Representation of Ethnicity - Essay

How ethnicity is represented in the TV Drama 'Hotel Babylon'

 

   In both the mise-en-scene and camera work ethnicity is presented to show higher and lower status for different cultures. It also shows change in some characters personalities and how they use their ethnicity as an advantage.

A higher status for the black man in the suit is denoted in an over-the-shoulder shot when he is in dialogue with an old friend. Although, despite him doing well for himself it does show the change in his character going from a confident business man to the body language of an embarrassed person. The costume, voice and hair of his friend suggest that this is who he surrounded himself with therefore how he possibly used to act. The difference is that he is now dressed more formally than the other, suggesting he is doing well for himself but may be embarrassed in the eyes of the other, as his ethnicity is not stereotyped to a particular job like this, therefore he may have been afraid of what his friend would think of him.

Another representation of higher and lower status in ethnicity is shown from another over-the-head shot of the Chinese man in his hotel room sitting down, with two white maids standing up in front of him. This shot allows us to see the Chinese man’s point of view of the situation and signifies to the audience that he has control over the two white women, implying he has a higher status. Mise-en-scene also visualises representation in ethnicity of higher status in the Chinese man’s bedroom also, although instead it shows the setting. The man has an animal printed throw on the bed, signifying that he may be getting ready to be involved with sexual intercourses in the bed telling us the maids are there for a different reason. His positioning on the bed also implies to the audience that he is again in control over the whole situation.

In the first scene of the short clip, we see the black man who works in the hotel serving the white man resting in a deckchair by the poolside. The costumes and lighting connotes a large implication of higher and lower status. The lighting is directly focused on just the white man in this long-shot and we can see just his facial features and not the black man. Also, the white man is surrounded by the setting of white furniture, white walls and his costume is also white. Comparing this to the black man in his black suit costume, this shows the white man has the higher status due to the focus being all on him.

The use of lighting on hierarchy characters is used in another scene of when the white man and woman are having a conversation with the chef in the kitchen. We can see the white characters are presented with lighting shone directly onto their heads, whereas the Mexican man is not suggesting the white characters have the higher status.