readings it is made clear to the audience that
this lack of equality and diversity is unacceptable.
A close up of the door slamming shut cuts to a close up of Hazad who is then framed in high
angle (in long shot) sitting on his bed; he is represented as desperate and alone. The non-
diegetic music becomes bleaker emphasising his situation as the victim of racism while the
next shot cuts to an extreme close up of his thumbs twitching nervously through fear and
anxiety. The camera then tilts up to close up revealing a distressed look on his face while a
wide shot of the outside of the prison acts as a change of vista before we see the next series
of shots: a night scene in a house lived in by an Asian family.

2. Disruption is by way of the riot police smashing their way into the property. Initially we see a
medium shot of a young Asian couple lying in bed in the dark which then cuts to chaotic jerky
hand held camera as the police enter the house and come up the stairs. The lighting is dark
and the camera whip pans to reveal close ups of a scared family. Children are crying and a
mother shouting while the male members of the household are restrained with the young
man taken away. The next scene in the prison links with Hazad in low angle close up trying to
convince another Asianprisoner who is weightlifting that they arebeing persecuted. Although
the other prisoner is shot using a high angle it subverts the stereotypical connotations of this
angle by representing him as confident but dismissive of Hazard’s words as he rests the
dumbbell on the stand after bench pressing exertions. His diegetic dialogue to Hazad, “do
your time bro”, almost suggests that he is accepting of the ethnic inequality in the prison.
The next scene shows a wide shot of two white prosecutors watching video footage with an
Asian prisoner in a white jump suit sitting next to his Asian solicitor across the table. While
there is no dialogue it is implied that there has been a set up with implied parallel
editing showing a long shot of Hazad on the phone to possibly his father who is framed to the
right in medium close up revealing his domestic interior. Both men look anxious as disturbing
non-diegetic music punctuates the conversation. As the phone call intercuts between both
the long shot of Hazad cuts to a medium close up which then becomes a close up reaction
shot to reveal his fear.
The final scene anchors the constructed negative representation of ethnicity as Hazad is
framed in high angle, this time with high angle clearly encoding vulnerability, kneeling on a
prayer mat on the floor of his cell. The scene cuts to the young white working class prisoner
on the top bunk who is reading a book on WWII aircraft, itself encoding traditionally British
connotations. Bemoaning his praying he utters the dialogue “Muslim terrorist” which is the
catalyst for Hazad’s breakdown as jerky hand held camera, again using whip pans, sees him
smash up his cell. A final close up reveals his desperation and isolation.
Comments from the Moderator
Explanation/analysis/argument: Good understanding of the way that technical aspects are
used to construct a representation. Clear, logical deconstruction of text linking to the
question but with at times a little narrative description.
Use of examples: Good range of examples, and appropriate sequences analysed to reveal a
representation. All four key aspects covered with an excellent understanding of their use
and application to create meaning in terms of constructing a representation.
Use of terminology: Excellent use of media language and technical terminology.
Complex issues expressed clearly and fluently, sentences and paragraphs consistently
relevant and well structured with few, if any errors of grammar, spelling and punctuation