To watch the clip, you can follow the link below:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VG5GJQjyGo
In this clip, the stereotyping of ethnic minorities and immigrants is reflective of the stereotyping that occurs in society. During the clip, the hotel is being raided by the immigration authorities.
Near the beginning of the clip, when the immigration authorities first enter the hotel, the camera pans across the foyer and reception to show the setting and give the audience a broad view of what the hotel is initially like. The mise-en-scene consists of bright lighting to bring out the light colours of the walls. This connotes a happy atmosphere, and the use of light colours connotes something fresh and new. The mise-en-scene also includes some paintings on the walls and abstract furniture, along with quite a few glass objects, such as vases and chandeliers. The fact that the hotel consists of these objects, gives the implication that it is a very modern and high quality hotel with high standards. This is complimented by the way in which the manager, who is a white female, is dressed; in a smart, white suit, giving the connotations of also being quite sophisticated and of a higher status. However, this is in contrast to the immigration officers, who are all white males, and are dressed quite plainly and in dull colours, which implies that they are mysterious characters, which in turn makes the atmosphere less cheerful and more dark and suspicious. This is also emphasised by the background music which is played as the immigration authorities approach the manager at the reception desk. This is because the music begins quiet and slow-paced, subtly played in the background; but when the camera cuts to the scene with the immigration officers, the music becomes slightly louder and more fast-paced, and can be noticed more, and can create tension within the audience.
In the clip, when Jackie, who is in charge of the hospitality staff, (which includes the immigrants), is told by her colleagues that there is an immigration raid about to happen, the audience is able to see her office. The mise-en-scene of her office is very cluttered and quite plain, consisting of quite a lot of cardboard boxes and stationary equipment. This is in contrast to the way she is dressed, as she is in smart business-wear, making her appearance quite sophisticated, and suggesting that she has some type of authority within the hotel. She is also of an ethnic background, which is significant because although she is seen as quite a higher status and professional, her office suggests that despite all of this, she may still have quite a low level of authority in terms of the broad range of staff at the hotel.
During the panic of hiding the immigrants, one of the female workers faints. The person in charge does not know what to do in the situation and therefore, her superiority over the immigrants decreases. Another worker takes control of the situation, although the camera angle remains low, which connotes inferiority. This is until he mentions that he "wasn't always a cleaner". This gives the implication that in his country of origin, he was someone of authority, as he had a medical background. This realisation, by both the audience and the previously superior character, is represented through the camera, as there is a transition from the low angle shot to an eye-level shot. This suggests that this kind of behaviour and knowledge would not have been expected of an immigrant and someone of a lower class, and due to his expertise and ability to take control of the
situation, he became of an equal status to that of the original person in authority.
After the immigration raid, when the workers have found out that another co-worker has been caught and taken by the authorities, there is a short scene in which a person of authority is seen emptying the locker of the captured immigrant with some workers watching in the background. The positioning of the shot is such that the person of authority is in the foreground in sharp focus as a medium close-up in the far right of the shot. Whereas the other workers are grouped together in the background in slightly less sharp focus as a mid-shot, taking up the majority of the rest of the screen shot. This subtle use of camera positioning allows the audience's attention to be drawn to not only the person of authority, as she is seen as the larger subject in the shot, but also the immigrants, as they are grouped together and take up most of the screen space. The positioning of the characters also creates a sense of the situation being 'them and us'. This is also shown by the fact that the person of authority is a white female, seen on her own, well-dressed, taking control of the situation, which all give the connotations of someone who is independent, sophisticated, well-educated, and of a higher status. This is in contrast to the immigrants who are grouped together, dressed in plain uniforms, all of an ethnic background, and only being able to watch what is going on in the background. This description gives the connotations of people who are more dependent on each other and of a lower status.
Towards the end of the clip, the camera crabs across a scene in the workers' dining area. The mise-en-scene consists of very little, making the setting look quite plain and dull. This, therefore, gives the audience the implication of quite an unhappy atmosphere. This reflects the way in which these immigrants are treated compared to the 'front-of-house' staff who are represented as being of a higher status. The contrast between the main hotel, which is decorated with high quality furniture, and the workers' dining area, which is dull and completely bare, shows the clear divide between the immigrant workers and the English workers.
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