Visual Representation in 'Criminal Justice'

Visual Representation in ‘Criminal Justice’
The extract opens with the main character, Ben, walking down a narrow, dark corridor. This gives the sense that he is trapped. Ben’s paranoia is emphasised by him looking behind him, as though he feels he is being followed. At the end of the corridor, he immediately comes out into a contrastingly big, bright space. However, far from easing the paranoia, it has an even more eerie feel to it, as the light is unnaturally bright and artificial- looking, giving us the impression we’re underground. The bright light and empty space suggests Ben is on show and vulnerable to interrogation- literally under the spotlight.
The main colours used in this sequence are blues, greens and greys which are clinical and associated with institutions. It gives all the characters an unhealthy, sweaty look to their faces. The grey uniforms dehumanise them, and make them lose their identity. The clean, white uniforms of the officers however suggest higher status and authority.
The only other colour used is the orange of the plastic chairs. This creates a contrast, and suggests the idea was to make the place more cheerful, but it clearly hasn’t worked.