Final - Disability Clip

This scene from a BBC programme was created to represent disability. The first thing we hear is the non-dietetic voice saying 'last summer I decided to kill my brother’ followed by a birds eye view of the bedroom in which the brothers share together- it gives an overall shot of the scenery and displays the setting in which they live in which makes the clip more personal and relatable to the audience. The gloomy heavy music combined with the darkness we see on Gary's side of the room compared to his brother's lighter side emphasises the negativity surrounding David's personality, this is represented through the lighting of David's surroundings, the dark and gloomy side to his bedroom would suggest that his is a dark and cold person foreshadowing the defended emotion and anger. This automatically conveys to us that there is a narrator who is predominantly the main character in the programme which is emphasised as he is telling the story from his point of view, this also demonstrates the use of 'voice over' which is used during this clip. The high angle establishing shot highlights the difference in the characters as David looks extremely on edge whereas his brother looks relaxed and comfortable. We hear him talking about his plans in involving killing his brother-that is disabled which is very shocking to the audience – we question what sort of person David is to have that sort of emotion and thought of killing your own brother. He is displayed to be his brothers carer and obviously isn't happy about that situation in which he is in as they clearly have very different roles within the family home as Ben is signified to be the child with a disability who David has to spend his time looking after. The darkness around David accentuates that he is perhaps a dangerous character that needs to be looked out for whereas his brother is presented as the complete opposite and someone who is completely innocent and wouldn't hurt a fly which is a complete drastic difference of personality. The mid shot/panning of his brother Ben makes the audience sympathise him as he cannot help who he is and David doesn't seem to understand that, close up shots demonstrate a person’s emotions as it does in this close up where we feel sorry for the boy.

The next themes and stings music is used once again to set the scene, we are introduced to the family home through a establishing shot which establishes the scene to the audience, often giving information about where the scene is set which in this scenario displays the lack of money that the family have – the audience are able to gather this impression as the house is shown to be in the middle of an estate representing the family must struggle financially, this helps to emotionally attaches you to the family as you feel upset by the lack of money which they clearly have perusing a very negative attitude. The close up of the disabled brother Ben more so makes him seem weak and helpless in contrast to Gary who is superior in this situation, demonstrating who is shown to have power and who isn’t as such. The narrating voice of Gary portrays how he has to do everything for his brother and he’s getting fed up of it –the disabled brother is unable to do anything for himself as shown where he is sat in the centre of the dinner table, centre of attention while everyone around him has to do everything for him.

The establishing and long shots combined makes the kitchen seem like a negative place which is where they argue on a regular basis as it is the main area for any family. The constant synchronous drops and smashes of the kitchen food items on the table reflects the chaos that is in their home as of Ben’s disability and David’s anger towards him for this. Gary and his parents are constantly illustrated through long and mid shots, so that we can view their body language and facial expressions in contrast to the disabled brother who is just shown through close up shots which signifies his youth and hierarchy status in his family.

The establishing shot of the bus stop and diegetic car sounds of which are ambient reflect the surroundings of crazy and anger go on in both their lives. Ben is then seen through the unclear mirror of the bus stop, in contrast to Gary of whom we can see clearly and this highlights his disabilities and lack of being able to do normal, every-day things due to his disability, giving him a lower status in society because of his disability’s which is unfair in the viewer’s eyes that he is being conveyed this way.

We are then shown a series of various scenes displaying how his brother is learning things which many people learnt in their childhood – such as activities like climbing trees and going on bike rides representing the childish manor he has as a personality. Gary is then seen picking up a toy gun, pointing and aiming it at his brother and the synchronous sound of the non-diegetic ‘bang’ foreshadows his wish for his brother Ben to die, the shocking and disturbing actions of David create an image of the type of person he is through the way he acts. Relating back to the start of the clip where he says ‘I want to kill him’ David is being conveyed as a heartless evil person. In the majority of the shots of ben he is shown from beneath therefore displaying his position in the TV drama which contrasts to Gary and his family as they are shown as superior to him as they impact his life and are the cause of his actions as he is unable to control his own.

In the last scene of the clip, a close up and establishing shot is used to highlight the location of the school, the theme is used yet again to depict the atmosphere they’re in. We can see David taking the mick out of a fellow student in class of who is answering a question, we begin to believe this could be caused by the stress from caring for his brother and reflects how he cannot physically and emotionally take anymore and feels like his only option is to take it out on those around him at school as he feels like he can’t do it anywhere else – the build-up of caring for someone for so long is too much for David and this reflects the representation of disability to be very over whelming. David’s friend references ‘babysitting’ which connotes how the disabled brother is seen as a child by many people due to being unable to do the thing other children can do caused by his down syndrome. David gives his brother money to bribe him into not telling his parents that he had left him alone demonstrating his guilt and by using ‘chocolate’ as another way to lead his brother away from spilling the truth as it’s something he knows his brother will enjoy. Children laugh at the disabled child on the bus when he is on his own, and take the mick out of him whilst the clip ends with Gary narrating the scene again and discussing how he is unable to care for his brother anymore.