Director: Daniel Barber
How does 'Harry Brown' Represent Young People?
The opening sequence of 'Harry Brown' represents youths in an extremely negative way, firstly through the use of drugs, guns, gangs, peer pressure and then by ruthless murdering. The use of a handicam convinces the audience that this is a real situation and builds up a picture of youths being this careless in a convincing and believable way because the handicam is used by the actors and therefore shows all the bumps when they are riding their bike which makes the audience think this film is not staged and therefore that it is a true and realistic situation. The pace of the scene is very quick which connotes the rational decisions of the youths. The hoodies are a stereotypical icon of British youths and has connotations of antisocial behaviour and crime.
Guardian (November,2009)
http://henleycollegemediablog.blogspot.com/
How it suggests young people are represented:
- They are being compared with zombies/vampires in horror films. Non fiction vs. Fiction
- They're misunderstood
- "me, me, me society" - selfishly motivated
- lower class/ under class - environment - lack of parenting/education and the space they are living in flats like prison cells their family are living in.
- Primitive
- iconic figure of a hoodie
'Eden Lake' (2008)
Director: James Watkins
How are Jenny and Steve (the main couple) represented?
Jenny and Steve are represented as a couple that are going on a romantic relaxing holiday. They drive in a four by four which would suggest they are in the middle or upper social class this is made clear when the camera has a close up on their gadgets within the car, a satnav and when the youths are spotted driving their car with Steve's sunglasses on which would suggest their class through the quality of them.
The satnav tells them to turn around as soon as possible but they carry on going which suggests they are adventurous and want to have fun and perhaps regain their youth.
How is this contrasted with the representation of the other characters?
Firstly the other characters are more disrespectful as they play their music loud around the lake and oppose the environment whereas the couple are sat peacefully respecting the environment they are in. The youths are less well spoken than the couple which would imply they are less educated and therefore perhaps more inclined to cause trouble.
How important is the issue of social class?
How are young people represented?
Horror and the Representation of Youth
Film Theorist Robin Wood argues that the basic formula of the horror film is 'normality is threatened by the monster. I use "normality" here... to mean simply "comformity to the dominant social norms"'.
(another term for normality - everyday life)
What is the significance of the emergence of a cycle of British films in which the 'monster' is young people?
The significance of using young people as the 'monster' in British horror films is that it uses real life people who everybody has met/spoken to/knows which makes the feel of the film much more horrific because the audience can relate to these characters rather than having a monster which people cannot relate to because they are fantasy like compared to youths.
The expansion of media has caused the fear of youths to increase, it has created a moral panic. The media want to create a divide between youths and the rest of society.
How do they threaten normality?
Horror films with youths used as the evil threatens normality because because they are using a much more realistic scenario compared to other horror films. Most horror films use the mystery of the unkown to scare there audience whereas 'Harry Brown' uses real life youths who a lot of people see as threats purely because they are unknown because adults forget what its like to be young and because the media portrays them in such a negative way.
They threaten, use violence, use drugs, intimidate.
'Attack The Block' (2011(
Director: Joe Cornish
How are the main characters introduced to you?
Representation of British youth at the start is that they are fearless, low key lighting (dark lots of shadows, low angle shots) positions audience to be threatened which reflects society. Filmed at night time when people are most scared. They use colloquial language to suit their stereotypical views. The mise en scene- baseball bats, hoodies, tracksuits are iconic to British youth culture the association and connotations of the baseball bat now connotes weapons rather than sports.
This film develops a more sympathetic representation of youths they are making a big statement and comparing youths and real life monsters, they are trying to make the audience realise that youths are not really 'monsters' they aren't that bad. This film for representing youths contrasts the representation of youths and other hoodie horror films.
Try to find reviews on 'Harry Brown' which reflect different perspectives, e.g. from conservative newspapers like the Daily, Mail, or the telegraph, and liberal newspapers like The Guardian, and The Independant.
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