Tuesday 8 March 2011

Spooks - ethnicity representation

How is ethnicity represented in this extract?

This extract represents ethnicity in two very different ways in my opinion. The first is suppose to make the viewers feel hatred and anger at the terrorists featured in the clip. The terrorist group leader kidnapps 2 of the characters, killing one of them, and then in the extract we see him pour fuel over the remaining female captive. We also see him telling the woman that her children will be able to watch a video of her being burned on the internet when they are older. This is showing the viewers that this man does not care who he hurts or kills to get what he wants and making the viewers feel anger towards him. This character is portrayed in a very negative way and makes the viewers feel dislike and anger towards him. However the female terrorist is represented in a very different way. In the clip we see that she has a bomb inside her. At first the viewers would probably think she is a bad character however we see that she has basically been forced to do this attack. It is revealed that this character has had her whole family killed by the British/American army in the war. In the clip we see her say that she doesn't want to do this and starts crying. Eventually she hands over the detonator and tells the MI5 officer where the captive is being held. This character makes the viewers feel very differently to how the other terrorist did. We are made to feel empathy towards her and feel sorry for what has happened to her. It also suggests that not all terrorists are how we would stereotypically expect.

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