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Sunday, 1 May 2016

Regional Identity - Doc Marten Clip

Media Regional Identity essay


Throughout the extract clip of Doc Martin, regional identity can be seen through mise-en-scene, Camera shot, angles, movements, editing and sound. The extracts also features the use of Barthe’s narrative codes.
It is revealed in the first scene that Dr Martin isn’t of the area, that area being Cornwall. Regional Identity is shown within the extract through the mise-en-scene.  This is revealed through the accents displayed but mainly through the costumes that the characters are wearing. Dr Martin is wearing a suit showing himself to be higher of class compared to the workers who are revealed in the first to be wearing overalls implying a labouring job associated with a place such as Cornwall. Dr Martin’s regional identity is most likely derived from a big city such as London and due to his status as a Doctor from a big city, that would make him more important than a doctor simply from Cornwall.  This scene also features an action code in the mise-en-scene by showing a sink’s pipe bursting as an attempt to make the men in overalls from Cornwall appear incompetent and that they can’t properly fix the sink as they simply a jack of all trades, father son duo that are merely unaware of the job that they are doing.

Another way that regional identity appears to be prominent throughout the extract is through the use of camera shots, angles and movements. This can be seen evidently through the use of a wide shot that shows the two Cornish men below Dr Martin. One on the floor, the other sat down. Making the elder man appear lazy following the regional stereotype of Cornish people being particularly care-free. Due to the fact that Dr Martin is standing up he appears to be the more superior to the others making his regional identity the more prominent and powerful. A close-up of the younger man allows the challenging of the regional identity stereotype as he appears smarter as well as more fluent as opposed to his father’s clumsiness. An action code is used showing the sink bursting through a close-up to tell the audience what is happening. This is reflective in the fact that only Dr Martin attempts to fix the problem due to his better education, meaning that even when he is out of his depth, Martin still Knows better than that of the apparent lesser-minded workers of Cornwall.


In conclusion, it is evident that the frequent stereotypes of the people of Cornwall, presented in the extract are consistent in the sense that very few characters’ attempt to challenge these given stereotypes.

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