Doctor Who: Language and Representations blog tasks

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 Language:

1.

  • Camerawork/sound:
    • Doctor Who theme tune and sound effects of TARDIS - science-fiction
    • Slow, clunky camera movement - poor quality technology during 1960s
    • Close-ups of Susan, Ian and Barbara - captures their emotion
    • Medium shot of Doctor with teachers in the background - makes him look evil
    • Cross-dissolved shots with time travel effects - science fiction and captures reaction
  • Mise-en-scene:
    • Susan dressed as typical 1960's teenager and High School setting - personal identity
    • Junkyard setting and dark lighting - mysterious atmosphere
    • TARDIS central control console setting and bright lighting - binary opposition of junkyard
    • New setting - different age/planet - cliff-hanger, enigma code
    • Poor quality acting - reflects basic nature of TV in 1960's
  • Narrative/genre
    • Opening title sequence like a rocket taking off - 1960's space race 
    • Enigma codes of Susan - "I like walking through dark places", "I'll have finished it"
    • Enigma codes - "it hasn't happened yet", time travel
    • Propp's character theory - Doctor seems like "Villain"
2.
  • Todorov's Equilibrium
    • Equilibrium - Susan going to school without suspicion
    • Disequilibrium - Ian and Barbara suspect something is wrong and follow Susan, end up trapped in the TARDIS
    • Possible narrative arc - new equilibrium occurs at the end of the series
  • Propp's Character
    • Villain - Doctor made to seem evil
    • Princess - Susan & Barbara made to seem like damsels
    • Hero - Ian made to seem strong, confronts Doctor
  • Barthes' Enigma/Action 
    • Enigma - "It hasn't happened yet" + "that's not right", time travel
    • Enigma + Action - Final shot of shadow, who/what is it?
    • Enigma - "I was born in another time, another world", where are they from?
  • Levi Strauss' Binary Opposition
    • Light/dark - Darkness of junkyard/brightness of TARDIS
    • Old/young - Doctor's argument with Susan
    • Human/alien - Susan and Doctor possibly from another world
3. In my opinion, the flashback scenes of Susan are the most important because they tell us she is possibly not from this world and they raise a lot of questions like where she is from and how she got here

4. An Unearthly Child is a Sci-Fi because of the themes of time/space travel and the theme tune is very mysterious and futuristic

5. An Unearthly Child reflects the stereotypes of teenagers becoming increasingly defiant and rebellious during the 1960s through Susan's dispute with Doctor, it also portrays the development in scientific discoveries through the opening title sequence with the rocket 

Representations:

1. The stereotypes of men being strong and heroic but also aggressive are reinforced through Ian's confrontation with Doctor and his protection of Barbara when she is frightened

2. The stereotypes of women being damsels and inferior are reinforced through Doctor actively ignoring Barbara and only talking to Ian

3. The stereotypes of young people being rebellious and old people being cruel and indifferent during the 1960s are reflected in An Unearthly Child

4. An Unearthly Child only has white characters due to racism being prominent during the 1960s. However this has changed recently as a result of Ncuti Gatwa being casted as the first black Doctor

5. An Unearthly Child portrays middle class education as a privilege for white people to gain knowledge

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