‘How are British youths represented in Quadrophenia and Harry Brown’

‘How are British youths represented in Quadrophenia and Harry Brown’

 

Often in many films the British Youths are most often represented in a negative way. This is in the 2009 production of Harry Brown and the 1979 production of Quadrophenia.

In both of these films the British youths are seen as rebels. The youths are represented as out of control and the other characters in the films are scared of them. In Quadrophenia the youths go to Brighton beach and start a riot, they are then arrested by the police. This is an example of Aclands 'Ideaology protection' theory. Aclands theory was that the goverement (police) try to control the youths and as they are out of control. In this specific scene of  Quadrophenia the youths are having as riot down by Brighton beach. By having the riot by the beach shows a juxtaposition. The beach is supposed to be a family friendly, idyllic place, and by having a dangerous riot, with youths throwing chairs and fighting each other,  it makes the scene look far from idyllic.

In Harry Brown the youths run the local estate where mainly the lower class live. This automatically associates the lower class with these 'youths'. The main themes in Harry Brown are violence, guns, knives, abuse, sex, drugs and gang culture. All of these themes represent the sub-culture of this film which is 'hoodies'. This sub-culture is often influenced by drugs, rap and violence. Giroux theory is seen here as the youths are automatically filled with the stereotype of 'hoodies'. Giroux theory talked about 'youths' being 'empty boxes' and they are filled of what society thinks of them and not what they are actually like. These ideas that the youths are filled with are most often negative and portray 'youths' in a bad way. In Harry Brown the youths are all in involved in some sort of gang. This is an ideology as the youths feel they need to be in a gang to fit in with each other. This is a shame because instead of the youths having a chance to not be part of that gang culture, it shows that's the only way they feel safe and 'in' with the group as they are safe and protected.

In Quadrophenia the sub-culture is 'mod' which many youths were part of in the 70's and were a strong 'gang'. The mods were influenced by music artists such as 'The Who' and 'The Beatles'. Although the mods don't look as intimidating as thugs at a first glance they were still part of 'moral panic'. Mods had a normal 9-5 job and then would blow all there money on drugs and drink, which lead to violence and sex. They were the ultimate rebels and in Harry Brown it is represented that no-one respected them because of that, not even there parents. This created moral panic which is explained by Stanley Cohen by the whole of society fearing a group of youths just because everyone else was. This is demonstrated in Qaudropenia as the society in the 70's feared the mods.

Overall both films represent sub-culture of the youths in a bad way. Although both of these films were produced in two separate time frames, there themes and thoughts are the same. Quadraphenia is the eldest one and things that shocked the audience back then would still shock the audience in the 21st century. However there are a few exceptions, for example, when Johnny's mum kicks him out, I think that would be what alot of parents would've done in the 70's. However in the 21st century that may seem abit harsh as I think now that we are more forgiving and would try and get help for our children. On the other hand in the opening sequence of Harry Brown when the youths murder the mother, I hope that would shock audiences all ages and time frames. Both of these films are used to deliberatly shock the audience and I think that is achieved, whether the representation is over-exaggerated or not.

Notes on inbetweeners

Inbetweeners (Ben Palmer,2011)

Age
17-18
Teenage boys who have just finished school and want to go on a lads holiday. Thye only thing they have on thier mind is girls and having sex. Gaining their own independance as 'adults'.
Ethnicity
British white. Ethnicity is shown negativly in most films. White is seen as the ones who make the less trouble.
Gender
Male. Protagonist. Females are positioned in these films as objects of the men. Weaker sex.
Social Class
Upper Class, surberbian life. stayed in further ecucation, thoughts of going to uni. Normal teenagers.
Parents are self absorbed, over protective and crude.

Working class British youths are generally represdented as being violent, brutal, unapolegctic, crinimals, addictive personalties.

Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold 2009)

Female lead, different from the other films, as the female is the protagonist. Lowerclass, deep and emotional. Gritty, hand held camera which makes it realistic. She;s a victim of her social class, area, family and her own kind.

Eden lake review, related to theories

This review is from twitchfilm which is a online website which reviews films.

"Steve (Michael Fassbender) and Jenny (Kelly Reilly) leave their upmarket Maida Vale neighbourhood in London to head off for a romantic getaway in the country where Steve plans to propose."

By mentioning that the the two charcters are from an 'upmarket' neighbourhood automtically creates cultural hegemony because it makes the main characters seem more superior to the 'thugs'.

"Once settled into their supposedly idyllic break, they quickly encounter a group of knife-wielding teens and their rottweiler."

This is an example of Aclands thoery. This represents the youths of being out of control. The person who wrote this review recieved that clear represention that the film is trying to get across, that these youths are out of control and have an automatic negative representataion.

How do the contemporary media represent British Youth Cultuyre in different way?

Harry Brown (2009)

Director: Daniel Barber
The opening sequence to this film represents British Yoth Culture negatively. For this opening they have used what seems to be a hand held camera. The quality of the camera is poor and the movements are shaky. by having the cameraputs the audience in the position of being in the gang instead of being an on looker. the mise-en-scene of the first scene represents a gang culture. All of the teens are wearing hoodies and are in a dark Alley. This has a dramatic effect because if this scene was placed by the seaside where its sunny for example it wouldn't have the same dark and rough effect. This opening scene was constructed to shock the audience, with the use of drugs, violence,death,weapons and joyriding. the reason why the director maybe would've wanted to shock the audience with this is to persuade them to watch the film and gives a dramatic representation of British youths. By having the two boys riding a motorcycle meas them seem rebellious. Also by having a mother pushing a child's pushchair makes the audience feel more sympathy as opposed to a middle aged man on his own. The mother character seems vulnerable and scared which automatically makes the audience feel sympathy for her as the young boys shoot her. The overall representation is reckless and rebellious.

Guardian (November, 2009)

Representations of Young People in this article:

• Comparisons to Vampires = non-fiction vs fiction
• Compared to mosters
• Misunderstood
• Breaking throigh the mediated representations
• Self centerd, me me me. Self Motivated
• Lowerclass
• Self-fully prophecy

Effects on Society:

• Fear- Moral Panic
• Hoody has an automatic connotation of 'thugs'.

Eden Lake (2008)
Director James Watkins

(Binary oppositons, total opposites. For example : Hero  vs Villian, upperclass vs lowerclass, etc)

How are Jenny and Steve (the main couple) represented?

They're represnted as couple in their 20's who want to have fun and be together in a quiet location. Steve is young, however he looks quite strong and Jenny is represenrted as an average girl. both middle class, well spoken and eductaed.

How is this contrasted with the representation of the other characters?

This is contrasted with the youths in the forest as they aren't welkl spoken, they dress scruffy and are very young.

How important is the issue of social class?

How are young people represented?

Youth Sub Culture

Youth Sub-culture

· A group of individuals who are united through a common value system and tastes (clothes, music, politics etc.)

· A group who are also positioned outside of the mainstream, and who unify as a response to the mainstream.

· Hoodies, emos, preppy, chavs, indie, scene, skinheads, Teddy boys, skaters, greasers, jocks, plastics

· Chavs - wearing fake Burberry, tacky gold jewellery, riding round on bikes or driving cars with low suspension, rap/grime music, tracksuits, ideologies - they are 'cool' or 'hard', may use violence to get what they want, think they are better than anyone else, baseball caps, they are evolving now, wearing chinos - taking

· Subcultures are formed to be different - then it turns mainstream and people lose interest and join another subculture.

Values of the subculture - conformity and rebellion, attitude to capitalism and consumerism, 'tribal' rivalry, traditional or 'neophile' (a person who loves novelty, one who likes trends, people who accept the future enthusiastically and enjoys changes and evolution)

· ideology in the 1950s and 1960s - peace, rebellion against parents, radicalism - reactions against the post war 

· Many groups are involved in protest and resistance against the mainstream...

· teams will often move between subcultures, and older youths mix and match styles/values from a mix of subcultures

Subculture

· in the 21st century the 'dominant meaning systems' are crumbling

· "there is no mainstream, there are many streams." Mainstream is a perpetual flux, rapaciously absorbing alternative culture at such a fast rate that the notion of a mainstream becomes absolute

· so if there is no mainstream then there is nothing for the teens to react against

1950s teddies

· anti-establishment subculture - juvenile delinquents - going against the systems

· drainpipe jackets, drape Edwardian jackets with velvet collars, string ties or slim-jims and duck arse haircuts and sideburns

· minority in Britain but major effect

· music - introduction of Rock n Roll

1960s mods

· mod - modernist to describe modern jazz musicians and fans

· uniform is hard to describe and they were prone to continuous revitalisation

· as psychedelic rock and the hippie subculture grew more popular  - people drifted away from the mods

· original mods in the 1960s were getting into the age of marriage and having kids which meant that they no longer had the time and money for their youthful past times

· So they died out

1960s skinheads

· w/c youths

· cropped or shaven heads - influenced by west Indian rude boys and British mods in terms of fashion, music and lifestyle

· attitudes towards race and politics have become factors by which they identify themselves

1970s punks

· based around punk rock

· loud aggressive music

· individual freedom

· standing up for their rights

· anti-consumerism

· anti- authoritarianism and anti-establishment

The Cultural Revolution

· What happened before the 1950s?

· following the end of WWII entered a period of individual freedom and affluence

· teens didn't exist before WWII

· many of the old subcultures began to be challenged and new ones came in

· So what changed? - rationing was coming to an end, the American Dream was becoming key aspirations to British youths, introduction of commercial TV, availability of cheap colourful magazines - luxury commodities. a worldwide economic boom, 'Set the people free' - conservative slogan

· America's influence- cultural degeneration, Hollywood movies, TV, glossy mags and consumer goods proved an instant hot with British consumers, Cultural Imperialism - one culture influencing another

· car ownership rose by 250% between 1951 and 1961 and average weekly earnings rose by 34% while the costs of most technological consumer items fell in real terms - more money to spend on goods. - affluence

Rebel Without a Cause
Wild One

example

Theories