The poster image completley confirms what the film is about. Straight away you can interpretate what each character is like. As soon as you look at the picture i have a understanding of were roughly the film will be based, each characters role and who are the nasty characters. ( Sam has a massive pole in his hand).
I think the name "Kidulthood" was chosen as it does give you an idea of what the films dialouge will be about. "Kid" tell you straight away its obvioulsy about kids. "Kidult" tells you its about about kids who are trying to act like adults and "Hood" tells you the setting of the film. So overall as soon as i read it i think its a film about school children trying to act maturely as adults in a "hood". I think this is a good title of the film because after the you have watched it you can see that the title explains the film.
My idea of a playground is children running around, skipping and playing games. The playground in the first scene completley contradicts my idea of a playground as you wouldn't normally see people smoking cannabis, bullying, intimatly kissing. This has a strong effect on the audience as most peoples general idea of playgrounds is not this. Its main effect is straight away you can see what the teenagers lives are like at school. Also it shows how they are even feared by the teachers, when one of the teachers tell Sam to go in side and Sam just stares at him and the teachers walks away. This is a very unusual playground and sets the scene straight away of a rough nasty community.
Tension and aggression is conveyed through body language and facial expressions. When you see Sam straight away you notice the way he is standing, the way his face is all scrunched up, his eyes wide open looking around as if for trouble. The girl bullies also look like this to looking around as if for trouble, frowning and standing as if they are wating to hurt somebody. The quiter characters (ones getting bullied) stand looking down at the floor as they dont want to look up just incase the bullies interpretate them looking at them in aggressive way (an excuse to start a fight) they stand in silence and well away from everyone else, so frightful of being hurt or tormented. This also explains how you can tell who the outsiders are. The camera is mostly filimg the arrogant, loud, nasty characters and only a few times do you see shots of the timid quiet characters.
The filmmaker builds tension into the story between Sam and Claire by using quick cuts between the two when they are being aggressive to the "outsiders". This shows the aggression between the two characters. Tension is also built up by their language, their clothing and the expressions on their face. The fact that both characters are seen as bullies and "hoodies" again builds up the tension of the characters.
When you first see Trevor in the opening scene you think he is a bad character as he has a gun and his hiding it so straight away you you think the worse of him. After seeing what the playground is like, when you see Trevor with the gun you kind of expect it as the images you have seen from the playground have the same effect on the audience as Trevor with the gun. I obvioulsy assume he is hiding a gun for later use, but it fills my mind with a lot of differnt reasons for why he is hiding the gun. For money, his on use or a friend.
Personally i think the soundtrack of the film is perfect for what is happening. The music is intense and goes well with the scenes with alot of drama. The faster rapped music ( Dizzee Rascal) goes well with the scenes when theirs alot of aciont. The music represents the characters well as it is the music they would listen to.
The music overall sets the scene well and lets you know when intense, sad, aggressive scenes are going to happen.
Reprensation of young people
The main stories in the film are about Violence, bullying, teenage pregnancy, gangs and weapons. This is very stereotypical and has alot of emphasise on it. In real life these situations do happen but not in the space of 48 hours.
In the film the "activities" the "kids" do during the day are smoking cannabis, jumping taxis, alot of drug use, sex, shop lifting, not paying for taxis, playing on the playstation and shopping. Also alot of aggressiveness between characters.
The language in the film that the "kids" use represents the area they are from, not all youngsters speak like that but were it is set they most likely probably do.
WhenTrevor is accused of stealing a hat, it makes me think two different thoughts, as the camera is filming Trevor, i feel frustrated that he has been accused just of how he looks and how he talks and walks, however from the security officers point of veiw, they probably get alot of people that do shop lift from their so they just kind of expected it, as they were being loud, disrespectful and rude.
The adults in the film are very naieve and clueless to what is going on in the childrens lives. I don't think any of the adults are seen in a positive light. The aren't influencing the teenagers so they have no role models to look up too.
The way in which young people are represented by media obvioulsy does annoy me as personally i am not like how they percieve most youngsters, however some teenagers are like this but the majority of them are normally like that for a reason and probably just need to talk to someone about it. Teenagers in print media dont really frustrate me as their in the media for a reason for doing something wrong. The only thing i dislike alot is when we are accused of doing something or having something we shouldnt have because how we look or were we are. I also sometimes don't think we are respected because of the stereotypes youngsters have.
The reaction for 50+ would probably make them belive that all youngsters are like this and we all use drugs, are rude, dis-honest and get pregnant at young ages. I would tell them not to be so judgemental and realise just because were all young does not mean we are cloans of eachother and all act the same way, im not saying some youths arent fluenced because they are. But just because a few kids commit crimes does not mean every single youth should have that label.
The film shows that the males and females dont have morals, the males don't respect women are rude and do what they want, and the females don't respect themselves and are percived as "sluts". .
It could help empower young people by giving them confidence to talk to teachers and adults with disrespect and get away with it, it powers them by giving them the authority over weaker students. The use of weapons impowers them because they feel indistructable.
Activity Two
Docu-dram is a fictional film based on real life.
I think Kidulthood is a drama it sensationalises a crime and gang culture only a small pocket of young people in london are like this but this makes it seem like everyone is like this
Newspaper articles and their views on the film
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2006/feb/26/features.mirandasawyer
This article clearly states what the film is about and how it "examines every current teenage media cliche you'd care to name" It says how the film is seen only from the teenagers point of view and also points out things like how the film makes sex out not to be a big deal. However the article says how its not realistic in the way that all the things that happen (pregnancy, drinking, stabbing,shop lifting) would not all most likely happen in the space of 48 hours. Also how in one scene at the beginning the young girl who goes on to committing suicide gets beaten up, no one sticks up for her or even says leave her alone this would not happen, someone would of said or done something in a school. But overall it says how the film is a fun amusing film filled with scenarios teens do experience in these areas of london.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/feb/11/ukcrime.theobserver
The article makes me think that what is show in Kidulthood is not as strong as what happens in some areas in london. The film is a much softer version. The article talks about how guns are as easy to get hold of as a take away. In Kidulthood when a gun is shown its a big deal even when a knife is pulled out its a big deal. I believe the write of Kidulthood has only showed a snippet of what life is really like in some of these areas. After reading this article i do believe the film has educated some people in to realising what some teenagers are like and how their life is determined on were they live. The article also says how their is a lot of murders. This is show in Kidulthood. It also says how you "work your way up" this is shown in the film as Sam is the feared male of the area.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15120082
This article links to the film very well is talk about 3 young women being involved in a gun shooting, overall i think Menhaj Huda the writer of Kidulthood as stereotyped the film on such articles as this and has used source information to direct the film. However i can't say this is a bad film because things like this should be made aware in anyway it can to citizens of this country. The one thing i don't agree with is that if a elderly person watched the film they would think this of every teenager and i don't think that is fair. I suppose their are a few characters who aren't like this but however are made too as they do not feel safe in their area or want and need to prove a point.
If i was to make a docu-soap i would most likely make it on use of drugs with teens because it is very common and think teenagers and adults should see in a humorous but serious form what their kids can and do get up to and how to maybe spot out if there using drugs or not. Also what the effects of taking drugs can do you not only the drugs themselves, but the trouble it gets you in to with police, friends, family and most of all the debt you get yourself in to and obviously how much it damages your health and how much danger it can put you in.
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