Both extracts depict law in very different ways, but very effectively. They both consist of narratives which contrast from one another. Many techniques were exercised in both TV dramas to create a clear representation of law such as; lighting, angles, shots and locations. Some of these methods were more successful than others in each TV drama.
The US based drama, ‘The Wire’ opens during the hours of darkness in Baltimore illustrating that the city never rests. An extreme close-up of blood running across the floors of Baltimore introduces the setting. The shot is significant as we can interpret that a crime has been committed by this simple shot. The scene is established by an over the shoulder shot which reveals a Caucasian, middle aged male and a young, black male having a conversation. We can decode the idea that this is a form of an informal interrogation as the characters are sitting in front of a dead body. The shot reverse shot emphasises the interrogation methods used.
The role of the Caucasian male is highlighted by a mid-shot of the conversation between the characters. This shot is significant as the lights of the police car is reflected on the face of the white male, it could be interpreted that he was an authority figure such as a detective. Therefore this means that the potential male could be the black male as it is stereotyped that black males are involved in suspicious activity and this creates verisimilitude of the character type.
Although the detective is interrogating the potential suspect, a sense of unity is presented. The dress code of both characters is very similar which illustrates that even though both characters have different lives, they somehow can understand one another. Similar to this, the black male speaks in a restricted code of language which the detective can empathise with to build a relationship with the suspect in order to find gather information from the source.
It can be interpreted that law is ignored by the people of Baltimore as there is crime being committed and detectives are forced to be on duty at awkward times of the day. This is also exaggerated as Baltimore consists of very rough neighbourhoods which are quite murderous. An establishing shot presents the body of a black male shot dead on the floor, and the conversation between the detective and the potential suspect. This shot illustrates the reality of America, as it shows that although all of the characters are completely different, they still have the same lifestyle which consists of violence and doing anything to provide for their family.
The detective approaches the character in a formal way, however tries to relate to the male by using language which he could understand. The detective is represented as young male, this could mean that he is quite inexperienced however he can relate to young people. He uses the technique of being a good cop which creates an informal way of communicating and connecting with the other character.
Although the main focus of the opening is the detective, we then notice that there is a group which works together, this suggests a professional and realistic approach to the lives of detectives.
In comparison to the UK based TV drama, ‘Touch of Frost’ which is with reference to an undercover, male agent. The opening credits suggest a very lonely, depressed, old aged male which takes his job very seriously. The credits are shown in black and white illustrating a dull life and no sense of team helpings as opposed to the previous extract. We can interpret that the drama simply revolves around this man. As the narrative is introduced, the audience is forced to assume that the male is an old aged pensioner as he is dressed in an informal manner. However he is an undercover agent undergoing a case. The age of this character implies that he is very experienced and he is seen as a respectable, authority figure.
The opening scene is set in the daylight, suggesting that crime is all around us at any time of the day and the audience is too blind to see this. An overhead shot of police vehicles are shown which suggests that the security and law in this area is very tight and does not approve of suspicious activities. The character is considered an authority figure as he took charge of the situation as he hired the squad teams for backup.
This extract represents law in a secretive way so that it was easier to catch potential suspects. It is more uniformed as we see the detective in the office and at the station as opposed to ‘The Wire’ which illustrates more of an informal and on the field atmosphere which helps catching suspects in the act. Both extracts depict law individual ways however; I believe that ‘The Wire’ creates a good stereotypical concept of how detectives are represented as it is in a realistic way without making the characters seem too fictional.
