Disablity Analysis

In the opening long shot disability is shown in a positive way, Billy is shown with a lot of freedom and it appears that he is in control of his life and knows what he is doing. The use of simple of clothing makes his disability less obvious however the fact that he is wondering around alone in the dark makes him look very suspicious.  The fact that Billy is the first character shown suggests to the audience that he is the main character in the episode and suggests that his disability will play a strong part in the episode. When a medium close up of Billy’s face is used to show Billy’s anger. This presents disability in a negative way due the fact that his is very angry and looks quite suspicious due to the fact that he is wondering around in the dark alone. When the police spots Billy and they chase after him, he looks scared and this presents disability in a negative way because it suggests that he doesn’t understand the rules due to the fact that he runs. When the policeman catches up with him and tackles him to the ground disability is shown as something that needs to be controlled and something that needs to be contained which suggests that people with disability’s cant be trusted to stop on their own. When the policeman pulls Billy up by his collar, Billy keeps repeating the words ‘I haven’t done anything wrong’; this shows that he is scared and that he doesn’t have the life skills to understand what is going on around him.

When Frost arrives to speak to Billy he explains that he needs to have someone with him while he interviews Billy. This suggests to the audience that something bad could happen and that people with disabilities may find the situation stressful and may not want to co-operate as much as people without disability’s. The use of the words mentally subnormal and handicap tell the audience the episode was made a long time ago as the words would no longer be considered acceptable. When Billy’s mother says she is going to clean him up using as bowl of water. This gives the audience the impression that Billy is very childlike as his parents still baby him and do everything for him. This also suggests to the audience that Billy is incapable of looking after himself and still needs his parents around to look after him. When Billy’s dad enters Billy says that he hasn’t done anything, just like a child would before they are going to get told off, which reinforces the fact that Billy is childlike. Billy’s dad has to explain what Frost is doing there which tells the audience again that Billy is childlike as everything is having to be explained to him just like it would have to be if Frost was interviewing a child. The fact that Billy’s dad sits behind him suggests that Billy will need someone to defend him and make sure he is ok through out he process suggesting that he doesn’t know how to protect himself.

When Frost starts the interview he kneels down to a child’s height while he is talking to Billy, which suggests that he is talking to Billy in the way he would talk to a child because this will make him feel more comfortable. The fact that Billy wont make eye contact with Frost makes the audience suspicious of Billy because commonly it is thought that if you don’t make eye contact with someone you are lying so this makes the audience feel like Billy is hiding something from them. Frosts first question for Billy is very informal and gives the audience the idea that Frost is trying to create a friendly rapport with Billy to try make him relax and feel comfortable to answer his questions.

When Frost asks Billy where he was and he reply’s Workshop, this gives the audience the idea that Billy doesn’t have enough social skills to have a real job. This makes the assumption that disabled people cant have a job because of the fact that he was at workshop and not at work shows the audience that he is unemployed and is unable to get a job but it also shows the audience that there are other things for disabled people to do rather than just sit at home and do nothing.

When Frost questions begin to annoy Billy he starts to get angry and less cooperative suggesting that he is hiding something. The fact he Billy is looking everywhere but Frost (shown through the match of eye lines in the shots where Billy is looking at Frost) suggests to the audience that Billy is hiding something.  Billy’s dad can be seen in the background of the shot show that he is there to support Billy but the fact that he doesn’t step in as Billy starts to get angrier suggests that this is normal for Billy and happens a lot. The editing between Billy and Frost makes the audience feel like they are actually watching the conversation. The editing gives the audience time to assume that Billy is lying because of the fact that he isn’t looking at Frost.

Billy turns round to his dad and this is like a cry for help because Billy knows that he can count on his dad to look after him. This shows that Billy is very childlike because he is angry at the question and just wants the interview to end; this is show during the final shots of Billy as he becomes more and more restless about the situation. The fact that he try’s to cover up what his dad has said suggests that he is hiding something and the quick response tells the audience that he doesn’t want Frost to question him about where he was after his dads comment. The repletion of the words ‘didn’t see her’ tells the audience that he is trying to cover something up and he doesn’t want Frost to continue to ask him questions.