This is England

3. Social Realism, Genre, Influences &

Shane Meadows

This is England should be considered within the Social Realism
genre. What is Social Realism? Watch on
http://youtu.be/Wj9yvVDwhX0

Lets dig a little further.

The genre of any film can be analysed in a variety of ways. The most obvious
way in which we might explain the genre of a movie is to describe the look or
feel of the text. We might describe certain character types, or settings or
more than likely the iconography of the genre.

Whilst these aesthetics may be an easy shortcut to understanding the genre
of different movies it is not the only way.
It has been argued that genre movies are not there to only entertain us but can tell us
something about our own lives, in a way they hold a mirror up to our society through the
themes and ideologies that they portray. In this way we can take a functional approach to
analysing genre.

e.g. a science fiction movie may be instantly recognisable by it's visual iconographgy -
settings of far off distant lands, props which include spaceships and advanced technology,
there would be characters including aliens, robots and people from far away planets -
these are all obvious aesthetic conventions - but it would be a mistake to write-off Sci-Fi as
a purely visual spectacle. Many filmmakers will use the genre to explore themes and
ideologies - some of them these are really quite philosophical such as the nature of the self
and identity. Others will investigate our place in the universe and some use binary
oppositions to explore themes such as Technology Vs Nature, Man Vs Machine or
even Science Vs Religion.

In this way Genre movies can also be used to reflect the concerns and preoccupations of
the society of the time. Of course, in this way genres will evolve over time - to use the
example of Science Fiction again; the classic Sci-Fi movies of the 1950s were often
metaphors for America's fear of Communism during the cold war. However since 9/11 we
can see many Sci-Fi movies as representing the fight against global terrorism.
The British Film Institute's website Screen Online is an excellent
resource. You have been given a copy of the page about Social
Realist films from the website.

Read it and make notes on the following elements of genre:

Aesthetic conventions
Ideologies and functions
Changes in the genre over time
One of the key Social Realist directors discussed and without a
doubt an influence on any British film maker is Ken Loach.
Coincidentally, the director of our next film!


Look at the following slides about Loach and think about what
you've decided about the conventions and functions of a Social
Realist film.
http://youtu.be/F_FYIzlRPZ4

Arguably Loach's best known film is Kes,
about a young boy from a tough working
class background. Analyse the following
sequence and look for the conventions of
a Social Realist film.
Social Realism: Conventions
Aesthetic conventions

Handheld camera - an almost documentary style
Gritty settings
Filmed on location
Naturalistic lighting
Improvised elements to script
Long take - leaving actors to act through longer sequences
Non-actors in roles
Working class characters
Narrative closure is not necessary
Social Realism: Conventions
Functional conventions

Real life issues tackled
Serious in tone
Harsh sense of reality - happy endings are far from guaranteed
Raise difficult questions
Characters with depth
Usually have a political message - raising the concerns of the time
Concerned with the theme of masculinity - men are often seen as flawed or
violent


Social Realism: Conventions
Significant development of the Genre

Not just considered for middle class audiences

Deal with character's emotions - not just the British stoicism

Since the 90s they have tended to incorporate more feel-good elements

Soundtrack significant


So, is This is England a social realist text?

Theres one more thing to consider
"From his breakthrough short films in the early
1990s and feature debut TwentyFourSeven
(1997) through to the BAFTA-winning This Is
England (2007) and hit television spin-off,
director Shane Meadows has emerged as one
of the most distinctive and influential voices in
contemporary British cinema. This collection
explores the full range of Meadows' work,
from its origins in local D.I.Y. media through to
international festival acclaim. It presents a
comprehensive analysis of Meadows' oeuvre
to date, situating it in the context of British
cinema history as well as wider cultural
changes from the nineties to now."
Is Shane Meadows an auteur? Heres a summary
of his films
Here's a trailer for one of his early
films - A Room for Romeo Brass
http://youtu.be/QhuD5cF9bBs

So, is Shane Meadows an auteur? Well, one way to decide
would be to watch all his movies and decide for yourself.

If you don't have time to do that then read the article
youve been given (Shane Meadows: A Very British
Auteur). Highlight anything you think might be useful for
the exam.