In the extract from the show Hotel Babylon, the representation of the various ethnicities is used to follow and counter many of the typical associations that the public have with them, mainly due to heavy media influences and representations.
The extract, like many others on TV, suggest that it is white males that have all of the power in society. The white men are portrayed as being the strongest and their high rankings in society, being immigration officers, give them all of the influence in the extract. The police officers all being white reinforces this as it is very uncommon to see a ethnically balanced police force in most tv drama, even in shows with lead characters being of other ethnicities, such as Luther. The black character being arrested also serves the stereotypes that it is usually the white man dealing with the black man and arresting him. The extract does not just focus on representing the ethnic groups of the United kingdom, but also portrays gender inequality in society.
This is seen with the white woman being behind a desk, and following the orders of the white man, seen very often in most TV drama. The women in the extract are portrayed as being emotional and quick to panic. This is seen where the woman collapses and the Asian woman is seen as being very nervous and needing the help of the man. Men on the other hand are displayed as being very calm and methodical in stressful situations. This is most prominent in the case of the demeanour of the immigration officer and the quick thinking of the cleaner when the woman collapses. Furthermore, the way that the black man helps and nurtures the sick woman could be symbolic to the rankings in society in most tv drama, with the men being above the women, and this is no different from the stereotypes, with the man working above the passed out woman.
However, despite the extract following the common stereotypes seen in TV drama, the point of this is to be a counter type to the typical ways of which foreign men and women are portrayed. The immigrants are portrayed as the protagonists in the situation, whereas the immigration officers are seen as being the antagonists. This is a counter type most representations of both as the roles are usually reversed. This is done in order for the audience to feel sympathy towards the immigrants and to support them. Additionally the portrayal of black men in the extract is a counter type to the typical views of them mainly being thugs and less intelligent then white men in the TV drama. The black immigrant is shown as being a calm and smart man, able to deal with the high pressure situation they are in.
The representations in the extract can be identified through the camera angles, shots and the composition. Firstly, the camera angles used hint at the power of the characters in the scene. This is evident in the low angle shots used on the immigration officers. This suggests the power they have over the other characters and the danger they may bring. On the other hand, the immigrants are often in a high angle shot. This is used to suggest the weakness they have in comparison to the immigration officers, and through this, the extract portrays the stereotype of the immigrants being beneath the white men. The extract also uses a variety of shots to signify different meanings. One of these is the uses of a close up on the receptionist. This comes before any dialogue and is used to signify her importance to the scene before anything happens. Another use of shots is where the the immigration officers arrive. The uses of tracking shots are done in order to keep the immigration officers in the centre of the frame. This is done in order to show the importance of the officer and preludes to something that is about to happen. This is repeated with the Asian woman in order to reflect her own importance to the immigrants and staff. Furthermore, the director uses shot composition in order to symbolise the common stereotypes in tv drama. The most prominent example regards the immigrants being on the side of the frame , reflecting how they are portrayed as being very much out of the centre of attention and their lives spent hiding. This contrasts with the aforementioned central framing for the officer, as the white male characters are often in the centre of attention and subsequently the story or scene as well.
The mise en scene for the extract shows the stereotypical representation of different genders and ethnicities, and the items such as props, equipment and location can enhance the message. The extract uses contrasting clothing on the immigrants and the men and women in the hotel lobby. The immigrants wear dirty, run down workers clothes in order to show the viewer the tough work they have and their lack of wealth. On the other hand, the men and women in the hotel lobby are dressed very much in a formal way, wearing expensive suits and dresses which shows their wealth and a more relaxed atmosphere around work. By contrasting the clothing of the two groups of people, the viewer is likely to be more sympathetic to the immigrants due to their more hard working life. The two women, the white receptionist and the Asian woman, can be contrasted to highlight the representation of different ethnic groups through their clothing. While the white woman wears white clothing, which symbolises purity and light, the black clothes the Asian woman wears generates imagery of darkness and shadow. This could symbolise their two roles, how the receptionist is in the light and able to commute with the officers, and the Asian woman is in the dark and therefore interacts with the immigrants. The body language of the characters also represents stereotypes. The white officers display their confidence through their calm walking pace and the expressionless look as they arrest the worker. This makes the officers seem like a force of nature to the immigrants as they appear unstoppable. This causes the viewer to sympathise with the immigrants as they struggle against a superior force.
In contrast, the immigrants have body language that displays their helplessness, through the uses of shuddering worried expressions and their kneeling position in the hiding place. Furthermore, the locations used also symbolise the hierarchy in the hotel, with the white people occupying the wide open lobby with plenty of decoration and full of well dressed men and women. This suggests the wealth and superior influence the white people have over the immigrants. The immigrants are shown working in dirty and unsanitary conditions which greatly contrasts the lobby and suggests how the immigrants at unable to to pay for better working environments and that the white people have the power and control over them.
Sound is used to represent different groups through the use of music and the different tempos. The use of non diegetic music is important in order to create tension in the scene where the immigration officers arrive. The music begins slow but speeds up over time, coinciding with the accelerated editing and cuts, until it eventually peaks when they find the cleaner. It then begins to slow down when he is in custody. The way that the music is used generates imagery of a predator/prey relationship between the officers and the immigrants. Dialogue is also important in order to represent the stereotypes and counter types. Dialogue is used to assist a stereotype with the continuous use of foreign languages form the immigrants. The constant background talk in the kitchen could also symbolise how as people they are very much in the background and are not looking for attention. However, a counter type through dialogue is seen when the black man says that he was not always a cleaner. This is meant to not only incorporate humour into a tense situation, but questions the stereotypical assumption that black men are more suited to manual working jobs rather than intellectual jobs such as a doctor, usually portrayed as a white person in TV drama.
Additionally, the editing of the extract shows different stereotypes and counter types. The fast paced editing in the kitchen when the officers arrive is used to suggest the panic and intensity of the situation and the character's emotions as well. By using the fast paced editing, the extract gives the impression of the immigrants being very nervous about the officers and their power over the immigrants. Furthermore, the fast editing could reflect the Asian woman's internal panic and wild emotional state at that moment, further backing the stereotype that some are more emotional and panic quicker than men do. The extract also uses cross cutting between the two situations in order to create tension for the viewer, who wonders whether or not the immigrants will be caught. This is a continuously used technique in order.
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