Regional identity in TV drama (our friends) clip analysis

The first scene of this clip involves one of the characters with a mild Newcastle accent jumping into the shot which is a mid shot, he is obviously trying to show to his other friends that are already seated at the table his fun and playful side. As they are both from Newcastle as well it gives a representation that the area and people are known to be stereotypically a lot more confident, outgoing and seen as jokers, however his accent seems to be toned down slightly as if the woman that he has arrived with and her regional dialect has influenced his speech. He is wearing a suit however it is made slightly informal as he is not wearing a tie and his shirt is not a high neck as would be expected at a formal meal.

 There is then a shot which includes all of the four main characters sat opposite from each other in pairs, this works as an establishing shot as we can see in the background that it is a formal restaurant style setting that is edited to look dark which is typical of a restaurant to create an ambiance or atmosphere that is slightly more romantic and warm especially with the use of candle lights and lamps on the tables. Another part of the mise-en-scene is the layout of the scene including objects being shown like the glasses of wine on the table and the fact that the characters are talking about possible meals they could have from a menu. This scene is also the catalyst of one of the representation that we can see through their regional dialect.

The woman who seems to be from London as she speaks standard English without using slang and is seen to be more upper class than the other characters is explaining a course from the menu in a French style accent to perfect her pronunciation however when the man opposite with the strong Newcastle accent struggles to say it and again makes jokes out of the situation that are not well received by the lady. This gives a representation that people from places that are seen to be upper class like London are less likely to take a joke, they are prim and proper and judge others who are seen as inferior to them, it also gives a representation that people from Newcastle and northern areas are uneducated and immature but also more likely to make jokes and not take life too seriously.

The lady from the midlands is wearing simple makeup and pearl earrings, her haircut is clean and simple and her outfit is modest with dark colours which are typically seen by someone from a richer or more upper class area as she obviously takes pride in her appearance and wants to appear to look classy which adds to the mise-en-scene created by costume and makeup. Another representation of the area in which she lives is that she seems to be permanently sipping from her wine class which is typically used in TV dramas to give the idea that the character is more mature or from a wealthy background whereas the other characters from Newcastle very rarely pick up their drinks.

An over the shoulder shot gives you an image from the characters perspective, and in this scene it is used to show the body language and facial expressions of the two characters with strong Newcastle accents. The man is seen to be fairly fidgety which could be seen as rude to the other characters, whereas she looks slightly intimidated by the woman she is talking too as she has her hands in front of her and her shoulders bent forward. He is also shown to be smoking which could be seen as rude as they are eating dinner and it’s often seen as a dirty habit and he interrupts the woman whose dialect is from a midland area which spurred more hostility from the woman who was very quick to correct him and make herself look superior, socially and morally.

The woman with the posh sounding accent also begins to talk about politics which is quickly changed by conversation started by the other characters; this represents her regional identity as being interested in social issues and topics that are generally seen as mature and upper class. Whereas the man from Newcastle is seen to say ‘how much are they then’ which gives the audience the idea that he is represented as ‘tight’ with his money or that he struggles financially maybe caused by his immature behaviour and general lack of knowledge.

Jumpcuts show the intensity of the situation as they begin to disagree, the sharp close up shots make the argument appear to be serious as it allows the audience to see their individual expressions to the situation, and in times of silence we are allowed to hear non diagetic sound of cutlery and plates in the background which make the scene feel awkward and tense adding to the mise-en-scene.