Representation of Regional Identity

Mise-en-Scene:

The scene opens with a set of characters that differentiate in a number of ways. The two locals are dressed in work clothes while Doc Martin is dressed in a suit. This shows the audience that there is difference in class between the characters and enforces a the stereotype that all city workers are involved in high-class jobs while country side workers have lower class jobs. The scene also shows the two locals to be more relaxed in their body language compared to Doc Martin's stern and wound tight body language. This is suggesting to the audience that people who work in the city are extremely wound tight while the countryside characters are laid back. The workers laid back character is further expressed to the audience by showing him eating a sandwich, even while the sink is spraying everywhere he is still eating This shows that he is not phased by the situation at all and shows a contrast to Doc Martin who is rushing to fix the problem. While walking outside we can see that this is a seaside town judging by the older building design and the use of fishing nets being placed in shop windows. This further shows that Doc Martin is out of place in this location due to his modern look within the countryside backdrop. This point is further promoted in a later scene where an old wooden box is seen carrying local produce. This shows the audience that this is an isolated and self sufficient area compared to a location like London. There is a scene that shows Doc Martin taking a dog to a police station. This implies that this town is again quite different to a city like London and is quite safe to the point where the police can spend time taking care of a stray dog.

Camera Work:

When the scene begins we can see that a low angle long shot is being used for the three characters. This shows the audience that the two locals are being represented in a lower position of power and class, compared to Doc Martin's character due to the order of height among the characters. There is a point in this scene when one of the locals reveals to the audience that he is actually quite well educated by referencing a book, this is represented in the form of a tilt. The use of a tilt shows the character rising into Doc Martins level of intellect and status. At another point in the scene the status changes again in the form of a high angle shot facing down to Doc Martin. This shows that the local characters have shifted the power by having knowledge over Doc Martin. A tracking shot is used when Doc Martin is escorting the dog. The pace of the tracking shot reflects his frustration with the locals and further implies that Doc Martin is of a higher intelligence than the other characters and is easily frustrated by their incompetence. A medium shot is used when Doc Martin is talking to the policeman. In this shot, Doc Martin is shown pointing at the policeman. This is seen as a violent gesture and shows the audience that Doc Martin clearly thinks that he has a higher power and status that the locals. A series of close-up shots are shown throughout the clip of all characters. We can see a contrast between the regional identity of of Doc Martin and the locals as a result as they highlight Doc Martin's frustration an the locals relaxed facial expressions.

Sound:

Immediately we can hear the diversity between the accents of the characters, Doc Martin is well spoken and has a commanding tone to his voice while the locals have a thick accent and use slang words. The gap between the two accents is used to make the locals seem less intelligent and to imply that Doc Martin is of a higher status and class. We can see in one scene, the female worker is talking about a topic that is completely inappropriate in the workplace. This shows the audience that the locals are not very professional in comparison to the  During the scene of Doc Martin walking, the asynchronous sounds of seagulls can be heard. This shows that this is a countryside area and further highlights that Doc Martin clearly does not belong to this area. More variation in dialect between characters is shown when Doc Martin is approached by a character from the same region. While the locals refer to him as Doc Martin, the woman refers to hime as doctor. This implies that characters from the city are smarter than the locals. The music in some scenes is used to represent Doc Martin's attitude. It becomes clear as a result to audiences that Doc Martin has a short temper with the locals and is easily frustrated by them.

Editing:

 The story is shown in a linear narrative with all scenes falling in chronological order. This is used to clearly show the audience that Doc Martin is new to the area and is having a difficult time adjusting to the locals. As tensions rise within scenes the amount of time between cuts decreases, causing the scene to appear manic. This is used mainly in scenes with the locals and it shows the audience the frustration that Doc Martin experiences with the locals.