Criminal Justice scene

TV Drama
Analysing sequences in Criminal justice series one

How are the characters in the ‘prison scene’ portrayed with the usage of cinematography and mise-en-scene?

The prison scene of criminal justice features three main characters to introduce the audience to the sequences of the series.
These characters are; Freddie Graham (gang leader), Ben (main character) and Hooch (Ben’s cellmate).

Freddie Graham’s character is clearly portrayed as the gang leader in the scene- his voice is deep and unnerving when he is talking to Ben.
As Freddie is talking about the phone, he is holding it in his hand and twisting it around anxiously showing Ben his frustration and reasons for being angry.
The other characters around him are following Freddie, showing his dominance in the scene whilst laughing at Ben getting beaten up.
The camera shots illustrate this scene well as high angles show Freddie’s dominance as he towers over Ben, who is very scrawny and small holding his head down throughout. This represents the strengths and weaknesses between characters.
Props are also an effective element in the scene as Freddie sits down to watch Ben getting beaten up by one of his gang members.
The rest of the men are behind him and this represent’s Freddie’s character to be some sort of king in the prison.

There are over the shoulder shots, and shot reverse shots, to illustrate the character’s reactions when Ben is being confronted.
When this progresses into a fight, the camera follows the gang member who is beating up Ben using a tracking shot which builds up
the tension of the scene. When punches are thrown the camera uses rapid shots from a number of angles so the audience can have an insight at
the surrounding area. A long shot is also used in the scene to show the audience the policeman at the back of the room, of who is doing nothing
to help Ben’s situation. After the fight scene the camera uses a close up shot on the policemen and they are claiming to have seen ‘nothing’.