http://www.bfi.org.uk/
On Wednesday the 5th of February my media class visited the BFI to experience and learn about the way media portrays young people and their culture. We viewed a presentation performed by Matthew Hall and he spoke about how teenagers begin to build up their identity, he also spoke about the Psychoanalytic film theory in which we use films and television that we watch in order to reinforce our own identity. Whilst at the presentation we were asked to analyse a variety of film clips and decide on what dominant message was being sent about the younger characters. We were also asked to think about the oppositional interpretation and how adults may view the clips differently.
One of the pieces we were shown was a clip taken from the film The Wild One. In the this clip we see a group of people who are of the same age, the characters we all male and were shown wearing similar outfits. This film was made in 1953 and shows a good representation of a gang of people acting as one. This gang like behaviour is a trend in other youth drama films such as Quadrophenia and Bullet Boy. It begins to show that young people group together and identify with each other, this is demonstrated through the similar outfits and hair styles. This comradary with in the group can be seen as desirable to younger audience as it shows a good sense of belonging although when linked to violence and delinquency it can be viewed as a negative and threatening way to act by a audience of older viewers. This gang like behaviour may also play on the fears that parents may have about their own children acting in this way.
Another piece that we were shown was a clip from the film Quadrophenia. In this clip we see the youth subculture, the mods rival with another subculture, the rockers. This clip also demonstrates the gang like grouping of the characters who also behave in a delinquent and obstructive way. Then dominant message this clip shows the characters sticking together, working as one and acting in a collective way even though the way they are acting is destructive and violent. Further in the film we are shown parents and they come across idle and disinterested in their children, this could imply that they are to blame for the sub cultures. It may be more of the fact that teenagers want to be different from their parents and they achieve this by acting in a gang of people they identify with and this may relate to the audience who is younger and feels the same way about wanting to be different, even though they may achieve this through not being violent and destructive. Viewers of an older age may also identify with this film as it may cause them to become nostalgic about how they felt when the were younger.
Another film that showed idle parents was 'Kidlulthood'. They parents are show to be wrapped up in their own problems and from this the fail to notice the trouble that their daughter is going through, young people may relate to this as they feel that their parents do not understand them. 'Rebel with out a Cause' also shows the more emotional side of a conflicted teenager and again the parents seen to be unaware of how unaware they are in regards of their sons feelings. Adults watching this could feel that they never act in such a dismissive way but it could also cause them to feel worried about if they are and not realising they are doing so.
This scene of Kidulthood touches on many still current issues that cause frequent discussions in news and media such a under age drinking, teen pregnancy and bullying. It begins to show that the teenage life is not all care free and little responsibility as many parents see it to be, as well as gang violence and drug taking the film as shows the pressures that a young person may face in their life, although when reflected to reality in may not be such an intense representation.
One issue that is often up for discussion is the fear that films of this nature are the reasons for gang violence, drug taking and general delinquent behaviour. I disagree as if you are going to blame a gang film for gangs you must question a horror film for horrific murders and in the same way a heist film for robberies. A film that explores this questionable impressionability is 'Human Traffic'. In a ironic fashion is shows how films are not to blame for a young persons blameable behaviours.
Overall the day help us to explore the way that we interpret media and how it portrays youth and collective identities. Also we learnt to think how an older audience may view them and that not every representation is an accurate one.
Another piece that we were shown was a clip from the film Quadrophenia. In this clip we see the youth subculture, the mods rival with another subculture, the rockers. This clip also demonstrates the gang like grouping of the characters who also behave in a delinquent and obstructive way. Then dominant message this clip shows the characters sticking together, working as one and acting in a collective way even though the way they are acting is destructive and violent. Further in the film we are shown parents and they come across idle and disinterested in their children, this could imply that they are to blame for the sub cultures. It may be more of the fact that teenagers want to be different from their parents and they achieve this by acting in a gang of people they identify with and this may relate to the audience who is younger and feels the same way about wanting to be different, even though they may achieve this through not being violent and destructive. Viewers of an older age may also identify with this film as it may cause them to become nostalgic about how they felt when the were younger.
Another film that showed idle parents was 'Kidlulthood'. They parents are show to be wrapped up in their own problems and from this the fail to notice the trouble that their daughter is going through, young people may relate to this as they feel that their parents do not understand them. 'Rebel with out a Cause' also shows the more emotional side of a conflicted teenager and again the parents seen to be unaware of how unaware they are in regards of their sons feelings. Adults watching this could feel that they never act in such a dismissive way but it could also cause them to feel worried about if they are and not realising they are doing so.
This scene of Kidulthood touches on many still current issues that cause frequent discussions in news and media such a under age drinking, teen pregnancy and bullying. It begins to show that the teenage life is not all care free and little responsibility as many parents see it to be, as well as gang violence and drug taking the film as shows the pressures that a young person may face in their life, although when reflected to reality in may not be such an intense representation.
One issue that is often up for discussion is the fear that films of this nature are the reasons for gang violence, drug taking and general delinquent behaviour. I disagree as if you are going to blame a gang film for gangs you must question a horror film for horrific murders and in the same way a heist film for robberies. A film that explores this questionable impressionability is 'Human Traffic'. In a ironic fashion is shows how films are not to blame for a young persons blameable behaviours.
Overall the day help us to explore the way that we interpret media and how it portrays youth and collective identities. Also we learnt to think how an older audience may view them and that not every representation is an accurate one.
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