Jill Austin

Mr. Furman
AICE Media Studies
March 10, 2016

This clip from the film Coming Down the Mountain (UK, Robinson, 2007), is the
opening to the film, and starts by introducing the main character, David, and his brother, Ben,
from Davids point of view. The film starts with David talking about how hard it is living with
his brother, who has Down syndrome. This suggests that the film is going to be dramatic. The
film continues with clips and flashbacks of the everyday life of Ben and David. The opening of
the film gives the audience an idea that the film is going to be about the inner stress that David
possesses with living with Ben.
The film uses camera angles to show the relationship between two brothers. The opening
clip starts off with an aerial shot of the boys in their bedroom. The next shot introduces David,
introducing him as the one of the main characters, and the charter who is speaking. One of the
most significant shots within the film is a close up of ben eating his breakfast, which emphasizes
his condition. This shot makes his physical conditions clear, allowing the audience to truly
understand the day to day life of ben and his family. These shots, as well as the sounds truly sets
off a vibe of the film.
Mise-en-scene also is one of the keys used to establish a clear understanding of the
relationship with the characters in the film. As the family eats breakfast, Ben is featured.
Through editing and the sound it is obvious that the familys life revolves around Ben. Another
clip of Ben playing with child toys is also shown to show that he is mentally under developed.

Editing also plays a major role in this film. The editing combined with Davids voice
overs shows how truly frustrated David gets with living and taking care of Ben. The footage cuts
from scene to scene in order to provide a visual for his commentary throughout. The editing
within the clips emphasizes the tone for the rest of the film.
In Conclusion, this film does a great job of portraying a typical life of a family who has a
member of the family who has this condition. The use of Mise-en-scene shows how the parents
deal with a child having Down syndrome. This film shows the strain that medical conditions can
put on a family.