Section B Revision – ‘LIVING WITH CRIME’

Key texts: London to Brighton& Bullet Boy LO: To revise the two

key texts and the key concepts you need to analyse

LO: To revise the two key texts and the key concepts you need to analyse

Both films have their own websites, visit them!Both films have their own websites, visit them!

What do you remember?

1.Who directed Bullet Boy?2.Who directed LTB?

3.When was BB released?4.When was LTB released?

5.What was the budget for BB?6.Budget for LTB?

7.Gross revenue for BB?8.Gross revenue for LTB?

9.What genre are both films?10.Name one character from

each film and their real names

What do you remember?

1.Who directed Bullet Boy?

2.Who directed LTB?3.When was BB

released?4.When was LTB

released?5.What was the budget

for BB?6.Budget for LTB?

7.Gross revenue for BB?

8.Gross revenue for LTB?

9.What genre are both films?

10.Name one character from each film and

their real names

ANSWERS

1.Saul Dibb2.Paul Andrew Williams3.Oct 20044.Dec 20065.Small limited low budget6.£80,000 (written in 4 days, made in 3 weeks)7.£450,000 at UK box office8.$450,000 worldwide to date9.Social realism / crime10.Ricky – Ashley WaltersCurtis – Luke FraserKelly – Lorraine StanleyJoanne – Georgia GroomeDerek – Johnny HarrisStuart – Sam Spruell

Key concepts

NARRATIVENARRATIVE

GENREGENRE

THEMES & ISSUES

THEMES & ISSUES

REPRESENTATIONREPRESENTATION

Key conceptsNARRATIVENARRATIVE

What areas can you discuss?You need EVIDENCE from the filmsWhat areas can you discuss?You need EVIDENCE from the films

Todorov’s Narrative theory – do they follow it?Linear or Non-linear narratives? – why?Omniscient or restricted? – how does this position the spectator?Open or closed endings? Do they leave the spectator satisfied?Action and enigma codes driving the narrative – examples!PROPPS theory of the seven spheres of action – who is who? How does it affect the narrative?KEY CHOICES – what drives the narrative forward?

Todorov’s Narrative theory – do they follow it?Linear or Non-linear narratives? – why?Omniscient or restricted? – how does this position the spectator?Open or closed endings? Do they leave the spectator satisfied?Action and enigma codes driving the narrative – examples!PROPPS theory of the seven spheres of action – who is who? How does it affect the narrative?KEY CHOICES – what drives the narrative forward?

Key conceptsGENREGENREWhat areas can you discuss?You need EVIDENCE from the filmsWhat areas can you discuss?You need EVIDENCE from the films

Social realist genre: What are the conventions of social realism? How do they conform to this genre?Institution: British Independent films – low budget, niche audience, unknown actors, well received by the criticsCrime genre – gangs, violence,

Social realist genre: What are the conventions of social realism? How do they conform to this genre?Institution: British Independent films – low budget, niche audience, unknown actors, well received by the criticsCrime genre – gangs, violence,

Key conceptsREPRESENTATIONREPRESENTATIONWhat areas can you discuss?You need EVIDENCE from the filmsWhat areas can you discuss?You need EVIDENCE from the films

Representation of crime, characters, London:

Crime: poverty driven, lower class, peer pressure, no choice, Characters: Stuart Allen – suit, wealth, range rover, professional criminal / Duncan’s house: mansion, expensive furnishingsVs Derek – amateur pimp, vest, tv in kitchen, small flatRicky – amateur criminal – small time / fights, gang violenceLondon: Gritty, dirty, night, dim lighting, council flats, built up area…

Representation of crime, characters, London:

Crime: poverty driven, lower class, peer pressure, no choice, Characters: Stuart Allen – suit, wealth, range rover, professional criminal / Duncan’s house: mansion, expensive furnishingsVs Derek – amateur pimp, vest, tv in kitchen, small flatRicky – amateur criminal – small time / fights, gang violenceLondon: Gritty, dirty, night, dim lighting, council flats, built up area…

Key conceptsWhat areas can you discuss?You need EVIDENCE from the filmsWhat areas can you discuss?You need EVIDENCE from the films

Theme: LIVING WITH CRIME – Prostitution, gang violence, paedophilia, gun and knife crime, police brutality, homelessness, abuse

Issues: Poverty, lower working class, broken families, peer pressure, patterns, limited choices, survival, never ending cycle of crime (trapped, drawn into, resisting)

Theme: LIVING WITH CRIME – Prostitution, gang violence, paedophilia, gun and knife crime, police brutality, homelessness, abuse

Issues: Poverty, lower working class, broken families, peer pressure, patterns, limited choices, survival, never ending cycle of crime (trapped, drawn into, resisting)

THEMES & ISSUES

THEMES & ISSUES

PEECEE practice

POINT: Bullet Boy is a social realist film. EVIDENCE: I denote in the establishing shot that Ricky lives in tower blocks on an estate in London.EXPLAIN: This connotes his lower working class because people have to live in built up areas as they have less money.COMPARE: Similarly LTB is also a social realist film.EVIDENCE: It is also set in London and I denote Derek in a mid shot, living in a small dingy flat and eating cereal at night in front of his TV in the kitchen.EXPLAIN: This connotes he doesn’t look after himself and can’t afford proper meals.

POINT: Bullet Boy is a social realist film. EVIDENCE: I denote in the establishing shot that Ricky lives in tower blocks on an estate in London.EXPLAIN: This connotes his lower working class because people have to live in built up areas as they have less money.COMPARE: Similarly LTB is also a social realist film.EVIDENCE: It is also set in London and I denote Derek in a mid shot, living in a small dingy flat and eating cereal at night in front of his TV in the kitchen.EXPLAIN: This connotes he doesn’t look after himself and can’t afford proper meals.

Now practice your PEECEEs – one for each section

Now practice your PEECEEs – one for each section

NARRATIVENARRATIVE

GENREGENRETHEMES &

ISSUESTHEMES &

ISSUES

REPRESENTATIONREPRESENTATION

Section B Revision – ‘LIVING WITH CRIME’

Key texts: London to Brighton& Bullet Boy LO: To develop ideal

answers for section BLO: To develop ideal answers for section B

Both films have their own websites, visit them!Both films have their own websites, visit them!

Section B Revision – ‘LIVING WITH CRIME’

How would you answer this question?

Section B Revision – ‘LIVING WITH CRIME’

How would you answer this question?

Dealing with NARRATIVE/THEME but also representation and genre

Dealing with NARRATIVE/THEME but also representation and genre

Dealing with REPRESENTATION & GENRE and also narrative and themes

Dealing with REPRESENTATION & GENRE and also narrative and themes

Section B Revision – ‘LIVING WITH CRIME’Exemplar intro

In less than 5 lines, come up with the perfect intro to one of these questions…

Section B Revision – ‘LIVING WITH CRIME’Exemplar intro

For my socio-political study of ‘Living with Crime’, I have studied two British Independent films called Bullet Boy (2004) directed by Saul Dibb and starring Ashley Walters from So Solid Crew and London to Brighton (2006) directed by Paul Andrew Williams starring Lorraine Stanley and Johnny Harris who previously starred in an Andrew Williams film. I will be answering question 11 and how ‘living with crime’ is explored through the narratives of these social realist films.

In Bullet Boy, Todorov’s narrative theory is applied to explore living with crime. In the equilibrium at the start of the film, we see Ricky (Ashley Walters) leaving prison. The lighting and production design in this opening sequence is dull and grey connoting a dull restricted life with Ricky wearing a grey tracksuit conforming to the prison code of uniform and lack of own identity. Living with Crime is already apparent to the spectator because Ricky’s ‘normality’ is being released from prison which connotes he has already commited a crime and is involved in this world. However in London to Brighton…