RESEARCH PROJECT NOTES

"Representations of British Teenagers are just reflection of reality, not constructions, or distortions." How are teenagers represented in British films?

The films I will be looking at are 'A Taste of Honey' (1961, Tony Richardson), 'Cherrybomb' (2009, Lisa Barros and Glen Leyburn) and 'Submarine' (2006, Richard Ayoade), the reason for choosing these films, are the ways each film displays a different reflection of British Teenagers from the late fifties to 1960s up to 2010. 

A TASTE OF HONEY

• The representations of British Teenagers in A Taste of Honey would be a strong reflection of reality as the issues displayed within the film are true reflections of the society within the Sixties. 
• The 'New and Changing' and 'The Swinging Sixities' were the names given to the 1960s because the decade was revolutionary and allowed a 'permissive society'. The increase of employment, more opportunities for women, increased numbers of immigration and enhanced radical behaviour from students and middle class young people 
• The rising opportunities of women, more independence, more opportunities.
• The number of immigrants coming over to Britain played as a positive and a negative for Britons. (racial discrimination in industry, housing, government, public. middle class uni students accepted and greeted the new immigrants to Britain, middle class did this because they were really interested in new and fashionable things, which was embracing the changing societies and greeting new members of the British society, rising immigration meant interracial dating)
• race relations - protests / marches
• Youth culture in the Sixties gave the government many problems and threats
• The 'Swinging Sixties' & 'New and Changing' Britain (sexual revolution, mini skirts, Beatles drug use, subcultures, student protests, homosexuality )
• a taste of honey showed people a new and changing society
• A Taste of Honey was a ground breaking/prominent film that showed 
• The sexist attitudes at the time, made life more difficult for a white women to be with a black man, then the other way around.
• The theme of 'love' acts as a catalyst for rebellious behaviour in A Taste of Honey, for example Jo is so hooked on Jimmy, her love interest, that she more aggressively argues/disagrees with her mother, which lead to her spend the night at Jimmy's flat, and getting pregnant.

CHERRYBOMB

• The British Teenagers displayed in Cherrybomb would be represented as distorting reality, as there are three protagonists and only one displays a realistic representation of British Teenager then the others highly exaggerated the British Teenager. 
• Cherrybomb contrasts to A Taste of Honey because modern day society the media continues to consume youth culture and distorting it.
• Cherrybomb include several different categories of radical behaviour, such as sex, violence, profanities, alcohol, dugs and smoking. These tell us that even before, watching the movie, we know that the style of youth culture is an exaggerated stereotype, rebellious and radical.
• The next couple of reviews will argue whether of not the film Cherrybomb is a realistic representation of British Teenagers.
• "One Line Reviews, Iain Scott - 'this well crafted but general unpleasant film, feels like a pair of below average kins episodes" (Skins is a British teen drama that follows the lives of a group of teenagers in Bristol through the two years of sixth form. Its controversial storylines have explored issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness, adolescent sexuality, substance abuse, death and bullying.) The word 'unpleasant' further describes how gritty and serious the film is (exaggerated drama) and the fact that the film is being related to Skins shows how exaggerated the teenagers representations are, as well as show how the representations are created for entertainment purposes only. This negative review made by Iain Scott a middle aged critic, showcases how the coming-of-age film was written for younger audiences. 
• The next few quotes will argue against the previous, saying; "Cherrybomb is a stylish, yet realistic portrayal of contemporary teenagers." and "Cherrybomb is a great film for anyone who likes drama, comedy, a bit of romance and a burst of reality" These shows how younger audiences relate to the representation of British Teenagers and responded really well to the film.
• Clip 1: 'the titanic party scene' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ63NlwFW1M&list=PLZJQDnibyqQfFMvC0PXGm2QZLjySQRnxV&safe=active displays a stereotypical and very destructive view of British Teenagers in modern society as everyone starring in this scene is underage. This scene includes smoking, drugs, alcohol, breaking and entering, graffiti and illegal fireworks, all the things that an standard rebellious teenage film includes.
• Clip 2: 'night in and night out' scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aZ80S38Qns (0:34:09 - 0:39:07) this scene displays a contrasts between the older and younger generations, which relates back to A Taste of Honey and the generation gap of the 1960s. The way that the directors Lisa Barros and Glen Leyburn present this generation gap is thorough intertwining shots between Michelle and Luke and then Malachy and his family. At the end of this scene we see that Malachy chooses to give in to temptation and steal his dads car, and Luke choose a girl over his friend.

• Malachy is influenced by love and rebellion in this film. He wants to prove his friend wrong by breaking the rules in order to impress Michelle, a girl he wants to win over. The audience still see Malachy's good side, for example when they are joy riding in Malachy's dads' car, Malachy says 'i have to get this back in one piece' and Luke replies in a mocking tone 'What? back to your mummy and daddy?' which leads Malachy to 'up the anti' and become more 'hardcore'. This gives the film an essence of realism as many teenagers are heavily influenced by their friends in certain situations.

SUBMARINE

• Submarine showcases a gentler, more conventional image of the British Teenager. 
• Submarine differs from the previous films as Submarine does not exploit the British teenagers'  radical behaviour. 
• The rebellious behaviour within the film such as; smoking, sex and bullying is limited and less exaggerated by the director Richard Ayoade, whereas in Cherrybomb the behaviour is heightened and focused more heavily on.
• Oliver is influence into rebellious acts in Submarine, similarly to Malachy is in Cherrybomb, for example Oliver tries to impress Jordana by helping to torment another girl, this expresses how 'love' acts as a catalyst for rebellious behaviour in Submarine as well as Cherrybomb and A Taste of Honey. (All three films are centred around the theme of love as a catalyst for the characters' rebellious behaviour) 
• In the film, Oliver Tate says, "I must not let me principals stand in the way of progress, i must adapt." this expresses the willingness he has to himself to fit in with others and to impress/get closer to Jordana, his love.
• Submarine leans more towards the older generation and differs from the younger generation. 
• The years Cherrybomb and Submarine were released might further show how British Teenagers act OR have become more rebellious OR show how media has distorted and constructed a false idea of British Teenage rebellion in reality.
• Clip 1: "Dinner Date" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIvlhEu_mPo
• This scene has elements of the older generation through Oliver's speech, (to a wonderful evening of love-making) his body language (toasts), costume (suit) and the presentation of traditional values that a grown up might have. This scene can not be described as rebellious though it involves rebellious elements, such as; the underage sex, drinking wine yet the behaviour is not exaggerated or highlighted in any way so it becomes less significant.
• Clip 2: "Kiss Under the Bridge" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJoQOXqcCNo This scene has elements of promiscuous behaviour, profanities and 
• Clip 3: "Two weeks of Lovemaking" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0eMIR9Pt14 This scene has a sweet dynamic, making it seems more realistic  but however quite exaggerated because it is highly limited that young teenagers make a romantic montage their relationship. So this film could also come under the distortion aspect of a representation of British behaviour in reality. 
• Richard Ayoade says "it was really interesting how we established that Oliver was seeing everything through a film" .......

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Books:
YOUTH MEDIA by Bill Osgerby

Bill Osgerby was reader in Youth Media, gender, British Culture and Communication at London Metropolitan University says....

"Grace Palladino has observed, embedded racism and economic inequality ensured that throughout the 1950s 'black teenagers' remained invisible as far as mainstream society was concerned"

"The rise of the teenage consumption was more hesitant"

"The equation of 'youth' with 'affluence' became a prevalent theme in Britain during the late 1950s"

"great economic power to the young" 

"youthful connotations seemed to guarantee a hedonistic and independent lifestyle."

Dominic Sandbrook, author of 'White Heat: A History of Biritain in the Swinging Sixties' quotes 

"Sixties Britain seemed - superficially at least - to be a country reborn in the crucible of affluence."

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FILM UNFINISHED SCRIPT

The three film, the films I will be looking at “A Taste of Honey” (1961, Tony Richardson), “Cherrybomb” (2010, Lisa Barros and Glen Leyburn) and “Submarine” (2006, Richard Ayoade). I chose these films, as all three display three different representations of the British Teenager. A Taste of Honey shows the start of the new age for British teenager, Cherrybomb, displays a stereotypical view of rebellious teenage behaviour and Submarine showcases a gentle, more conventional teenage image.

Before the fifties, the term 'teenager' did not exist. The process from child to adult was the everyday route that every young person took, as the influence of the older generation on tradition was strong. Men, would get a job, and bring a steady income for the hose, where as women, would become great housewives, as the stress of motherhood and marriage was their main priority.

Youth culture started in the late 1950s, but became more radical and revolutionary in the 1960s, hence the name 'Swinging Sixties'. Throughout the sixties, the image of the 'teenager' was heavily stereotyped around subcultures. Familiar subcultures like Mods and Rockers, Hippies, Skinheads etc, are all an outcome of 'Generation Gap', that allowed young people to create an image and break away from the traditional generation. With rising youth culture came new fashions, music, behaviour as well as new representation of the British teenager.

A TASTE OF HONEY (1961) AND THE NEW AND CHANGING BRITAIN

Presenter: A Taste of Honey , directed by Tony Richardson, 

A Taste of Honey, showcases the 'New and Changing Britain' where Miss Shelagh Delaney's wrote the play when she was 18 years old. The New York Times quotes; “The result is a fittingly unadorned, sometimes drab, vehicle freighted with meaning and compassion that is universal despite its seemingly restrictive locale.” [1] this describes the films, lack of glamour and materialism, as well as reward its meaningful and compassionate essence, that all audiences could appreciate even if they do not understand the dialect of the characters. This film was a huge success and audiences felt that the ''sensitive cast have cleaved to the original story and to Miss Delaney's style.” [2]

The film, includes many aspects of the “New and Changing Britain” as the rising independence of women, marriage and divorce, interracial relationships, homosexuality and teen pregnancy, all show the radical and revolutionary extent of youth culture. The next few clips will display this more clearly for you.

Clip 1 – “A Taste of Honey” Their First Kiss (0:00 – 0:34)

Clip 2 - Their Engagement (2:25 – 3:55) – Youtube

Cherrybomb (2009): "Two boys. One. Girl. Game On."

Cherrybomb, teen drama and almost thriller, directed by Lisa Barros D'sa and Glen Leyburn, is described on IMDb as, "Teenagers Luke (played by Robert Sheehan), Malachy (played by Rupert Grint), and Michelle (played by Kimberley Nixon) embark on a wild weekend of drink, drugs, shop-lifting and stealing cars, that quickly begin to spin beyond their control." [4] This small synopsis gives us a glimpse of what style of youth culture is within the film. Cherrybomb relates to A Taste of Honey as..........

My reason for choosing this film, was the several different categories of radical behaviour that this film includes such as; Sex and Nudity, Violence and Gore, Profanity and Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking. These types of categories inform us that the style of youth culture is stereotypical, rebellious and radical. 


From 'One-Line Reviews', Iain Stott gave a negative review by saying 'this well crafted but generally unpleasant film, feels like a pair of below average Skins episodes.' take in mind that Iain Scott is an objective critic who's favourite films are from the 1960s. This alone shows shows this modern, rebellious and stereotypical coming of age film, was written for more younger audiences. On the other hand, through research, i have found that this film is very relatable to many teenagers now-a-days, for example many reviews rated the film, 7 stars and up, commenting, "Cherrybomb is a stylish, yet realistic portrayal of contemporary teenagers."[6] and "Cherrybomb is a great film for anyone who likes, drama, comedy, a bit of romance, and a burst of reality" [7]. 

The adolescent years are hugely important for establishing a persons individuality. The number of smokers from the ages 16-19, throughout the years 1974 - 2010 were at one of the highest rates, behind 20 to 25 years olds. 

I will now show you whom clips from the film, that will sum up all my points. the first is a scene from the end of the film, showing some average and other not average teen rebellion acts such as, smoking, drugs, alcohol, parties and fireworks.

Clip 3 - "The Party Scene" - Youtube 

CONTRAST - NIGHT IN, NIGHT OUT.

The next clip, strongly shows a contrast, between the older generations idea of a nice night in, and teenagers idea of night out.

Clip 4 - "Night In vs Night Out" - Youtube

This scene is one of the strongest scenes, as is displays the difference between the old generation and the newer generation. The Directors Lisa Barros D'sa and Gley Leyburn present dinner with family as boring, annoying and dull , so the audience feel quite sorry for Malachy. Where as they present the ''car park crowd' as lively, wildly enjoyable, when in actual fact they have nothing better to do then get high and drunk on the street. The strongest part of this scene is when both Luke and Malachy chose to go join the 'car park crowd', they chose friends over family.

This scene relates to Submarine's

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Reviews:

[1 & 2] - A Taste of Honey (1961), Screen: 'A Taste of Honey' Arrives: British Drama Stars. Rita Tushingham. By A. H. WEILER, Published: May 1, 1962

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B00E6DA1E31E63ABC4953DFB3668389679EDE

This review was very helpful, as it explored the audiences

[3] - 
[4] -Cherrybomb - IMDb article and reviews
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1248971/
[5] - One-Line Review - Cherrybomb http://1linereview.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/cherrybomb-2009.html
[6 & 7] IMDb reviews
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1248971/reviews

Clips:

1 - 
2- 

Books:

THE IMAGE OF 60s SUBCULTURE

The image of youth culture has changed throughout the 60s to the twenty first century. At first, youth culture was about the younger generation finding their own identity and differing from the traditional norms of their parents' generation, called the Generation Gap which took place in the 60s. The changing youth culture went from young girls learning to become housewives, to the teen culture experimenting with sex and drugs. The 60s was known for its outstanding change in fashion. Many new sub-cultures like hippies, mods, rockers and  greasers,created an image for each group type. 

 Greasers

Greasers were a predominantly white ethnic youth subculture that originated in the 1950s among young northeastern and southern United States street gangs.

Hippies

The Hippie Movement, also spelled hippy, was during the 1960s and 1970s, of a countercultural movement that rejected the mainstream American life. Hippies felt alienated from middle-class society, which they saw as dominated by materialism and repression, and they developed their own distinctive lifestyle. They favoured long hair and casual, often unconventional, dress, sometimes in “psychedelic” colours. Many males grew beards, and both men and women wore sandals and beads.

Rockers & Mods

The mods and rockers were two conflicting British youth subcultures of the early to mid-1960s. Media coverage of mods and rockers fighting in 1964 sparked a moral panic about British youths, and the two groups became labelled as folk devils.

. The rocker subculture was centred around motorcycling, and their appearance reflected that. Rockers generally wore protective clothing such as black leather jackets and motorcycle boots The common rocker hairstyle was a pompadour, which was associated with 1950s rock and roll — the rockers' music genre of choice.

 The mod subculture was centred around fashion and music, and many mods rode scooters. Mods wore suits and other cleancut outfits, and preferred 1960s music genres such as soul, rhythm and blues, ska and beat music.

12 BRITISH YOUTH CULTURE FILMS

CLASSIC BRITISH YOTUH CULTURE FILMS

Train-spotting (1996)

Train-spotting is directed by the hugely successful Danny Boyle, who is well known for his abstract and thought provoking feature films, such as 127 Hours, Slumdog Millionaire, The Beach, Trance and 28 Days Later.
- The film stars Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller and many more young actors and actress. 

Train-spotting focuses heavily on the drug culture of British teen,  Renton who is deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene. He tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends.
The film is set in Edinburgh, Ireland and spoken in very strong Irish accents. Although, because of the strong culture element exhibited in the film, it did not do very successfully in The United States, as the American audience found it extremely difficult to understand the accents and found the storyline issue was too serious and abstract for Hollywood audiences. 




Alfie (2004) original (1966)
















Quadrophenia (1979)

Quadrophenia was directed by Franc Roddam.

The film stars Phil Daniels who the lead role of a Mod living in the 1960's and other upcoming actors and actresses like, Leslie Ash, Philip Davis.

London, 1965: Like many other youths, Jimmy hates the philistine life, especially his parents and his job in a company's mailing division. Only when he's together with his friends, a 'Mod' clique, cruises London on his motor-scooter and hears music such as that of 'The Who' and 'The High Numbers', he feels free and accepted. However, it's a flight into an illusionary world. 

- Written by Tom Zoerner

Kidulthood (2006)















History Boys (2006)

This film is directed by Nicholas Hytner.

It stars many young upcoming male comedians and actors, such as; James Corden, Andrew Knott, Russell Tovey and Domonic Cooper as well as some well known adults actors, such as; Richard Griffiths and Stephen Campbell Moore.

This film showcases a different outlook on British teens, as the group of 'history boys' are an unruly class of gifted and charming teenage boys are taught by two eccentric and innovative teachers, as their headmaster pushes for them all to get accepted into Oxford or Cambridge. This film makes a change from the stereotypical image of teenage boys, as it also incorporates a good balance of good and bad behaviour, suggesting that you can be smart and well educated and also have fun.

Now is Good (2012)
Now is Good is directed by Ol Parker 

It stars many successful actors and actresses, such as; Dakota Fanning, Jeremy Irvine, Kaya Scodelario, Paddy Considine and Olivia Williams. 

One important decision Ol made while casting, was to use an American girl and making her put on an English accent as well as put across a deep and meaningful storyline. The film consists of a girl dying of leukemia compiles a list of things she'd like to do before passing away. Topping the list is her desire to lose her virginity.

The issue of youth culture comes into this film as the young girls' (Dakota Fanning) lists include illegal acts and she gets sucked into fulfilling them. She thinks that completing the list will bring a sense of achievement before she passes. This expresses that the importance of breaking the law, behaving badly and having fun instead of accomplishing more important things in life is being shown as a priority.

This is England (2006)

This is directed by Shane Meadows


the cast is mostly young adults and teenage actors and actresses, such as; Thomas Turgoose, Jack O'Connell,  Joseph Gilgun and Jo Hartley

A story about a troubled boy growing up in England, set in 1983. He comes across a few skinheads on his way home from school, after a fight. They become his new best friends even like family. Based on experiences of director Shane Meadows. 

The film features many...







One of the lead roles, '' played by '' is also a cast member of the e4 television series 'Misfits' this also exhibits the strong youth culture, showcasing murder, swearing, fighting, drug use, smoking and alcohol. 




Submarine (2006)

Cherrybomb (2010)

Weekender (2011)















The Inbetweeners Movie (2011)

"Ginger & Rosa" (2012)



POPULAR FILMS ABOUT YOUTH CULTURE

The films I have to research and find information about: http://mrnolanmedia.wordpress.com/british-youth-culture-films/

1. Eden Lake – 2008
2. Bully - 2001
3. Adulthood – 2008
4. Kidulthood – 2006
5. Anuvahood – 2011
6. Fish Tank – 2009
7. Harry Brown – 2009
8. Driving Lessons - 2006
9. Cemetary Junction - 2010
10. Bullet Boy – 2004
11. Shank – 2010
12. The Inbetweeners Movie – 2011
13. Quadrophenia – 1979
14. Brighton Rock – 2010
15. Victim - 2011
16. Fast Girls - 2012
17. Bend it Like Beckham - 2002
18. History Boys – 2006
19. This is England – 2006
20. NEDS – 2010
21. Sweet Sixteen - 2002
22. Submarine – 2010