In this clip from the hugely popular British TV drama- Spooks, it is obvious that the ethnicities included in the clip are being represented in a certain way. Danny- the black character in the series, was represented in a very different way from the other characters who seem to be predominately white. For one, Danny is presented as being very wise and insightful; his dialogue says as much, as he speaks down to the terrorist and of how he could have been in the same spot as him if he had been born somewhere different, which again links in with cultural and ethnic identity. He’s also portrayed as being selfless, as his actions are being carried out for the sole reason of making the choice of who dies, a decision that ultimately sees Danny sacrificing his own life. He’s also seen as having a deep anger towards fascism, again shown by his dialogue towards the terrorist. Overall, he could be seen as the morally greater of the characters at that point, a fact that’s emphasized by the use of lighting in the scene; the light falls on the dominant side of his face. In contrast to this, the other characters, mainly the terrorists, have their faces hidden in shadow for the majority of the scene – used as a symbolic representation of the characters themselves and their morals.
Danny also may be seen to have a religious side: his actions reflect a lack of fear towards death and the music itself could mirror this as well – it’s emotional, deep and the vocals draw comparisons to Islam’s ‘Call To Prayer’. Religions, no matters if they’re wrong or right, tend to be morally just, exactly how his character has been represented here. His unflinching determination in his actions are also further emphasised by the frequent use of close ups on his face. However, the camera work seems to be representing what the characters themselves are focusing on at the various points. For example, when Danny is speaking, the terrorist is no doubt focusing on him, and a close up of his face is shown – likewise, when the woman is on the phone, a point of view shot is used as the camera focuses on the gun being cocked.
The majority of the scene is seen through Danny’s perspective; possibly signifying his great importance in the episode itself. This is highlighted towards the end of the scene, as even after he’s dead the camera shoots from a low perspective, which could suggest it’s still meant to be from his point of view. Overall, Danny seems to have been represented as refreshingly different from the classic stereotypical view of young black man in the media, which is usually negative; as he is presented as being morally just, intelligent, successful in his field and completely selfless.
However, in what could possibly be scene as a stereotype switch, the antagonist of the scene – the terrorist – is of an apparently Middle Eastern background, and is light skinned. This is a contrast from classical media stereotyping; where the dark skinned characters are the ones portrayed in a negative way or as the ‘other.’
An interesting thing to note for this character though is that he doesn’t live up to the typical stereotypical view of a terrorist. He’s dressed smartly in a suit, and speaks very eloquently, something you may not expect from a terrorist. His face is also in shadow for the majority of the scene, unlike Danny, which again could mirror his personal ‘dark’ morals. At one point, the light distorts and makes it appear as if his character is imprisoned in bars. This could have a number of connotations but on a simple level, it could be foreshadowing his future, which will be a difficult one that will ultimately lead to his demise. On the other hand, and more importantly, it could be representing the view of Danny, just like the point of view shots, giving us Danny’s insight, in seeing him as nothing more than a criminal.
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