Regional identity is portrayed in a number of ways in the Doc Martin Clip through use of camera work, sound, editing and mise-en-scéne. The first way in which regional identity is shown is through the use of costumes. Throughout the clip, the people of the village all seem to wear very informal clothing, such as boiler suits, whereas Doc Martin is wearing a very formal blue suit. This helps us to understand that Doc Martin is not used to wearing informal clothing, even in an environment where it is seen as normal to, and seen as abnormal to wear a formal suit. Also, those with formal clothing also tend to be higher class than those with informal clothing, giving the audience an idea as to what background Doc Martin is used to.
A second way in which regional identity is shown to the audience is through the use of décor. The fact that there is a broken sink suggests that the houses are not very well put together, (which is then emphasised through the fact that the sink starts to spray water everywhere). The fact that Doc Martin seems surprised at the trouble with the sink suggests that he is not used to things breaking in such a manner, indicating that where he is from is quite unlike where he is now.
Body language also plays an important role in showing how relaxed the people of the village are. One of the plumbers is slumped in his chair when he is supposed to be working, suggesting that the people of the village are very laid-back and are not required to work very hard. Doc Martin, however, is used to presenting himself in a smart way, so he stands up and walks in a very grand manner, which clashes with the way the people of the village stand and walk.
The next way in which regional identity is represented in the clip from Doc Martin is through the use of sound. Diegetic sounds can be heard (sounds in which both the characters and the audience can hear) whenever Doc Martin is outside. Seagulls are commonly associated with the beach, and therefore the country, allowing the fact that the setting is in a country village to be reinforced into the minds of the audience without directly telling them constantly, through use of dialogue. Another example is the loud barking of the dog, which is used to show chaos within the home, and adds to the stress of Doc Martin due to its loudness. Non diegetic sounds are also used (sounds in which only the audience can hear). An example of a non diegetic sound is the soundtrack. When Doc Martin is walking the dog through the village, quite a snobbish piece of music is played over the top, which suggests that he thinks himself above the village.
Dialogue plays an imperative part in the representation of regional identity. The village appears to have their own words and vocabulary to use in certain situations that Doc Martin is unaware of, so he must ask some inhabitants of the village what particular words mean. This is to remind the audience that Doc Martin is not used to the environment of the country, and seems to be confused as to why he doesn't understand a certain word. Another way dialogue is used to portray Doc Martin's lack of knowledge about the countryside and the people that live there is when the woman convinces him to sign her a prescription in a few words (when, to begin with, he was adamant that he set himself up and got used to the village first). This suggests that the people of the village are clever, and might have the belief that they are more intelligent than Doc Martin (due to the fact that they can persuade him so easily). However, Doc Martin seems to hold the belief that he is above the people of the country, for example, in the line "you can get out of here or go and find a mop and figure out how to use it". Also, Doc Martin is very well spoken compared to the inhabitants of the village, who speak with what would be described as a stereotypical farmer's accent (southern accent).
An example of an editing technique that worked effectively was during the scene with the broken sink. Many angles are shown of each character in the room in a short amount of time, even introducing a dog that enters the house. This is effective, for it gives the situation quite a chaotic feel to it, but only from the Doctor's point of view, due to everyone else in the room apparently remaining calm about the problem. Also, the fact that the Doctor was standing above the two plumbers, and then within a few fast shots he is below both of them, panicking, shows that when faced with a situation that the people of the country may not be particularly bothered by, he reacts strongly. This difference indicates that the urban norms are less use to malfunctions such as this, which those from rural areas may face on a daily basis. A jump cut is used to end this scene and introduce a new one, which also introduces more of the setting.
Setting is also very important when trying to show regional identity. The village is shown to have quite small establishments, such as the police station. The fact that it is small is further emphasised through the struggle Doc Martin has with actually entering the building (the entrance is very narrow). In the police station, a hoover is a prop used by a policeman who appears to have nothing else to do except clean, which could be interpreted as suggesting that there is a severe lack of crime within the small village.
Finally, camera angles are used to represent regional identity in a manner of different ways. At the very beginning of the clip, a low angle of the three men in the room is shown. It could be argued that this shot was used to allow the audience to interpret who is of higher status, due to being psychically higher up. In this instance, the Doctor is the highest, followed by the older plumber, and then the plumbers son. A tracking shot of Doc Martin is used when he is walking the dog to the police station, which is effective, for it shows a vast amount of the village as he walks through it, allowing the audience, again, to see how odd Doc Martin's suit and behaviourisms look in this environment. When talking to the plumbers, a high angle of the man slumped in the chair is used to perhaps show inferiority due to where he lives, and a low angle of Doc Martin is used to show his authority due to where he is from being perceived as better, or of higher status than the country. Similarly, a low angle is shown of the policeman to show his authority, and a high angle is shown of the dog to show its inferiority to Doc Martin (which is further emphasised by the fact that it backs away from the camera). Also, the shot of the woman and the Doctor discussing the description is quite long, which allows the audience to yet again see more of the environment, hear more diegetic sounds and see how relaxed the village is compared to what the Doctor is most likely used to.
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