Tuesday, 28 April 2015

Disability Analysis A Touch of Frost

In the first scene disability is represented in many different ways. The scene begins with a long shot and the location of the scene, which is a forest at midnight which makes the character, that the audience assume to be Billy, appear to be suspicious and creates an enigma code for the audience of why is he in the woods a such a late hour?. This represents disability in a very negative way because he is being associated with strange and odd behaviour, the sound also reinforces this because of the eerie sounds that feature in the music suggesting to the audience that something suspicious is going on, the music also reinforces the eeriness of the setting created by the low light used within the scene. The sense of suspiciousness is then continued in to the next shot which is a do on a lead that looks like a police dog this gives the audience even more reason to believe that Billy has done something wrong but it also continues the association between disability and strange  and possibly dangerous behaviour, due to the addition of the police dog to the scene this makes the audience believe that someone with disability may be dangerous and may need to be controlled. A medium shot of the policemen wearing high visibility jackets search the floor with torches has been used to show the audience that it is late at night and that they are looking for something in particular which also reinforces the idea that the first character is doing something suspicious and that he shouldn't have been doing because the police appear to be looking for something in the same area as him. The fact that the police appear to be looking for him reinforces the idea people with disabilities need to be controlled. A tracking shot is used to show Billy walking through the forest completely unaware of the police that are also in the woods. The shot changes to a reaction shot  showing how Billy looks towards the police, this reaction shot has been used to show disability as vulnerable as he appears to be scared of the police and what might happen to him. As the police spot Billy a tracking shot is used showing Billy running aware from the police, this suggests to the audience that Billy has done something wrong and represents people with disability as if they could be dangerous. When a policeman catches up with Billy and tackles him to the ground, this represents disability as being weaker and for needs to be controlled controlled. Once Billy is captured he beings to repeat the words 'I haven't done anything wrong' the fact that he is repeating the words suggests that he is scared and powerless within the situation, this is how disability is begin represented. The representation that people with disability need to be controlled is continued as Billy is pulled up and held by his collar. 

In Scene 2 when Frost appears to be talking to Billy's parents, Detective Frost calls Billy 'Mentally Subnormal' however he is corrected by Billy's father who uses the word 'handicapped' this represents people who are able bodied as being very ignorant towards whose who do have disabilities. Frost goes on to say that he will have to have another person the room so that he doesn't break the rules, this is a negative representation of people with disabilities as it suggests that they are unpredictable and need to be carefully handled. When Billy's mum enters the scene she says Billy will feel better if she is allowed to clean him up. This comments is a negative representation for people with disability because it makes them looks as if they are helpless and this will remind audiences of a small child depending on its mother for everything. The setting of the house gives the audience the sense of homeliness and it helps the audience to understand the kind of life Billy has. The prop of the washing up bowl carried by his mother shows that she is prepared for any situations and truly cares for Billy as she is willing to anything to make sure he is okay. 

In scene 3 when Frost and Billy's father enter the room, Billy's father instantly goes and kneels by the side of Billy and begins talking to him, this reinforces the idea of people with disability being child like and being treated like a child. When Frost begins talk to Billy he kneels down so he his lower than Billy, this action again reinforces the idea that people with disabilities are child like. Billy's body language also adds to the representation of disability as it makes Billy appear confused the is a negative representation of people with disability but also is reinforced by the way that his father explains to him what Frost whats to talk to him about earlier on the scene. The idea that people with disabilities are very child like 
is continued by the way in which Frost talks to Billy by using simplistic language while talking to Billy. Low lighting is used on Billy which makes him look dark and scary and this reinforces the idea that people with disability could be untrustworthy and may have a sinister side and my be untruthful, this is further reinforced by the fact that Billy is not constantly looking Frost in the eye. High key lighting is used when the camera is on Frost which is a contrast with the lighting used on Billy and this represents able bodied people as being trustworthy and genuine which is the complete opposite to the representation of disabled people. Inspector Frost has to ask Billy''s father to explain what Billy has said, this is very similar to what a parent may be asked to do again representing people with disabilities as very child-like and hard to understand. The fact that his father sit behind Billy shows that he is there to support Billy and look after him, he would not be there if Billy was not disabled and this causes a representation of disabled people are un predictable and in need of being controlled and this is the reason that Billy's father is sitting behind him.

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