Coming Down The Mountain

How does the clip challenge or reinforce positive or negative stereotypes of disability?

- Camera angles / shot types / camera movement
- Editing / cuts / pace / prominence / continuity
- Sound / dialogue / soundtrack / foley
- Mis En Scene / location / costume / performance

In the opening of the clip the camera pans around the physically abled brother to show his importance. In contrast when the mentally disabled brother is introduced for the first time the camera is still. This highlights how the mentally able brother's mind works continuously and functions well. It reinforces the negative stereotype that mentally disabled people are incapable. Numerous amounts of close ups are used on the disabled characters face to further bring to detail his abnormality, reinforcing negative stereotypes of disabled people being ugly and abnormal. High angles are used on the disabled character to show that he is inferior to the 'normal' brother who is shot from low angles to reflect power. When the family are sat together at breakfast the disabled character is in the middle which shows us he is the most important because he needs the most help which reinforces the stereotype of disabled people being incapable.

Editing is used in this clip to show a negative stereotype of disabled people. Slow edits and transitions are used to show distortion in the disabled character and give a feeling that something isn't normal. Juxtaposition is used a lot to show the contrast between the disabled and the 'norm'. Often the brothers are shown in the same shot but there is always spacing between the characters to show the distance between the disabled and the able bodied. The scene cuts to animals a lot of the time referring to the disabled brother as an animal.  

The prominent sound in the clip is the able brother. In addition to his negative tone and language this is used to make the audience empathise with him and understand how hard it is to have a disabled relative and how it affects his life in many different ways. It reinforces the negative stereotype of disabled people being incapable and extra effort. The dialogue of the disabled character is slow and sometimes irrelevant, which causes the audience to empathise with him and feel sorry for him, reinforcing the stereotype of disabled characters being incapable.

The establishing shot of the room shows two contrasting sides of the room. The disabled brothers half is messy and unorganised, symbolising the unorganised state of mind he has which reinforces the stereotype of them being incapable. Also the location of the shot is mainly in the house. This shows that disabled people are confined to the household because of their irrelevance in today's society and their inability to be socially accepted. This shows the vulnerability of the disabled character.