Shank Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfapOIPCRik
From: 7.39minutes- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9ZxW5rwMnI. Up to 1.00minture- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MOOB2hQIsk&feature=related
I have chosen to carry out a close textual analysis on a scene in the film ‘Adulthood’. This is the opening scene of the film and in this scene the protagonist Sam a black male just comes out of jail. Before he goes home he goes to the grave yard where is victim is buried he goes there to reflect on his time in prison and events from 6 years ago. In this scene high key lighting is used which is the most influential type of lighting and is used to connote that characters importance in the film and is used to put the spotlight on the male characters fiscal expressions and he is put in the centre of the frame so that the audience known he is the main character. Once he leaves prison his facial expressions and body language is quite relaxed which suggest that he is more grateful for getting out and is looking forward to see his family these are the typical codes and conventions of a drama filled with a lot of emotion, this is outlined with the use of zoom in shots concentrating on his face. In addition the protagonist is put in the centre of the frame to make him look superior and to show that he is the main character.
Looking at his costume in the Mis-en-scene he is wearing stereotypical jail clothes a gray tracksuit with a bag holding all his belongings. In addition the costume he is wearing is stereotypically known as street clothing and is associated with negativity the tracksuit with the hoody is related to crime and violence. This is reflected in society as people who commit street robberies often wear this kind of clothing
In this scene the issue of Moral panic is highlighted as the protagonist is almost killed by another black male as he stabs him in the shoulder. This is a significant moment in the film as it outlines moral panic as characters in the film feel it’s acceptable to stab one another and carry knifes which raises concern in society. In addition the fact that black teenagers are represented in such a negative way the intentional reading is where the audience feels all black teenagers are violent and aggressive. On the other hand the constructionist reading is where the audience are not passive and that the ideologies and views of the institutions are not injected into them and they challenge the negative representation of black teenagers and feel there must be a reason for this sort of representation.
Parallel sound is used in the scene is a song called "Paranoid" by the artist Dizzee Rascal this is a great example of synergy being used to a popular UK rapper being used to promote the film and vice versa. In addition the lyrics of the songs talks about gang culture, knife crime, anti social behaviour teenage stabbings, gun crime and black on black crime which is all portrayed in that one scene meaning the songs fits nicely into the actions of the character as you expect it to accompany the scene. Furthermore a sound bridge is used to supply a smooth transaction to the next scene and make it more realistic and the sounds used are the sounds heard in the street so people can personally identify themselves with the text.
The scene which I analysed did not challenge stereotypes of black teenagers but it perpetuate them the diegetic sound used highlights this as young people speak in non formal English and use derogatory language to express their feelings and this could also be shown to be semiotics as they use hand gestures to express themselves no verbal codes the flashing of weapons (knife) to signify power. There are a number of close up shots alongside point of view shots used in this scene which helps focus the audience attention on the main character meaning then the audience can personally identify themselves with the protagonist and the point of view shots are key in the more violent part of the scene whereby the other black character is getting beaten up the camera angles are lower to show that he is inferior and a point of view shot is used so that the audience can see he is getting hurt and make it more realistic.
The Cultivation theory can be applied to this scene as the protagonist comes out of jail for killing another teenager which allows the audience to gain knowledge form the film and sends a clear message to the audience if you kill someone else you will go to prison so in this scene the cultivation theory is used to inform and educate the audience.
Desensitisation can be applied to this scene as the victim who is beaten up repeatedly is shown this is emphasised with the use of close up shots and if the audience is repeatedly shown these acts of violence they become less sensitive to real life violence but this is difficult to prove.
The copy cat theory can also be applied to this scene as the protagonist is a character much young people can personally identify themselves with and if he is shown to be carrying a knife young teenagers may imitate these actions and this would result in moral panic however this again is very hard to prove.
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