The two races shown in this extract are Asian and British. By use of shot sequencing, camera angles and movements and editing they are represented as equal.
This extract opens with a high-angle shot of an Asian girl who is the suspect. This shot indicates that she is weak or unimportant, however as she stands up the camera pans up with her, keeping her central in the shot, therefore signifying that the action is revolving around her, and consequently that she is important, weather as a victim or an equal. From here there is panning across to an Asian police woman who is standing at the same level as her. This suggests that the two are equal, however as they are separated by the back of a male British officer, they are of opposing sides. The British police officer is not featured in this single panning shot until it smoothly becomes a tracking shot. This may indicate that he is considered of a higher class or importance than the two Asian women, however as he is in the same panning/tracking shot as them, he is supposedly equal to them. This may lead to the analogy that the two Asian people are not equal to the British man, however despite being of opposing sides, the two women are of the same race, so are therefore equal. In contradiction to this, there are two-shots of the two police officers. This suggests that although they are of different races they are equal. As the suspect is of the same race as the police officer, the immediate representation of the suspect is not a reflection on racial (in)equality.
Throughout this sequence the Asian suspect and the Asian police officer are opposite each other, and never in the same frame. This is obviously no reflection on race as they are of the same race; however the British police man is also never shown in the same frame as the suspect. Although he is shown in the same frame as his Asian co-worker, indicating that they are equal despite racial differences. Also a close-up on him is always matched with a close-up on the suspect. This suggests that they are equal, as are the suspect and the Asian police woman, as their close-ups are also matched.
In the interview there is an Asian man, in the background, sitting beside the Suspect. He is only ever shown in shots with the suspect; never in the same shot as either police officer, Asian or British. A two-shot of the police officers is always matched with a two-shot of the suspect and the Asian man. This indicates that the two Asians are represented as being opposed to the police, possibly linking to the racial stereotype of Asian terrorists. The Asian man is sitting opposite the Asian police woman; however they are never in the same shot. This denotes that they are against each other because she is an authoritative figure, representative of law and order, not because of race. He is also wearing a turban, stereotypically linked with terrorism, where she is in a police uniform. The Asian man and Asian officer are both quiet during the interview, where the suspect and the British man are talking intensely. This indicates that the Asian man and officer are against each other, where the British officer and the suspect are against each other. This could be representative of two rifts in society; the rift between figures of authority such as police officers, and civilians, or possibly terrorists, and the rift between British and Asian people. The British Officer and the Suspect both appear closer to the camera and higher in the frame, so are represented as more important than the other pair.
When the British man says “…interracial harmony,” the focus is on the Asian police woman, therefore suggesting that there is interracial harmony between the police officers, however this may not be so in the case of the suspect. The British police officer says, “I don’t do racism”, this is reinforced by a close-up on the Asian police officer directly after he states this. There is then a close up on the suspect. This may indicate that he is equal to her as well as to his colleague.
All of the editing and sequencing in this clip indicates that the Asian characters are equal to the British man, the only factor changing their equality is the police officer’s power and authority. In general this extract uses a range of techniques to represent race equally.
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