Comment on the representation of Englishness in Midsomer Murders

Midsomer murders s13e03p01

Mise-en-scene- at the start of the clip they battle with to cultures as it starts with a Weston rider. This makes the audience feel like he is an outsider looking in on the village but in contrast with that he is riding a white horse which could suggest that he is a hero. He then reaches a typical English village with thatch roof cottages. The streets are deserted and only a few people notice that he is riding around the village, it then goes to a shot in the pub this is to show how everyone in the village is close and this represents English countryside as everyone knows everyone as most villages are small with a very small community. The horse back rider jumps off his horse grabs his gun and walks steadily to the house this shows that he is a calm cool person and nothing is going to get in the way off what he is going to do. He kicks down the door this makes you feel on edge as you are not sure what’s going to happen next. The music stops and you are left in suspense then after a few seconds you hear a gun shot and an oldish woman runs out screaming. Then cuts to the midsomers name and you are left hanging. Then some more riders come onto the screen but this riders look nobler and are carrying flags from around the world this shows a multi-cultural Britain. They show a helter skelter which is a traditional English fun fair ride this contrast with the Weston play going on in the background.

There is then an establishing shot of the main character. He is playing a shooting game which makes you feel like he wants to be a young boy again and in doing the scene it make you feel childish and happy. The shot it of a car diving to what looks like an ordinary house but when he walks to the door and calls for the person they are know where to be seen. This contrasts the last scene of feeling happy as it makes you anxious. Another car drives up ferociously they use a over the shoulder angle to make you feel part of the action. The other man hears the car runs back to his own car like he has done something wrong the other man pull out a gun at starts shooting at the other man in the car driving away. This has an English tone to it as the stereo type of the English farmer is meant to have a shotgun. They flick from one character to another as they drive off this put the audience into suspense.

The music for the first few scenes until you hear the lady scream is a Weston type to go along with the rider. Then you hear the midsomer murders theme tune until more horses come into shot. The rest of the shots have diegetic sound. You then get to the house scene and you hear a faint violin this is to add suspense. The two characters in the cars speak in a farmer English accent. The camera shots are quick and they pan a lot as the characters are always moving and the scenes are more action then just in depth conversations this to set the scene and to get you into the story as the beginning was a cliff-hanger.