Textual Analysis on Five Textual Analysis on Five Social Realism IntrosSocial Realism Intros

Micro elements from Micro elements from the technical category the technical category of camera shots, of camera shots, angle, movement and angle, movement and composition, are composition, are employed in this employed in this extract. extract. A social type, namely, A social type, namely, a skinhead, is being a skinhead, is being represented.represented.

Skinhead

Nazi symbol

Class and status is Class and status is the key representative the key representative area focused on the area focused on the extract. extract. The young skinhead The young skinhead is put on trial, but is put on trial, but seems to be in control seems to be in control of himself and his of himself and his peers, despite it peers, despite it meaning to be he who meaning to be he who has a lower status. has a lower status.

Slouching

Does not seem unnerved or pressurized by his peers or current situation

Has to be told to stand up Stature is still slouched

Police helmet

The technical The technical elements of location, elements of location, lighting, and colour lighting, and colour design are employed. design are employed. The location is a court The location is a court room, which links to room, which links to the young skinhead the young skinhead being put on trial being put on trial before his British before his British peers, representing peers, representing class and status.class and status.

Court room

Policeman (High authority)

Voice of a judge is heard

Member of the court

The lighting is very The lighting is very poor, and the colour poor, and the colour design is plain, showing design is plain, showing the low class and status the low class and status of this area of Britain.of this area of Britain.Both of these technical Both of these technical elements are used to elements are used to represent regional represent regional identity, to show the identity, to show the time period of the film. time period of the film. These technical These technical elements lead us to elements lead us to realize that the location realize that the location must be in Britain.must be in Britain.

Low key lighting

Plain colour design

We feel particuarly We feel particuarly interested as to what interested as to what is going to happen to is going to happen to this skinhead, due to this skinhead, due to the consistent the consistent movement of the movement of the camera, which the camera, which the protagonist continues protagonist continues to walk towards as it to walk towards as it backs away from him.backs away from him.

Hand-held camera Tracks movement

These micro elements combine, and also These micro elements combine, and also work independently, to address issues work independently, to address issues around the key representative area of around the key representative area of

class and status, by showing us how the class and status, by showing us how the lower class is looked upon during this lower class is looked upon during this

period of time. period of time.

Through character codes, such as the Through character codes, such as the control the protagonist has over himself control the protagonist has over himself and his peers, they communicate the lack and his peers, they communicate the lack of professionalism given, through lack of of professionalism given, through lack of control.control.This undermines the status and control the This undermines the status and control the police, judges, etc., have, affecting their police, judges, etc., have, affecting their influence on decision making and the influence on decision making and the affect they will have on the lower status.affect they will have on the lower status.

In this extract, micro In this extract, micro elements from the elements from the technical category of technical category of editing are employed.editing are employed.There are continous There are continous cutaway scenes in this cutaway scenes in this introduction, whilst some introduction, whilst some clips are jump cuts. clips are jump cuts. They are employed to They are employed to construct a specific construct a specific representation of a representation of a place, namely, England.place, namely, England.

Cuts from this scene…

To this scene…

All these scenes represent England

Example of a jump cut

To this scene…and so on

Regional identity is the Regional identity is the key representative key representative area focused on in the area focused on in the extract. extract. Issues of violence and Issues of violence and protest, which protest, which accompany the accompany the patriotic, powerful, and patriotic, powerful, and determinative regional determinative regional identity of your country, identity of your country, are powerfully depicted are powerfully depicted and explored.and explored.

Policemen restraining a protestor (violent protest)

Civilians protesting (peaceful protest)

Location, lighting, and Location, lighting, and colour design are all colour design are all being employed. being employed. The location is The location is designed to show designed to show areas of the country, areas of the country, and notable known and notable known things such as Prince things such as Prince Charles’s and Diana’s Charles’s and Diana’s wedding, which link to wedding, which link to show what Britain is, show what Britain is, and how it should be and how it should be looked upon.looked upon. This refers to the title This refers to the title “This is England”.“This is England”.

Buckingham Palace

Representative of England

Soldiers of the UK

There is a plain colour There is a plain colour design, and poor design, and poor lighting, which both lighting, which both show the time period of show the time period of the film, and this again the film, and this again links to regional identity.links to regional identity.The arrangement of The arrangement of technical elements technical elements makes us feel interested makes us feel interested in what happened in what happened during that time period, during that time period, and feel concerned for and feel concerned for what was occurring.what was occurring.

Poor lighting

Plain colour designs

In the extract a lot of micro elements from In the extract a lot of micro elements from the mise-en-scene are being used to the mise-en-scene are being used to

create a specific representation of a low create a specific representation of a low economic background and rebellion. economic background and rebellion.

Youth is a key Youth is a key representative area in representative area in the extract, and this is the extract, and this is shown throughout the shown throughout the extract, as the film extract, as the film focuses on a teenage focuses on a teenage girl and the different girl and the different relationships and relationships and reputations she has reputations she has with her community.with her community.

Issues of violence, Issues of violence, rebellion and social rebellion and social class are depicted class are depicted through her through her relationships with the relationships with the different people in her different people in her life and the effect they life and the effect they have on her. have on her.

Young male adolescents watches on

Violent towards other girls

“Headbutts” fellow female

Technical elements Technical elements being deployed being deployed construct a construct a representative.representative.For costume, there is For costume, there is pasty skin and pallid pasty skin and pallid skin tones to create a skin tones to create a sense of the location the sense of the location the civilians are in.civilians are in.Make-up is very natural.Make-up is very natural.

Pasty skin

Pallid skin tones

Heavy eyeliner/mascara

There are many There are many different set designs different set designs used and they all used and they all show signs of low show signs of low economic economic background; mostly background; mostly with the use of tall with the use of tall buildings of flats and buildings of flats and damaged property,damaged property,

Tall buildings

(Flats)

Horse

Create the feeling of an unhealthy environment

Train Caravan Cars

Props are used effectively Props are used effectively throughout to show the throughout to show the age of the girl, her age of the girl, her interests and also the interests and also the quality of her belongings quality of her belongings to highlight her economic to highlight her economic background. They also background. They also show the state of the show the state of the environment.environment.The lighting is bright The lighting is bright outside as if it is summer outside as if it is summer and dull inside, this and dull inside, this encodes the time of year encodes the time of year that this film is set.that this film is set.

LitterBag

SunbathingOvershadowing of buildings

The arrangement of these technical The arrangement of these technical elements highlight the theme of her low elements highlight the theme of her low economic social class and the effect this economic social class and the effect this

has on her quality of living and her has on her quality of living and her relationships with others.relationships with others.

Independently and combined with each Independently and combined with each other these micro elements address the other these micro elements address the

issues of the key representative area of a issues of the key representative area of a low economic class and status.low economic class and status.

In this extract, micro In this extract, micro elements from the elements from the technical category of technical category of mise-en-scene, mise-en-scene, camera and sound camera and sound are employed.are employed.They are employed to They are employed to create a create a representation of a representation of a particular social particular social group, namely, a group, namely, a solemn drug addict.solemn drug addict.

Cigarette –represents drug usage

The key area of The key area of representation in this representation in this introduction is physical introduction is physical ability/disability. ability/disability. Issues of personal Issues of personal hygiene and hygiene and depression together depression together accompany the strain accompany the strain on the body from long on the body from long periods of drug use, periods of drug use, are powerfully depicted are powerfully depicted and explored.and explored.

Slumped/slouched body position

Wide-spread legs

Costume and makeup, Costume and makeup, colour design, and set colour design, and set design are all design are all employed in this employed in this extract. extract. The characters make-The characters make-up, including his tired up, including his tired eyes, untreated and eyes, untreated and unkempt bread and unkempt bread and pasty skin, are used to pasty skin, are used to create the image of a create the image of a hard-core drug user.hard-core drug user.

Half-closed eyes

Unshaven beard

Unkempt/untidy beard

This pairs with the This pairs with the characters dirty characters dirty costume, including his costume, including his undone shirt and undone shirt and yesterday’s yesterday’s underwear, and this underwear, and this arrangement of arrangement of costume calls a lack costume calls a lack of hygiene into of hygiene into caution as well.caution as well.

Yesterday’s underwear

Unbuttoned shirt

Signs of fatigue

More evidence of More evidence of drug use is shown by drug use is shown by the camera slightly the camera slightly out of focus, moving out of focus, moving on first couple of on first couple of shots-that shows shots-that shows some of the effects of some of the effects of drugs and calls the drugs and calls the characters mental characters mental health into question health into question as well.as well.

Out-of-focus camera

Can also be representing the protagonist’s point of view shot

More signs of an addiction More signs of an addiction problem can be seen in the problem can be seen in the colour and set design-dull colour and set design-dull pasty walls, sheets thrown pasty walls, sheets thrown over the sofa and mouldy over the sofa and mouldy floorboards-dirtiness and floorboards-dirtiness and untidiness are all things we untidiness are all things we associate with drug use.associate with drug use.In the brooding low key In the brooding low key lighting and the mouldy, lighting and the mouldy, musty colour palette there is musty colour palette there is evoked a sense of the evoked a sense of the sadness and pity of the sadness and pity of the protagonist’s situations.protagonist’s situations.

Low-key lighting

Dirty floorboards

Pasty walls

Independently and in combination with Independently and in combination with each other, these micro elements address each other, these micro elements address issues around the key representative area issues around the key representative area of physical ability/disability, by delivering to of physical ability/disability, by delivering to us a harrowing visual rendering of a life in us a harrowing visual rendering of a life in ruin and an environment in decay. ruin and an environment in decay.

Together with character codes such as the Together with character codes such as the protagonist’s stasis, vacant gazes and sloth-like protagonist’s stasis, vacant gazes and sloth-like movements, they communicate the mental movements, they communicate the mental breakdown of a capable professional and the breakdown of a capable professional and the physical consequences of addiction, which physical consequences of addiction, which include fatigue, lack of energy, inertia, and include fatigue, lack of energy, inertia, and lethargy. lethargy. These aspects of addiction undermine the health These aspects of addiction undermine the health and well-being of the user, and affect their ability and well-being of the user, and affect their ability to live properly and work efficiently.to live properly and work efficiently.

In the extract ‘Sweet In the extract ‘Sweet Sixteen’, micro Sixteen’, micro elements from the elements from the technical category of technical category of mise-en-scene mise-en-scene are are employed. employed. The specific The specific representation being representation being represented is youth represented is youth and low economic and low economic background.background.

Youths

Class and status is a key Class and status is a key representative area within representative area within the extract. Issues of the extract. Issues of illegal smoking, drug use, illegal smoking, drug use, teenagers used as vices, teenagers used as vices, poverty and a victim of poverty and a victim of violence are all being violence are all being explored as this shows us explored as this shows us the impact and effect on the impact and effect on the young teenagers.the young teenagers.Props such as cigarettes Props such as cigarettes create a negative create a negative impression on the impression on the teenager but also his teenager but also his troubled side.troubled side.

Exchanging of cigarettes/drugs

Costume, make-up, Costume, make-up, set design and props set design and props are all employed. are all employed. Certain technical Certain technical elements give us a elements give us a representation of a representation of a low class youth. The low class youth. The makeup, which makeup, which includes pale skin, includes pale skin, dark hair, and dark dark hair, and dark eyes all represent eyes all represent teenagers struggles teenagers struggles life.life.

Consistently wearing a hat – inside or outside

Dark eyes

The costume, which is The costume, which is tracksuit bottoms, a tracksuit bottoms, a hoody and a hat, present hoody and a hat, present his class and status but his class and status but also create the expected also create the expected stereotype of a ‘chav’. stereotype of a ‘chav’. The lightingThe lighting, which is low , which is low key, gloomy and dull, key, gloomy and dull, creates a pitiable creates a pitiable atmosphere.atmosphere.Set design, such as the Set design, such as the estate and scattered litter estate and scattered litter is chosen deliberately to is chosen deliberately to give us a negative and give us a negative and isolated atmosphere but isolated atmosphere but also is used to fit into the also is used to fit into the boy’s issues and boy’s issues and struggles.struggles.

HatHoody

Obscene gestures/movements

Low-key lighting

Gloomy/dull atmosphere created

by customers/barmen

Micro elements of mise-en-scene present Micro elements of mise-en-scene present key issues by the issue of illegally key issues by the issue of illegally smoking. This is shown through the use of smoking. This is shown through the use of props, like the boxes of cigarettes. props, like the boxes of cigarettes. This communicates an addiction and a This communicates an addiction and a habit but also a way to get easy money. habit but also a way to get easy money. The issue of being a victim of violence is The issue of being a victim of violence is shown by a bruised and battered body, as shown by a bruised and battered body, as it communicates the neglect from his it communicates the neglect from his family but also his poor health.family but also his poor health.