this programme will RETURN shortly- the "Other"

The returned or "Les revenants" as its known in its native language is a show that has many representations, including femininity, masculinity and many more yet there is a much more hidden, underlying representation within the show. the spectacle of the "other" is used by Stuart Hall to highlight racial and ethical difference yet it could be said the idea of the "other" is applicable to any minority group or any group that is seen as different. this can be seen in the Returned as the "returned" are an allegory for these groups. this is seen many times in the show clearly such as Sandrine blaming the Returned for everything bad that happens, such as the family who take their own lives and the loss of her baby and more. we can see the returned's otherness through visual elements and mise-en-scene, we can often see different lighting and framing for the returned compared to their living counterparts, for example Simons ghostly figure shown behind a thin curtain which is used to exaggerate his deathly status, but also reinforces the differences between him and Adele within this scene as the "other." this is seen most evidently in the Finale where Lucy has a stark contrast to the living, seen through a spotlight being shone upon her, highlighting her differences as those who are not "other" are plunged into darkness. the show, through the disposition of life and death makes us consider how the "other" can represent so much. most of all I believe the "other" in the returned are an allegory for refugees, the displacement of people shows this, the returned come back and have been thrown into a world that seems familiar yet is fundamentally different. once they have returned they are in a way homeless, stateless and rejected. we can also see "immigration" camps such as the helping hand where it is hospitable to the returned, reflecting how campaign groups are set up to help refugees.

Camille tries to conform to norms by adopting a new name , refugees are seen as acceptable if they conform to the society they moved intos norms, but if they do not they are attacked, seen through Sandrine .