ANALYSIS OF FILMS USING RIVALING

Young Offender

By Isabel Anderton

Representation – Anderton is representing the ignorance of a racist male teenager in a young offenders institute. The teenager – Ali, feels isolated in the institute due to the diverse range of ethnic groups in which he has to live with and is represented well as a lot of the shots are of him alone in his cell (which connotes that he has nothing but himself). Anderton represents power as the prison guards take advantage of him when they realise his racist views. The prison guard appears to be kind to Ali by giving him cigarettes (which are illegal in the cell) but then places him in a cell with an Asian teenager. The representation of loneliness is shown, as Ali appears to write his racist views on paper to curb his anger, showing that he has no one to talk to.

Institution – Digital Shorts plus awards from the UK Film Council and South West Screen.

Values – at the end of the short film Anderton states that the film is based on actual events but the characters and their actions are fictional. This shows that he must have researched to create the character of Ali and his actions throughout the film. Racism is a controversial topic to cover, especially in films and Anderton does this very well. The short film seems to cover the topic realistically and Anderton made a point of not exaggerating Ali and his actions.

Audience – The short film seems to be aimed at troubled adolescence that need guidance in their life. Ali is depicted as a nasty and unintelligent young man and the way he acts is embarrassing. It could question similar youths as him as to why they act in that manor.

Language – The film makes use of low lighting and diegetic sound (there is little diegetic sound.) There is minimal sound throughout but small actions such as when Ali writes is edited to be louder. This is to draw attention from the viewer to show that it is significant to the narrative. The many shots of Ali alone in his cell represent his ongoing isolation.

Ideology – The idea behind the film is to show the ignorance and behaviour of a small minority of youth in Britain. As mentioned, the actions of Ali are portrayed as embarrassing at times and may question others who have similar views to why act in that manor. The ethnic minorities in the film are portrayed as a community and although they are in a Young Offenders Institute, they seem like nice people. Anderton is trying to show that, without racism, community can be civil.

Narrative – the film begins with Ali writing his racist thoughts on a piece of paper in his cell in a Young Offenders Institute. The next morning he is pointed out by a prison guard for the tattoo of a racist slogan on his forehead and is required to wear a plaster over it. Later in the day, the prison guard shows him and a few other ethnic inmates a racist film to try and spark Ali’s anger but not very successfully. Later in the night, he is again, shown writing his thoughts on paper in his cell when an equally racist prison guard gives him some cigarettes illegally, attempting to create a bond with him. The next day, Ali, the prison guard and the other youths (most are ethnic) are sitting in the community area of the institute. Ali gets his letter out to continue writing but the prison guard takes it off him and reads his views aloud on paper much to the other offender’s displeasure. That night, the prison guard requires him to move cells and places him with an Asian youth, which angers Ali severely. At the end of the film he attacks the Asian youth with a broken leg chair. It is unknown the fate of the Asian youth.

Genre – Race, Crime, Youth

Young Offender

By Justin Edgar

Representation – Edgar is representing the problems with gang culture in Britain in ‘Young Offender’. Edgar shows the representation of power in the character of Jaybee - who is the leader of the gang as the rest of the members follow his command. This is shown when he tells a gang member not to let Angela’s sister phone an ambulance after her shooting, which he does and even to the point where he holds a gun to her sister’s head. The representation of misguidance is shown when the same gang member seems to shows remorse for not letting her call the ambulance when Angela finally dies. Edgar also represents loneliness at the very end of the film when the killer is revealed as Jaybee’s girlfriend. She attempts to shoot him but instead, puts the gun in her mouth and kills herself. It seemed that she couldn’t bear to live life without Jaybee (as he cheated on her with Angela) and shows how lonely she must feel as he makes that much difference in her life. Poverty is also represented as Jaybee is shown with a sports bag with a lot of money in it, which looks as if he acquired from drug dealing.

Institution – BBC Film Network

Values – Edgar must have conducted some research into the gang culture of Inner City London as he represents it very realistically. The setting, the characters and their language are portrayed very well but at the same time, very cliché. The whole idea of gang culture has been done before, in an estate and to involve violence, but as mentioned, Edgar did so very successfully and portrays the harsh realities of the ever-growing gang culture in Britain.

Audience – The audience of the film is those who are in a similar predicament to the characters in the film – in a gang. Edgar is representing how wrong a ‘gang life’ can go and could even result in death. As many filmmakers who direct similar movies,

they are portraying the message that the gang culture isn’t a good path to choose and use realistic violence and language to portray this directly, shocking youths into choosing a better lifestyle for themselves.

Language – The film makes use of many different camera shots to show the poor environment in which the characters live in. The lighting is very bright, which may seem odd in a film based on violence, but Edgar did this to highlight the seriousness of the topic in which he is representing. The shooting occurred in broad daylight in the middle of a park and none of the characters seem too shocked that it even occurred. This connotes that Edgar is portraying realism in his film, as shooting can occur at anytime in Inner City London. As well as the lighting, the sound does not affect the scenes, both non-diegetic and diegetic sounds play out as if it is a regular day on the estate, which again portrays the realism of the film.

Ideology – As I mentioned previously, the preferred reading Edgar is showing his audience the seriousness of being in a gang and the consequences of it.

Narrative – The film open with shots of the estate and the park with many youths in it seemingly doing nothing wrong. Angela answers her phone and is shot through the neck and we as the audience don’t see the killer. Jaybee and his friends carry Angela to her sister’s flat where they tell her not to call an ambulance or they’ll kill her. The rest of the film is played out simultaneously, with shots switching from Angela dying in her sister’s flat to Jaybee looking for the killer for revenge. The film ends with Angela finally dying and the killer being revealed as Jaybee’s girlfriend, who contemplates killing him but then kills herself by shooting herself through the mouth.

Genre – Youth, Violence, Race

Light ‘Em Up

By Phil Stoole and Damien Wasylkiw

Representation – Stoole and Wasylkiw are representing lifestyle in this very short film. The city of London is subject to an apocalypse whilst two teenagers sit back, watch, smoke weed and relax without a care in the world.

Institution – BBC Film Network.

Values – Stoole and Wasylkiw were inspired by 28 Weeks Later, which follows a similar plotline, but it seems as if they wanted to portray the faults with contemporary and capitalist Britain. The business areas of London are exploding, whilst they sit down, watch and smoke weed, much like how the rich businessmen who work in these areas would usually see the poverty stricken estates around them and not care.

Audience – as the film is only 2 minutes long, it’s hard to determine the target audience. As I mentioned about the director’s values, the film seems to be aimed at those who live in the poverty surrounding the rich areas of London. By the luxury being destroyed, is representing how they must feel as everyday – living in a poverty stricken estate that is overshadowed by luxury only a few miles away – a major contrast.

Language – to portray the mood of the film and teenagers, the setting is on a grassy hill and the skyline is a beautiful red, which not only portrays love, but can also portray the destruction occurring just a few miles away.

Ideology – the idea and preferred reading behind the film is for the audience to receive a message of the contrasts of life in Britain. As I mentioned, the students are watching the destruction without a care in the world, similar to how the rich

businessmen can see the poverty stricken estates from their luxury. It’s a completely different comparison but in terms of contrasts it is exactly the same.

Narrative – the film begins with two students rolling a cannabis joint, the teenager rolling it asks for a light and the other one replies by laughing and pointing, the camera switches to an explosion in central London. The camera reverts back to the students smoking the joint seemingly unphased with the destruction right ahead of them.

Genre – Apocalypse, Drugs, Youth

Easy Hours

By George Ravenscroft

Representation - the short film seems to represent the shopkeeper's insecurity. The build of tension suggests that he does not feel at ease with the young man who entered his convenience store. The opening scenes consist of close-up shots of the young man who notices the billboard of the beautiful woman. His facial expressions connote that he seems like a 'jack-the-lad' type as he is smirking and looks as if he is up to no good.

Institution - BBC Film Network.

Values - due to the insecurity of the shopkeeper, the values Ravenscroft is trying to portray are the feelings of the shopkeeper and the young man. This represents a real-life situation, that an old shopkeeper may feel unease at a young man entering his store and also the feelings of the young man being judged when seemingly he is doing nothing wrong.

Audience - the audience can be that of a young male audience and an old male audience as 'Easy Hours' represents both of them. Ravenscroft wants his audience to realise how both parties may feel in the situation in which the film presents, ultimately portraying the message that although the young man may be innocent, the shopkeeper is wary due to the broken values of young adolescent in contemporary Britain. At the same time, he wants the audience to see that the shopkeeper need not be as judge worthy and insecure as he seems, as no violence or

trouble occurs - just a young man entering his store. At one point, the young man opens a can of beans and pours them on the scanner, this could be a rebellious act as he knows he is being judged when at first, had good intentions.

Language - the low lighting throughout the film is used to add tension. The sound throughout the film is 'intensified' accordingly to the lighting, as every small movement is noted to signify what the shopkeeper is hearing and waiting for the young man to take a wrong step.

Ideology - Ravenscroft is portraying society's ideals of that of a young man and an old shopkeeper - that a young man is always up to no good and an old shopkeeper is very judge worthy. The ideology behind the film seems to try and change this, as both parties know what each other is thinking, hence the tension throughout the film.

Narrative - A young male notices the image of a beautiful woman on a billboard. He then enters his local convenience store, making the shopkeeper feel at unease due to the way in which the media and society depicts the stereotype of a young male. The following sequence connotes the preconception in which the shopkeeper has of the young male, watching his every move, assuming he is going to steal something or cause trouble. The young male, knowing he is being judged, opens a can of beans and puts them into the scanner, much to the shopkeeper's displeasure. Although this can be seen as an act of rebellion, it seems to connote that the young male is only doing this to fuel the shopkeeper's pre justice. The film ends with the billboard of the beautiful woman coming to life, which signifies that the young male's rebellious ways have been 'coined' out of him, as has she out of her billboard due to the young male judging her as beautiful.

Genre - drama and tension.