How is disability represented in the opening sequence of coming down the mountain?

How is disability represented in the opening sequence of coming down the mountain?

In the opening sequence of coming down the mountain, disability is presented through the use of mise-en-scene. We are firstly introduced to the character Ben, he is the disabled brother who is shown tho be very innocent. However, he is also represented to be a burden on everyone else. he relies on his brother and parents for pretty much everything, we see how vulnerable he actually is which makes his representation even more realistic. Then we are introduced to the character David, he is shown to be the abled brother, who on the outside is shown to act like he doesn’t really care much about his brothers disability, however on the inside we can all see that he does care for his brother. David is shown to be a stereotypical teenager in the sense he put his popularity status over his brothers needs, so he ditched his brother to go to a party. He is shown to always be getting annoyed, aggravated and frustrated with his brother  and is very impatient with him. Then we are introduced to their parents. We can learn how they care more for Ben than they do for David. They make David to be like a second career to Ben outside the house. They are shown to be realistic yet stereotypical parents in the sense that they appear to take favour on the more vulnerable, innocent child, Ben. In the first scene, we are immediately shown tat David and Ben share a bedroom, this could be a reason why David gets annoyed at Ben very quickly because he never leaves his side. At the breakfast table, we can see that Ben and his parents are on one side of the table and David on the other. This represents how the parents demonstrate favouritism. We ca also see how Ben is always standing behind David, again representing how he is a burden. These are some ways of how disability is presented through mise-en-scene.

Through the use of the camera techniques, we are shown how disability is also presented in the opening sequence. In the first moments of the film, a birdseye view shot is used, looking down on David and Ben’s room. We can see how their room is divided in half down the middle, with Ben’s side being bright and messy, and Davis’s side being dark and simplistic. Showing how childlike and  immature Ben is compared to David. At breakfast the use of a close up shot presents Davids scorn and anger towards Ben and his reaction to being asked to look after him. Also at breakfast, we see a close up of Ben stealing a sausage from his fathers plate, and how he gets away with it, whereas David gets shouted at for asking for the cereal box, this could again show how their parents favour their disabled child. The use of low angle shots gives the father power as he orders David to help Ben in the bathroom, just like a career would. Through the use of a high angle shot, we can see the difference between the abled and disabled child of Ben eating ice cream like a small child, and David high up in a tree acting like the adult. This shows us how disability is presented through the use of camera techniques.

Disability is also presented in the opening sequence through the use of editing techniques. The use of eye line match at the very beginning of the scene shows Ben fast asleep in a very slobbery manner and David wide awake before the alarm. This shows the binary position between the abled and mature with the innocent and disabled. Through the short, bread montage of the evolution of time, we can learn that David is trying to understand Ben’s disability.  Also through the use of quick cuts, we are shown how Ben is centre of attention in their family and that actually David could be the one seen as a burden because his parents favour Ben because of his needs. The use of a montage is used again, showing Ben and Davids every day routine before school, and how Ben would be lost without David because he protects him from stranger and anything unknown. This shows us how the use of editing is a key feature in presenting the theme of disability.

Sound techniques are also used in the opening sequence of ‘coming round the mountain’ to present disability. The use of non dietetic songs with lyrics that say ‘wouldn’t it be nice if we were older’ signify that David wants to move out in order to gain more freedom so that he no longer has to be Ben’s career. This non dietetic sound is supposed to echo David’s thoughts. Also, the diegetic dialogue tells us that Ben wants to go on the same holiday every year because he likes the ice cream and is a creature of habit. Also, this shows us that because Ben is the favoured brother because of his disability, he gets to choose where the family holiday each year. Towards the end of the scene at school, the diegetic dialogue between Ben an David tell us that David is bribing Ben to home on his own so that David can go to a party, however the non diegetic voiceover tells us that Ben and David have never been more than a quarter of a mile apart, and that this was the first time David had ditched Ben. This is one way how disability is presented through the use of sound techniques.

To conclude, Disability is presented through the use of mise-en-scene, camera techniques, sound techniques and editing techniques. From analysing the opening sequence we have learnt how Ben is treated far better than David, but is also actually a burden on their family and David in particular.