The Usual Suspects - Character Representation

McManus
As we are introduced to this character, he is sleeping on his bed (which looks fairly basic) topless so that his tattoos are revealed. Tattoos are stereotypically linked to a 'chad' or more common person so this gives us the impression that McManus is a rough character. Alongside this, his language that is used in his snippet of speech, mainly consisting of swear words, shows his un-educated character and his restricted vocabulary which emphasises his possible lower class status. It seems that there is non-digetic light shining down onto McManus so that the focus of the scene is solely on him, and so that the audience doesn't get distracted by his surrounding (although we still catch a glimpse of his bare environment) and this light is used for the transition from this scene to the next, as well as the sound bridge accompanying it. Also, the camera shot zooms into McManus' face as part of the same movement of the police force, which makes the audience feel that they are looking in as part of the police arresting him.

Hockney
The most obvious observation is the fact that Hockney is a car mechanics, which is a stable middle class job. He appears clean cut and not an average criminal, this is a contrast to the previous character that we were introduced to. Hockney is very secretive when the police call his name and replies "Who wants to know?" - This makes the audience think that Hockney has got something to hide and there is a certain mysteriousness about him. However, Hockney deliberately reaches underneath the car so that it looks like he is about to get a gun out, however it is simply a cloth to wipe his face, which fools the police. This act of wit makes the audience think of him as a humorous character in the film. The same cloth he picks up is what makes the transition from this scene to the next.

Fenster
The first thing that caught my eye about Fenster was his vibrant choice of suit and the undone butting on his shirt, with the undone bow tie hanging loose from his neck. This gives us the impression that Fenster is some sort of 'Pimp' or maybe doing the walk of shame from staying out all night. Either way, Fenster looks lie he has been doing something that he shouldn't have. This judgement is supported further when the camera shot zooms into the upper half of his body to show more of his facial expressions, and he seems to be cautious of what's around him and if anybody see's him, which makes the audience think he has something to hide. As well as this, he seems to be in a quite run down area, as he walks past a 98cent store, and the area looks fairly cheap in general - a type of area that pimps are likely to situate themselves in. In Fenster's arrest he shows no struggle whatsoever and throws his arms up in the air voluntarily, however he then begins to play with the police by alternating his arms so that they cannot arrest him. This shows that he is a bit of a cheeky character in the film.

Keaton
This scene takes place in a classy, expensive restaurant, and alongside Keaton's posh voice/accent, presents Keaton as intelligent, high class, wealthy and posh. The music is completely different from the background music in the other scenes scenes and is a slow, calming, piano tune (probably being played in the restaurant), which creates a more calming arrest rather than an aggressive one. Also, there appears to be history between Keaton and the officer there to arrest him, which is a contrast to the other characters' scenes as there is some sort of connection between them both. We know this because as soon as the officer beings to talk behind Keaton's back, Keaton recognises the voice and the close up camera shot allows us to see his worried/surprised reaction. However, this relationship seems to lead to a more civil arrest that the others did not have.

Verbal
We are introduced to Verbal with his significant limp. We know that his leg is significant in the film as there is an extreme close up camera shot focusing purely on this, which then pans upwards to reveal the rest of Verbal a section at a time. We don't know what happened to cause this disability so therefore, as an audience, we want to find out - But it might suggest that he has been in an accident concerning criminal activity before. The 'sweater' or vest that Verbal is wearing is a stereotypical dress sense of a posh person so therefore this makes the audience question his class in society. Also, although Verbal is the most quiet of all the men, he seems to be the most threatening as there is something quite menacing about his voice - Which makes the audience question his innocence that he appears to have.