Doc Martin

Discuss the way the extract constructs the representation of REGIONAL IDENTITY.

In media, regional identity is often vividly represented, depending on the location in which the programme or character is set/ from. In the clip provided we are presented with the fictional seaside village of Portwenn- which is set in Cornwall. This part of England upholds the stereotype that the citizens live in a rural area and are often in farming positions. The representation of the regional identities of the characters both conform and disagree with conventional ideas of this area.

The establishing shot presents a scene with a limited colour pallet- the lighting is dim which encourages it to appear dreary and dingy. This could be representative of the fact that members of this seaside town are likely to uphold jobs in manual labour, which are hard and demanding, therefore the shades of greys, dark greens and browns symbolise the monotonous routine of their everyday life's- it is repetitive and dull (much like the colours surrounding them). The camera is positioned at a low angle, so we are able to fully view the sink which the two plumbers are attempting to fix- emphasising their working class occupations. This angle also forces the audience to look up to Doc Martin- we become aware that he is the superior character, in both class and also importance. The shot is in deep focus as both the plumbers and Doc Martin are in focus so we are able to fully analyse the differences between their characters, such as their clothing which appears vastly different as Doc Martin wears a smart suit and the plumbers are dressed in overalls (this portrays a contrast in the importance of their occupations). A conventional two shot is intruded on by Doc Martin- this creates almost a feel of discomfort and awkwardness surrounding his character, he is out of place almost. The fact that they are in the foreground and he is in the background also distances his character from them. This draws upon the stereotype that small villages possess incredibly intimate communities, to the audience Doc Martin is disconnected from this it seems. Continuing from this Doc Martin questions the two plumbers about a certain aspect of their regional dialect to which the father plumber responds in a rather confident, however ill- informed manner. The scene composed here remains on the screen for a while, creating a long take which allows the audience to fully establish that the father is babbling and stuttering, he lacks intelligence which encourages him to be portrayed in an inferior light to Doc Martin. It is evident that he isn't equipt with great knowledge due to the diegetic dialogue in which he says 'well it's kind of like... well the thing is.. okay now what happens is'- however he attempts to appear that he knows what he is talking about. Perhaps, it could be interpreted that he is aiming to impress Doc Martin as he is an outsider and this may persuade him to view his character in an admirable light, we can connote from this that they are not used conversing with people from outside of their area. The dialogue also presents inequality between the characters, not only the father plumber and Doc Martin but also the younger plumber and his dad. It's apparent that the father is linguistically deprived. He continues to refer to his son as 'boy' which could perhaps be sociolect but however, also presents the idea that he is mentioning him in a derogative manner and undermining his sons impressive and unexpected knowledge. The younger plumber does not adhere to regional stereotypes, unlike his father, he is an unconventional character in this sense. It is commonly presumed that in small villages many businesses are family trades, this is represented in the clip as the son is following in his fathers trade. However it is apparent he is capable of greater things but has merely been trapped in a life of manual labour. His dialogue allows us to see this when he comments that 'it could be a Literary reference,' and 'paints Bodmin moor as a Gothic symbol of murder and madness.' This part of the clip lacks non diegetic music, creating a sense of realism and accentuating the focus on the conversation based scene.

Proceeding from this the boy continues to appear wiser, obtaining excessive common sense in comparison to hi father who seems passive, almost in a dream-like state. His dialogue strengthens our understanding of his great knowledge, both in his job as a plumber and also not, he says 'no dad, not that one,' at which point a pipe bursts. At this point Doc Martin loses his composure and a sophisticated element of his character collapses. His dialogue begins to be stuttered and panic ensues. The diegetic parallel sound of both the tap and the ringing of the phone add to an atmosphere of hectic chaos which the father fails to respond to- making his character appear especially laid back which is what we expect concerning his regional identity. However Doc Martin is more agitated by the situation as he is used to a fast paced environment and is programmed to react to situations almost instantly due to the lifestyle we connect with his character. The boy and the Doctor manage the situation, it appears they are more intelligent- whereas the more conventionally rural citizens appear calmer and less urgent. We are presented with a shot of the corridor which is in selective focus on the receptionist, however we view the young plumber answering the phone in the background of the shot to show that he is assisting Doc Martin in solving the issue, we can connote from this that he is more proactive and responsive. A medium close up of Doc Martin's displays that he is infuriated and is finding the characters lack of intelligence incredibly tedious. This shows the viewer that he is increasingly more uptight than the other characters in the scene. He is not familiar with such laid back attitudes, this continues to differentiate him from the rest of the community. This is followed by a reaction shot of the receptionist which allows us to understand that she is not used to such fiery personalities as her expression appears perplexed. Time is compressed as a jump cut is used to present us with a following pan of Doc Martin and the dog which has just intruded in the previous scene. The following pan technique allows us to see his character from the front so we can view the annoyance of his character and also the way in which he briskly walks along at a faster pace than the other extras in the background of the scene, we can interoperate that he is used to a more exciting life of 'hustle and bustle' in which it is necessary to rush about. It appears that he hasn't adjusted to a slower pace of living, he is yet to familiarise himself with the lifestyle of Portwenn. Pleasant non diegetic music is played as he drags the dog to the polices station which is juxtaposed with the attitude of Doc Martin, he is annoyed yet the music is cheerful. This could be representative of the attitudes of the town and how he is rather more cynical than the citizens in the small seaside town. He is a binary opposite to the majority of the villagers, especially the father plumber as we saw in the previous scene.

We are introduced to the next section of the clip with the camera panning up from the policemen's feet allowing us to see he is in a position of authority, he is respected by the small, intimate community in which he lives. However the scene that follows shows Doc Martins disregard of his role in the village as he appears fairly impolite and rude. His abrupt dialogue demonstrates this lack of interest for the policemen's importance within their society 'look, listen, I'm not interested in your opinion as to whether I seem a bit lonely... It's just a dog.' A swift jump cut to a following scene and the compression of time here emphasises blunt and brusque tone. Alongside the younger plumber, we also encounter another unconventional villager however unlike his character she speaks in standard English like Doc Martin and doesn't share the vivid accent that the other citizens possess. It becomes apparent that she views herself as perhaps 'a cut above the rest' and she can see similarities between her and Doc Martin. The fact that she is of a higher class is represented by both her dialect and also her clothing as she is dressed in a red velvet blazer, which juxtaposes with the outfits of the other, more conventionally regional characters. A following pan of a two shot, which appears to be filmed on a hand held camera, shows that Doc Martin is in a rush, he can't stop to talk so the woman (and consequently the audience and the camera) walk with him, this corresponds with my previous comment about his fast paced lifestyle. The fact it is a two shot creates intimacy surrounding the secretive conversation which is about to ensue, she hopes for a favour and the dialogue seems private. Doc Martin attempts to avoid having to indulge in conversation with her by merely saying 'I'm not quite set up yet'- it appears he is a reserved individual unlike the stereotypical ideas of people from small, rural villages. She responds to this by saying 'no of course not, I'll come and see you when you're ready'. It seems she hopes to be socially desirable to him and therefore attempts not to appear annoying by nagging him. The following dialogue of her character 'you're just what this community needs,' demonstrates that she yearns to impress him, perhaps she hopes to associate herself with another outsider who differs from the conventional country people. Throughout this conversation both characters are viewed at eye level, denoting they are equal in class perhaps and share a similar regional identity. The composition of the shot displays rolling hills of countryside in the background, reminding the audience of the rural surroundings and how these two characters contrast to this environment. This is a long take, which allows the audience to see that she has to plead for his attention as he is a fairly dismissive character and doesn't care for the affairs of others lives, unlike the majority of conventional villagers.

In the final scene of the clip we are provided with a long take as he walks past the school. The camera angle almost appears canted as the pavement slants creating ideas of disorientation. This is reinforced by the non diegetic music which appears fairly quirky, we can connote that he is out of his comfort zone and appears confused by the surroundings and other characters. A jump cut positions the audience with the shot of an old lady unloading produce from a vehicle. The vegetables are in shallow focus at the foreground of the shot, displaying ideas of a self sufficient community, in which farming is focal (this agrees with conventional ideas of rural society). The woman is dressed stereotypically, wearing a green gillet. This magnifies our perception that the heart of the seaside town revolves around manual, physical jobs, and very few people uphold 'important' positions. Sophisticated jobs are stereotypically connected to the city, whereas the countryside provides less intellectually demanding occupations. We encounter slow tracking towards the characters, Doc Martin and the old lady, as he helps her unload the food from the back of the van. The director may have included this slow tracking to encourage the audience to realise that the conversation becomes more intimate- the old lady's dialogue reveals this. 'Her name is Louisa Glason by the way, the teacher.' Both the camera tracking and also this dialogue strengthens ideas that small communities like to gossip and it also creates the sense that we are eaves dropping as we draw closer to the conversation.

Overall I feel the Doc Martin clip provided both adheres and also opposes conventional ideas of regional identity. Some characters appear vividly representative of common stereotypes of rural communities- such as the father plumber, the woman at the start and the old lady near the end. However the younger plumber and the more upper class woman do not agree with what an audience may expect in a character from a small seaside town. Doc Martin himself is fairly conventional throughout, displaying blunt, dismissive and tense characteristics.