Spooks

Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of ethnicity using the following

• camera shots
• angles
• movement and composition
• editing 
• sound
• mise en scene

The clip opens with the terrorist leader pacing around the two hostages. The non diegetic music is sombre and dismal, setting the tone for the scene and also indicating the terrorist is a dark evil man. He has authority which is shown through the low angle shots of him. The authority of the ethic man, challenges common representations of foreigners, for he is calling the shots in this scene, not the British agents. The shaky camera movements build the tense atmosphere in the scene, and represent the nerves of the British agents. The editing is linear and in this moment reaction-shot-reaction is used which raises the tension in the scene. The  mise-en-scene also adds to the atmosphere as we can see, there is an empty room, with dark old furniture and gloomy decoration, this blends with the sound and editing to make the scene more intense. Thus making the terrorist and his ethnicity, seem intimidating and dangerous, however later on in the clip this seems to change. As the scene progresses, so does the tension as the level of danger increases. The Iraqi man produces a photo in which shatters' the agent's confidence as well as her chances of negotiation. This is shown through the loud bass effects and a flash of white. This makes the audience alert and scared, adding to their negative relationship with the terrorist. One of the terrorists is seen grabbing an agent. He is large and muscular, going against the typical stereotypes of middle easterns: thin and small. A mix of close-ups and mid-shots are used when filming the sidekick, making the audience grow in fear of him as he is shown on an intimate level. The sidekick terrorist is dressed completely in black, giving him connotations of evil and darkness. We see the agent reading a script in front of the camera. Again shot-reaction-shot is used along with many close ups to make the scene more personal and intense.

The sound continues to be seedy and negative, however the atmosphere changes. The terrorist man reveals more human qualities as he lists the damage that the British forces have done. His voice is trembling and he appears emotionally wounded. This goes against common conventions of terrorists as they are often seen as merciless killers. One of the British agents is black, he is shown to be sharp and intelligent being in an important job, going against typical representations of foreigners being in less important jobs. He is also dressed smartly and speaks properly. He is shown to be a leader as he stands up to the two terrorists; this challenges common representations of foreigners being in the background. The shaky camera still continues throughout the scene, reflection the both the fear of the agents and the stressed nature of the terrorist. However later on in the clip, the non-diegetic music instead of being powerful and villainous presents much more of a sad tone, revealing all the damage that has been done in the past between the two countries. This takes away some of the evil that the terrorist has, showing him to be hurt and venerable.

The room is extremely dark, with harsh bright lighting seeping through the windows. This could represent that the television show is shinning a light on stereotypical represented ethic groups, showing a much more realistic account. Although the terrorist and his companion go against many typical representations of their ethnic race, the most common one still stands. That is that they are from Iraq and they are terrorist. Being from the Middle East comes with common prejudice of being a terrorist.