Thursday 9 May 2013

House of Saddam

This makes for an interesting clip to tackle - its British produced (actually a BBC/HBO co-production) and with a largely British cast, but set in Iraq, so taking the questions of ethnicity to some degree beyond British expectations and stereotypes. Nonetheless, its those British stereotypes and conventions we're using as a framework for reference.
What are the binaries present here? What stereo/countertypes are at play? Is there a clear sense of some character/s as "the other"? Is there any sense of a journey; of character development - moving further towards or away from narrow stereotypical roles/expectations?
The embed below features Arabic subtitles not present on the BBC transmission.
The clip we're addressing runs from 2:58:13 to 3:03:11.

Note details such as the use of angles and shot variation to strongly signify (anchor) the moving, fluid power relations at play.


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