Coming down the mountain - Essay

The clip from Coming Down the Mountain is a representation of somebody with a mental disability. The first shot is a birds eye view of the bedroom. This shot shows the separation between the disabled child and his 'normal' brother. The disabled brother's side of the room is cluttered with toys and bright colours compared to his 'normal' which just has a plain and boring design. This would make the audience believe he is a young boy, however he is older than the assuming age but has the mental age of a child. This links with him being the stereotype of vulnerable because a child is vulnerable and he is being portrayed as a child.This scene also shows him asleep while the camera pans around his brother to show how he is being watched. This would suggest that he is vulnerable because his brother is plotting against him and he is unaware of it and could be attacked without him realising this. 

In the next scene it starts with a close up of the disabled boy's face whilst a happy and joyful soundtrack plays in the background. The close up has been done to show the lack of expression in his face and the clear disability which he has. The use of a joyful soundtrack suggests that the disabled brother is happy in his own world and has few problems to worry about. It then shows the able-bodied brother standing over him talking down to him. This composition has been down to show how the able bodied brother has more power than his disabled brother and can talk down to him without retaliation and therefore shows the vulnerability in the disabled brother because he is less powerful than his able-bodied brother. The able-bodied brother then refers to his brother as a 'big potato with eye tentacles'. Because the disabled brother has been refereed to as this also shows his vulnerability. As a 'potato' he would not be able to do much to look after himself and therefore will need support from others. His vulnerability is also shown through the way his parents talk to him and treat him. Although he has done something wrong, both parents side with him and talk to him in a soft voice. This would show his vulnerability because they are not being aggressive towards him and support him in the argument against his able-bodied brother. The disabled brother also says how he 'needs a poo' and the father immediately tells the able-bodied brother to help. This shows how the disabled brother is vulnerable as he cannot do simple tasks such as taking himself to the toilet without something going wrong. His vulnerability shown through the support of others. The scene also shows how the able-bodied brother has more prominence than his disabled brother. The able-bodied brother has more camera time and also motives more cuts. This prominence shows how the able-bodied brother is stronger and more powerful than his disabled brother and therefore the disabled brother is more vulnerable.

There are then shot shots of outside scenes. One of these scenes shows the able-bodied brother prentending to shoot his disabled brother. This shows his vulnerability because it makes it seem to the audience that he is an easy target and could easily be attacked. This shot also shows how the father is helping the disabled brother on his bike and he is wearing a helmet. Because he needs assistance to do an easy activity and also has a helmet shows how he is vulnerable because if he had no assistance he would have an injury, which is why he is wearing the helmet. Another of these shots shows the able-bodied brother high in a tree whilst his disabled brother is looking up at him eating an ice cream. The kite and ice cream are quite childlike props which show how the disabled boy is still childlike. His vulnerability is shown through this because as it is saying he is like a child, he is vulnerable, like a child would be.The location of this shot is also in a park. This location is often where children would be, showing again how the disabled boy has been represented as a child. As the brother is in the tree, there is a high angle shot looking down on the brother. The high angle shot is almost as though the able-bodied brother is looking down on him and also gives him less power. As he has less power he is more vulnerable. These shots also give the able-bodied brother more prominence through more camera time and motivated cuts. 

The final shot does not include the disabled brother, only the able-bodied brother, again showing his power and prominence in comparison to his disabled brother. This is because he has been made the main focus of the clip, not his disabled brother.

In conclusion, the clip of coming down the mountain reinforces the stereotype of vulnerable. This has been shown through different locations, props, camera work, sound and editing. The disabled brother has been made to look weaker than his able-bodied brother, showing how because of his disability he is not as important or strong as his brother.