Is this a Social Realist film?

Social Realism Genre

• Realistic settings• Realistic events and situations• Believable filming technique• Hard luck• Working class heroes• Economic hardship• Life’s struggles• Experiences of REAL Britons• Gritty style• Urban locations

Primary Focus on Macro Analysis

Representation of Crime, location, characters

Generic Conventions Narrative DevicesIdeology/Themes

Support these with micro evidence

Section B: Social-Political Study – ‘Living with Crime’

You should discuss a minimum of two films in your answer and base it on the following:

Either

1.Discuss the importance of choices made by key characters to the overall shape and development of the narratives you have studied. (40)

Or

2. How important is location to the films you have studied for this topic? (40)

SOCIAL REALIST FILMS – BORN & BRED IN BRITAIN

Better than any other genre, social realism has shown us to ourselves, pushing the boundaries in the effort to put the experiences of real Britons on the screen, and shaping our ideas of what British cinema can be. While our cinema has experienced all the fluctuations in fortune of Hollywood, realism has been Britain's richest gift to world cinema.

SOCIAL REALIST FILMS – BORN & BRED IN BRITAIN

Better than any other genre, social realism has shown us to ourselves, pushing the boundaries in the effort to put the experiences of real Britons on the screen, and shaping our ideas of what British cinema can be. While our cinema has experienced all the fluctuations in fortune of Hollywood, realism has been Britain's richest gift to world cinema.

Conventions of Social realism genre?

SOCIAL REALISM

MISE EN SCENE

CAMERA SHOTS/MOVEMENT

EDITING

CHARACTERS

THEMES/PLOT

CHARACTERS:Social Realist films have working class heroes

often overcoming their situation and not doing just what is expected of them

CAMERA:A raw use of camera movement – lots of handheld, POV and tracking shots to get the spectator in the action with

the charactersMany close ups to connote emotions

EDITING:Cross cutting to link different characters storylines

Continuity to aid realismSlower pace to reflect real life

Simple cuts to aid realism – no effects

Conventions of the Social Realist Genre

MISE EN SCENE

Production Design: Poverty stricken locations, city, urban, built up areas, estates and tower blocks which we

associate with crimeLighting: Dim natural lighting connoting daily life and

all its miseryProps: Weapons, run down cars

Costume: Cheap, hoodies, streetwear, casual (unemployed/truanting)

Space: Built up areas, busy, gangs, lots of children in one family, one parent families

THEMES/PLOT

Wanting a better life and trying to achieve itMain protagonist will better themselves or try to

Focus is on young protagonist and their future

Conventions of the Social Realist Genre

Using your key scene analysis from today’s lesson

Write at least 3 PEEs for the following Q:

How important is location to the films you have studied for this topic? (40)

Point: The main location of the estate used in Bullet Boy is important to the film’s storyline.Evidence: The setting of the tower blocks connote many people living in one space with little money or options.Explain: This allows the spectator to immediately engage with the aspirations of the main characters who want a better life for themselves and therefore turn to crime to achieve it which is a convention of the social realist genre.

Representation

Visual and Verbal Codes

? ?

Representation is not just limited to people

• How does this clip represent London?

• http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BC8M_b3UFa4

• Is this true and accurate?