Analysing the representation of disability in a touch of frost

In this extract Billy is disabled and this is represented in certain ways throughout the viewing. To begin with his is shown as being inferior to the other characters such as Frost. At the beginning of the viewing he is being chased by the police, when they manage to catch him a high angle shot is used which makes us as an audience look down on Billy. The start of the extract also shows Billy being detached from society as he is walking alone; making the audience suspect that he has done something wrong. His movements are very awkward and he stumbles a lot when he runs. When the camera pans to his face his eyes are half closed and mouth hanging open, which could represent that he has a mental disability.

When Frost goes to Billy’s house he leaves his coat on showing that he doesn’t really want to be there. The lighting is always darker on Billy rather than frost connoting that Frost is a lot smarter than Billy. Billy rarely makes eye contact with Frost this portrays how Billy may feel uncomfortable and intimidated. The way that Frost talks to Billy is the same way that you may talk to a child as it is slow and patronising. Frost is assuming that Billy is incapable to understand just because he as a disability.

The camera angle that is used between Frost and Billy in the interrogation scene always represents them as being equal as they are never high or low angles. The conversation uses a shot reverse shot editing style including long shots and straight cuts. This allows the pace of the scene to be slow however creates intensity for the audience.  The close up shots let you see the characters expressions extremely well giving you a good insight into their emotions. This shows that Frost gets increasingly irritated with Billy who becomes a lot more defensive.

Performance wise, frost always speaks very clear and calm this represents him as being professional and in control of his emotions and actions. When he questions Billy he does however at certain moments become agitated loosing his temper causing his tone to become short and sharp. This may connote that Billy can’t answer the questions in the desired way as he has a lesser mental capacity than Frost therefore can’t answer the questions satisfactorily. At one moment Billy’s dad actually talks over Billy correcting what he says, and Frost and Billy’s dad have a conversation as if he was not there. This represents that Billy cannot talk nor think for himself. And shows that disabled people are over-ruled by others in society.