Social Realism &

Post Apocalypti

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Lily Judd Page.

SOCIAL REALISM• Setting: Social realist films are often set in realistic, urban settings that

present the struggle of the working class, e.g. council estates and other dark, unseen areas.

• Narrative: Generally focus on ostracised groups in society, depicting hardship and struggle in life.

• Characters: The character’s struggle is usually presented as heroic. These working class characters are typically not shown in mainstream films.

• Filming techniques: The techniques used are designed to visually demonstrate realism. Handheld cameras are often used, with simple continuity editing.

SOCIAL REALISM: BILLY ELLIOT- Billy Elliot is a British drama that was released in 2000. - It was written by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Dowdry- It is set against the tumultuous background of the miners strike in

North-East England in 1984. The story explores a young boys unconventional journey to become a ballet dancer, falling off the path of his miners heritage that his father and brother have so firmly held onto. His ballet lessons are kept a secret from his family, who would never understand his passion for dance and would prefer him withhold a more masculine activity. However, his father learns of his passion, and with the help from him and his dance teacher, he receives a scholarship for the Royal School of Ballet.

- The film encompasses themes of hardship as it explores the brutal realities of a working mans life in a deprived area. However it is not all doom and gloom as there is hope in the form of Billy.

- A lot of the characters are represented in a negative manner – excessive drinking, rude and narrow-minded.

- A stereotype of the working class. However, the children - are innocent and naïve, still obtaining habits from their parents

(Billy steals a book from the library at one point), yet they all mean well.

- The lighting has been de-saturated to give a sense of gloom and bleakness which reflects their daily struggle.

Social Realism – Dirty Pretty things• Dirty Pretty Things was released in

2002. It is directed by Stephen Frears and written by Steven Knight and won a British Independent Film Award for "Best Independent British Film" in 2003.

• The film follows the lives of illegal immigrants seeking asylum in the UK. A string of unpalatable events occur behind the closed doors of the hotel as it is found that people have been giving their kidneys in return for a passport.

The light is constantly dark which reflects its sullen subtext. There are lots of POV shots which visually demonstrate the realism within Dirty Pretty Things

Social Realism - TrainspottingTrainspotting is a film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh. It was released in 1996.The film follows the lives of a group of heroin addicts in Edinburgh in the late 80’s, which was an economically depressed area at the time.Boyle was inspired by the colours of Francis Bacon’s paintings which is supposed to portray "a sort of in-between land – part reality, part fantasy".Unlike other social realism films, perhaps due to its comic undertone, the lighting is not as notably de saturated. Macdonald worked with Miramax Films to sell the film as a British Pulp Fiction, flooding the market with postcards, posters, books, soundtrack albums, and a revamped music video for "Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop directed by Boyle. To make it appeal to an American audience who may not understand the thick Scottish accent, they re-edited the beginning 20 minutes.

POST-APOCALYPTICNarrative themes & conventions:• Post-apocalyptic films usually depict the

fears of society at the time. For example, during the 1950’s and onwards, during the period of the cold war, the fear of nuclear war was strong. Stanley Kramer presented this in his 1959 post-apocalyptic film On the Beach, where a group of people struggle for survival after a nuclear war. This search for hope and humanity is a typical narrative theme of its genre.

• Post-apocalyptic films usually take place in a dystopian world, post-equilibrium. The equilibrium that is explained in the narrative via flashbacks or non-diegetic narration is typically restored at the end of the film.

Post Apocalyptic – The RoadThe Road is a 2009 Post Apocalyptic drama, directed by John Hillcoat and written by Joe Penhall. It is based on the novel written by highly acclaimed American author Cormac McCarthy.It is a gripping, nail-biting and truly intense tale that follows the story of one man and his sons struggle for survival in Post-Apocalyptic America, which has been left desolate after a natural disaster. On their way to the coast, where they hope to find better, they become bluntly aware of the cruelness of humanity.The Road is a film that is very typical of its genre. It has all the major components of a Post-Apocalyptic film:

Post-Apocalyptic – 28 Days Later

28 Days Later is a 2002 British film by Danny Boyle. It portrays the breakdown of society following the accidental release of a contagious virus.

The lighting is typical of a post-apocalyptic – there are red tones which signify the danger and bloodshed. It often dark which adds to the fear element.

Timeline of Social Realism Films

1940’s:The Stars Look Down by Carol Reed (1939)

1950’s:Look Back In Anger by Tony Richardson (1959)

1960’s: A Taste of Honey by Tony Richardson (1961)

1960’s:Kes by Tony Garnett (1969)

1970’s:Quadrophenia by Franc Roddam (1979)

1990’s: Trainspotting by Danny Boyle (1996)

1980’s: High Hopes by Mike Leigh (1988)

2000’s: Billy Elliot by Stephen Dowdry (2000)

2010’s:Fish Tank by Andrea Arnold (2009)

Timeline of Post-Apocalyptic films

1950’s: The Day The Earth Stood Still (12 Jun 1951)

1970’s: The Omega Man (12 Jun 1971)

1970’s:Mad Max(12 Jun 1979)

1990’s:Prototype (12 Jun 1992)

1990’s:Independence Day (12 Jun 1996)

2000’s:The Day After Tomorrow (12 Jun 2004)