In the 'Coming Down the Mountain' extract, there are
stereotypical representations of the able - David - and disabled - Ben.
Disability is shown to be an issue and a burden on the able characters, which
is a conventional representation in media. However, the usual representations
of ability are challenged, as the able character, David, can be seen having
some negative characteristics as well.
The
extract begins with a bird's-eye view shot of the brothers' bedroom. There are
clear differences between David and Ben's side of the room. The dark
colours of David's side contrast the bright colours on Ben's side of the room -
this suggests that they do not live the same lifestyles as one another and that
there is a clear division between them. Ben's side is cluttered with
colourful childlike toy props, which presents him as vulnerable, innocent and
not like other teenagers. On the other side, David, the able character, seems
to have conventional teenager elements to his side with a music player and
various posters - creating a sense of teen 'angst'. The camera pans slowly
around David in mid shot, showing that the voice over is coming from him. David
narrates his experience with having a disabled brother through a voice over,
saying that he 'tried to kill him' - this implies that he wants to keep his
extreme anger towards his brother a secret. When he expresses these feelings,
sharp electric guitar sounds are added to the non-diegetic sound, enhancing his
anger towards his brother.
The scene
dissolves into a short montage of the process of evolution. The black &
white and grainy effects and the different timing of the sounds of explosions
and animal movement, shows that this section is not occurring in the scene, but
is merely a vision of David's thoughts. This montage has been used to
demonstrate the biological process of humans, suggesting that there has been a
'mix up of chemicals' in Ben's biology that has made him have a disability. The
cut to a close-up of Ben's face, in the kitchen, creates a direct link to him
and the montage. The shot of a disgusted look of David's face and the voice over
of David describing him as a 'big potato with eye tentacles' shows that he is
not happy about having a disabled brother - this immediately hints to the
audience that disability is a burden. David's annoyed behaviours, throughout
the kitchen scene, towards Ben furthers the idea that disabled people are a
hassle on the abled. The parents seem to favourite and care for Ben more due to
his disability - as the mother kisses Ben's head but not David's and David has
to 'keep an eye' on Ben when he goes to the toilet. This adheres to the
stereotype that the disabled are weak and always need to be looked after.
Furthermore, this may position the audience to empathise with David due to him
having to be a carer whilst being a teenager. However, there is a sense of
maturity coming from Ben which contrasts David's almost childish behaviour -
even the mother says to David 'grow up' and stop being 'selfish'. This differs
from the initial of Ben being represented as childish and David being
represented as a normal teenager.
The
camera then tracks David and Ben walking to the bus stop - David is walking in
front of Ben, which shows that he has more superiority and power over Ben.
There's continuous cuts to various shots of the brothers waiting at the bus
stop across a number of days, which emphasises the burden David had to keep
carrying. In all the shots, Ben is playing with child toys which emphasises the
vulnerability of his character. Afterwards, there are various shots of David
having to support and care for Ben, and the voice over continues to explain that
disabled people 'always need someone with them.
There is
a cut to the scene at school, where the students are shown to have rowdy
behaviour. The actions of these able students contrast the quietness and
normality of Ben's actions, challenging the stereotype that the abled are
perfect compared to the disabled. It then tracks to a tracking shot of David
talking to his friend about a party where drugs are involved. Ben is seen
standing in the background, which again furthers the idea that the abled are
more superior than the disabled. There is a cut from David and his friend to
Ben and a few younger children. This increases the division between Ben and
David as it shows that David leads a normal teen lifestyle, whereas Ben is
stuck in a child lifestyle. This positions the audience to feel sympathetic
towards Ben, as he cannot be normal like other teenagers. When David gives
money for Ben to get home, David is seen through a low angle and Ben is seen
through a high angle, which emphasises the idea that abled have a higher
lifestyle and power over the disabled. In the reflection of a classroom window,
a small science explosion is seen going off - this connotes that danger might
occur when Ben is left alone.
The final
scene shows Ben by himself on a bus with a few troublesome children in the
background. The shaky camera movement suggests that trouble or danger may
incur. The close-up shots of Ben's cautious expressions and David's narration
explaining that they have 'never been more than half a mile apart' show the
unsafe situation Ben is in. Furthermore, Ben is seen on an eye-level which
allows the audience to feel even more sympathetic towards him. The extract ends
with a slow motion close-up shot of Ben's eyes with different timing of sounds such as childlike laughter, emphasising the vulnerability of Ben's character.
Overall,
although the extract shows some challenges towards stereotypical
representations of ability and disability - by switching the contrasts between
them, the majority of the extract adheres to the idea of the disabled being
weak and unable to participate in a normal lifestyle in comparison to the abled
characters.
