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- BBC Licence debate: Should we pay?

https://theconversation.com/bbc-funding-licence-fee-debate-risks-overlooking-value-of-uks-public-broadcasters-175128

https://theconversation.com/bbc-funding-licence-fee-debate-risks-overlooking-value-of-uks-public-broadcasters-175128

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The proposed two-year freeze in the TV licence fee has prompted a lively debate about BBC funding. The move puts huge pressure on the Corporation's finances, which have taken an estimated 30% real-term cut since 2010. The National Audit Office suggested in its December 2021 report that further budget reductions may lead to more repeats and fewer original high-end programmes.

Conflicting claims about the " end of the licence fee " have also focused concerns on the future viability of the BBC. Many praise its range of services currently provided for what amounts to 43p a day. But others dispute the need for public funding, given the abundance and popularity of commercial streaming services and online media.

Added to this is the issue of the licence fee model itself. The debate, announced by the UK culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, in parliament this week, now centres on whether this is an essential tool for funding a universal public good or a regressive and anachronistic tax.

These discussions highlight the significance of the BBC in the UK's unique model of public service broadcasting, which includes Channel 4, ITV, Channel 5 and the Welsh language broadcaster S4C. This is defined by Ofcom as catering to "people's needs as citizens and their interests as individuals".

Yet in a modern media landscape experiencing a widening generation gap in news audiences, a declining TV advertising market, rising production costs and rampant global competition from Netflix and Amazon, deeper questions are emerging about the purpose and value of public service broadcasting.

Are the traditional ideals of public service broadcasting still relevant in the "multi-screen" era? How should its value be assessed to ensure maximum possible benefit to the public?

Recognising public good

This is central to our recently published research by Cardiff University and the AHRC-funded Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre. Through analysing regulatory documents and related industry studies from the last two decades, we have developed a typology of six different types of value: social, cultural, economic, industrial, representational and civic. They reflect the various principles and obligations of public service broadcasting, as well as emerging risks and opportunities, that shape the UK's current model.

The social value of public service broadcasting stems from free-to-air broadcasters providing equitable access to universal content that helps build a shared national conversation. But the rapid growth of audience choice challenges the relevance of public service broadcasters offering "something for everyone". And regulations designed for a handful of fixed-schedule TV channels need updating to ensure public service broadcasting content is still widely accessible across new platforms and devices.

The cultural value of high-quality, original UK content in news, arts and music, education, religious and children's programming - featuring the lives and experiences of British audiences - distinguishes these public service broadcasters from the wider marketplace.

In 2020 they produced 29,800 hours of "UK-originated" content, compared to just 571 hours on streaming on-demand services such as Netflix. Arts, education and children's programming provided by the broadcasters throughout the pandemic further highlights the cultural value of investment in genres not usually provided by the market. Further funding cuts will jeopardise this and make it increasingly difficult to provide high-quality specialist programming.

Value for money

As the response to the latest licence fee announcement has demonstrated, discussions on the economic value of public service broadcasting typically focus on consumer "value for money". Recent YouGov polling suggests increasing ambivalence about continuing to support public investment in broadcasting.

Yet in recent years public service broadcasters have increasingly sought to emphasise the positive economic value created by employment and investment in the creative industries. A KPMG study for the BBC, for example, estimates that every £1 of BBC spending generated a further £1.63 of economic activity.

There is also considerable "industrial value" generated by public service broadcasters through investment in infrastructure, skills and technological innovation that help to grow the media sector. Commissioning quotas and favourable "terms of trade" for independent production companies have been a big part of the global success of the UK's media sector, while public service broadcasting's regional activities have helped establish new regional centres of investment in the creative industries around the UK.

The representational value of public service broadcasting comes from ensuring that all voices, identities and lifestyles that make up life in modern Britain are reflected in the national conversation. This is epitomised in Channel 4's mission to reflect "the tastes and interests of a culturally diverse society" - similar to services such as S4C, BBC's Asian Network and ITV's regional news networks.

But only half of UK audiences feel that public service broadcasters accurately portray their own nation or region. And, despite important new initiatives in recent years, the broadcasters have yet to tackle long-standing inequalities across ethnicity, gender, class and sexual orientation in the screen industries.

Finally, public service broadcasting creates civic value by empowering audiences to actively participate as citizens in the wider democratic process. Research from Ofcom and the Reuters Institute confirms the status of free-to-air public service broadcasters as the most used and most trusted sources of news for audiences. Still, chronic issues of mistrust, perceptions of bias and younger audiences' shifting media habits raise systemic challenges for the future support and loyalty for public service broadcasting news outlets.

Taken together, these six values recognise the public's distinct interests and needs as viewers and listeners, citizens, "investors" and consumers. In taking a wider perspective on crucial policy issues such as the BBC licence fee, Channel 4's potential privatisation and future regulation of streaming platforms, we invite policymakers, industry stakeholders, audience groups and others to test the usefulness of our typology for examining the future of public service broadcasting.
This article is based on research published by the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre and carried out by Cardiff University. The research is entitled 'What is the Public Value of Public Service Broadcasting?'.

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BBC funding: licence fee debate risks overlooking value of UK's public broadcasters

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The proposed two-year freeze in the TV licence fee has prompted a lively debate about BBC funding. The move puts huge pressure on the Corporation's finances, which have taken an estimated 30% real-term cut since 2010. The National Audit Office suggested in its December 2021 report that further budget reductions may lead to more repeats and fewer original high-end programmes.

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- Representation: Is there enough representation in front and behind the camera? Including; LGBT+, POC, Gender, Social Class etc

https://www.media-diversity.org/why-is-proper-representation-on-tv-is-important-for-diversity/

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/124078/report-bbc-representation-portrayal.pdf

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/black-representation-in-film-and-tv-the-challenges-and-impact-of-increasing-diversity

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We all saw people we admired on screen for several reasons; their personality, character portrayal, professionalism, consistency, and more. But what about familiarity? Not many of us from a diverse background could always say that we would see someone who looked like us on screen. I immediately think of June Sarpong as the first person I saw on my TV at a little page. She presented daytime TV programmes like the MTV Dance and Music Chart, which I would thoroughly enjoy. She is part of why I felt it should be normal to see faces like mine on screen.

And thankfully, it did become a norm, to see a growing number of diverse faces on TV, and we were seen everywhere; comedy, drama, documentaries, sci-fi; the list goes on. However, when it comes to fictional and non-fictional characters in the world of Film and TV, how often do we question the way these roles that we physically relate with, to be a true representation of what it's like to be from an ethnic minority group?

In a recent conference at MIPTV, Miranda Wayland, the Head of Creative Diversity at the BBC, stated that Idris Elba's character Luther " doesn't feel authentic." Luther is a crime drama created in 2010, based on the life of John Luther, a passionate detective who ends up befriending a murderer whom he could not arrest due to lack of evidence, therefore they solve various cases together.

Speaking about what can be done to make diverse representations more authentic, BBC's Miranda Wayland stated:

"It's about making sure that everything around them - their environment, their culture, the set - is absolutely reflective."

The creator of Luther has also previously spoken about his choice to hire a Black actor and his vision for the portrayal of character Luther, saying:

"I have no knowledge or expertise or right to try to tackle in some way the experience of being a Black man in modern Britain. It would have been an act of tremendous arrogance for me to try to write a Black character."

Marverine Duffy is a Senior Lecturer in Journalism at Birmingham City University, and a Board member of its 'Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity'. Given her decades of remarkable work in the journalism industry, and being a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, Marverine shares her general thoughts with MDI.

"We've heard this viewpoint in Luther before, it's not new. Sir Lenny Henry pointed it out a few years ago that it was weird that the show did not feature any of Luther's Black family members or Black friends. Some viewers may have forgotten that there was a pre-cursor to Luther, around six years before it even hit our screens," Marverine tells MDI on Miranda Wayland's comments about Luther.

According to Marverine, 55 Degrees North, which debuted on BBC1 in 2004, demonstrated that there are writers who do consider a characters life eco-system. She also mentions shows such as Eastenders, Desmonds and Holby City's stalwart Don Gilet who depicted characters whose backgrounds made them more rounded.

"That was the first time I remember seeing a drama offering more rounded Black male character on screen. I loved it but it was axed after two series," Marverine Duffy tells MDI.

"It's sad though, that this show Luther, and even Netflix's ratings winner, French drama Lupin, have ensured there are no Black women to be found who are personally connected to the Black male characters; not as a family member or love interest. I'd be interested to know whether that was by accident or design," she continues.

Was it intentional? Or did it just end up that way just because of the character? I can imagine in the world of film and TV, a lot goes into properly selecting the cast.

Marverine touches on what proper representation on screen actually means to her:

"To me it means offering nuance around characters - their friends, their family members, and more realistic portrayals of Black people. For some writers, that might be a difficult prospect, however, it's one that they need to turn their heads to because commissioners are seeking diversity in their content."

Hopefully, gone are the days where we would just see an all white cast in programmes supposedly meaning to show representations of modern day Britain, for example.

Marverine also shares a key answer in regards to media portrayals. How does representation have an affect on the way we are seen in the media?

"It has a huge impact. Seeing Sir Trevor McDonald and Moira Stewart on screen drove my desire to become a journalist. If the many communities who live in this nation, and who contribute to its cultural growth and development are completely ignored in popular content, then they will hunt for the content that better reflects their lives elsewhere," she tells MDI.

"You only have to look at the OFCOM reports on who is watching what, where, when and how, or to read industry reports the gargantuan mite of SVODs in attracting audiences to see the landslide of what's happening to those who are not on board. Sadly for Gen Z's TV is becoming ever more irrelevant. Shows like Twenties from Lena Waithe, Insecure by Issa Rae, Nora from Queens by Awkwafina, the extraordinary His House the debut feature film from Remi Weeks are smashing it," she says.

It is also important to stress the fact that characters from a diverse background, should not be limited to certain types of genres programmes. We should literally be everywhere, as we come from a range a different social classes and backgrounds. We are not all the same. In the case of programmes like Luther, yes it is wonderful to see a Black man on a main TV channel with exceptional acting, but if we cannot see the true representation and portrayals of what it means to be Black in today's world, then how are we being represented?

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Why is proper representation on TV important for diversity? - Media Diversity Institute

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We all saw people we admired on screen for several reasons; their personality, character portrayal, professionalism, consistency, and more. But what about familiarity? Not many of us from a diverse background could always say that we would see someone who looked like us on screen.

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- Is traditional television becoming irrelevant compared to streaming?

https://wifihifi.com/linear-tv-streaming-irrelevant/

https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/culture/film-tv/will-traditional-tv-ever-be-replaced-by-streaming

https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2019/01/will-traditional-tv-channels-become-irrelevant-in-2019

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READ NEXT

There has been much talk and debate about the television industry, how streaming has taken over, and if there's still a place for traditional linear TV. There's an argument for both sides, but let's take a look at the landscape.

Statista finds that the global number of streaming service users was more than 1.02 billion in 2018, and that's expected to rise to 1.24 billion by 2023. Meanwhile, findings from a Simon-Kucher study report that 84% of U.S. participants who have a high affinity for streaming have already replaced traditional TV with streaming services, and 62% even call the latter "irrelevant."

Traditional linear television has a few major draws: allowing viewers to watch the hottest shows (that don't originate from streaming services) in real-time, week by week, versus waiting until the season is done and missing out on the watercooler talk. Then there's live sports, local news, and things like awards shows and reality series.

When Game of Thrones, the biggest show on television, ended last year, articles flooded the Internet with headlines like "how to cancel HBO now that Game of Thrones is over." A traditional or pay network needs an anchor series to keep people interested. Without one, paying for a network to see shows that you could very well wait and catch up on later, just isn't appealing.

But traditional and even premium networks are limited in their primetime slots, which means that sometimes, great series get cut. In the past, these series would end up in the television history books. Today, streaming services can swoop in like a knight in shining armour and save a popular show from getting the axe. Hulu saved The Mindy Project. Amazon Prime Video brought back The Expanse. Netflix revived Arrested Development and scooped up Designated Survivor after ABC cancelled the series in 2018. If you wait long enough, your favourite show might end up on one streaming service or another. And in some cases, shows are debuting concurrently. The CW's Riverdale airs on the network after which each episode is made available weekly on Netflix. Ditto for Dynasty, which airs on The CW as well, after which each episode appears on Netflix the following day. ABC series Scandal also offered a similar week-to-week deal with its last season, airing on both the network then being available for streaming on Netflix. Interestingly, Shonda Rhymes, the force behind Scandal and other major hit primetime television series for ABC, has shifted over to Netflix and will develop new projects exclusively for the streaming service. These deals are adding more fuel to the irrelevancy fire for traditional TV.

"Growing numbers of viewers have turned their backs on linear television," says Lisa Jaeger, media expert and partner at Simon-Kucher. "They increasingly prefer ad-free video streaming services, a trend that will impact TV advertising on a grand scale."

The advertising space is already changing drastically on linear TV because of these shifts. In between content on late night talk shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live! and actual commercials are short, creatively scripted advertisement segments featuring Kimmel himself, or his sidekick Guillermo promoting different products. In sitcoms like Black-ish, it isn't uncommon to see scenes within the show that are clearly designed as in-content ads that go above and beyond standard product placement, presented within the context of the dialogue. It might be the family discussing a feature of their new smartphone as the camera closes in on the device, or the dad using the connectivity features in his car, cleverly throwing in a mention of cool features in hopes that viewers don't notice the blatant ad before the family drives off on their next adventure. We've come a long way from Kellogg's cereal boxes in the background on Seinfeld.

Streaming services, of course, don't include ads - yet. Some believe the addition of ads could spell the death of streaming. But what's the alternative? These services can only raise their monthly fees so often and so many times before subscribers get upset. But it's either see the monthly cost rise an extra buck or two annually in order to allow the service to remain profitable (or become more so) or deal with ads. Currently, Netflix's top-tier 4K plan is $16.99/mo., a far cry from the $7.99/mo. price tag Netflix originally entered the country with.

Indeed, the Simon-Kucher study found that the top criteria for selecting a streaming service is high-quality content and price. Content exclusivity didn't mean as much.

"Provided they offer attractive content and remain ad free, they can ask customers to pay a modest premium," suggests Simon-Kucher partner Eddie Hartman and revenue growth and go-to-market strategy expert.

The study results indicate that nearly 40% of U.S. participants prefer paying a higher monthly charge in exchange for having no commercial interruptions to their viewing experience. Thirty-four percent indicated a willingness to accept a small number of advertisements in exchange for a lower monthly charge, and only 7% would prefer a payment model with a greater amount of advertising and no fees.

With new streaming options now available like Disney+ and Apple TV+ along with U.S.-only services like HBO Max and soon NBC's Peacock, linear TV will have even more competition with which to contend. The study revealed that potential users had already at that time found the Apple TV+ offering to be attractive, with 31% of U.S. respondents stating they would definitely subscribe to it, 56% stating they would consider subscribing to it, and only 13% expressing no interest in it. What's more, 41% said they would use Apple TV+ in addition to existing subscriptions; another 41% said they would use it in place of a streaming service to which they already subscribe. This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic and stay at home orders, streaming services have seen even more of an uptick.

"These findings are actually good news for the entire industry, with streaming providers having the chance to co-exist," says Jaeger. "But to set themselves apart from competitors, they will need to commit to providing content that is attractive to consumers."

But where does that leave linear TV? More options in streaming might not impact each service's existing subscriber base, at least not to a significant level. But will it convince some to cancel their premium network TV subscriptions, or even basic cable, in order to justify the added monthly cost?

It may all come down to content. And with Game of Thrones out of the running, streaming options for sports on the rise, the younger generation relying on the "viral" moments from late night talk shows, reality series, and awards programming that they can get online, and news being offered through many mediums, linear TV will have an upward climb to keep subscribers hooked. Many networks have launched their own streaming alternatives in an effort to curb some of the losses, from CTV Go to CBS All Access and, as mentioned, NBC's upcoming Peacock streaming service. But will it be enough? Linear TV channels might have an option to do the reverse of what streaming services are: pick up shows that they have cancelled. There was outcry when Netflix cancelled Sense8, and many fans were upset when the reimagining of One Day At a Time, featuring the incomparable Rita Moreno, got the axe. Not long after, linear network Pop picked up the latter and debuted a fourth season. While Netflix doesn't reveal its viewership numbers, the sitcom clearly had a lot of fans.

Time will tell how things will play out, and how well streaming and linear TV can co-exist. In the meantime, while television provides entertainment that we all love to indulge in and is the core driver for many of the products this industry provides, from high-end home theatre speakers to gorgeous flat panel displays, where the content comes from is changing. And the bottom line is that the better the content is, the more people will be willing to pay, regardless of how and to what company. Just ask the people who paid an extra $10/mo. to get HBO as part of a Crave subscription in Canada, many of which who did so in large part, or exclusively, to watch Game of Thrones. Yes, just one show. That series might have been one in a million. But to keep subscribers on board, this needs to be the beginning of a new evolution in quality television if it is to keep linear TV alive.

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In The Wake Of Streaming, Is Traditional TV 'Irrelevant?'

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READ NEXT There has been much talk and debate about the television industry, how streaming has taken over, and if there's still a place for traditional linear TV. There's an argument for both sides, but let's take a look at the landscape.

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W1: What makes a good question? Class Mind Map

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W1: What makes a good question? Class Mind Map

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Summary:

- Debatable?
Making sure to provide an argument

- Specific & Focused
Not too broad, have a specific focus

- Research
Integrate throughout

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Generating Ideas!

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Finalising on topic - Ideology and ‘Film Theory’

Need to focus on exploring how I can tackle this subject and most importantly which movies will be substantial in an analytical study

Already personal favourites of mine which I have begun thinking of are; No Country for Old Men and Trainspotting.

Potential Lead

British Social Realism in comparison to the action genre?

Want to avoid being broad and descriptive - need solid backing to undermine what I’m attempting to communicate in whatever ideological approach I intend to take!

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Some examples I will explore are: Vladimir Propp's Character Archetypes - i.e the traditional 'Hero' and 'Villian', Stuart Hall's Reception Theory, Auteur Theory, Active/Passive Spectatorship, Todorov's Narrative Theory and potentially Postmodernism (and more!)

To ensure fairness and accuracy on my ethics checklist, I believe it is incredibly important to intertwine my primary analysis of movies with my secondary research including theory as my statements/arguments can become very descriptive which I want to avoid.

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Research: Ideology in Film (What is it?)

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Research: Ideology in Film (What is it?)

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Ideology within film involves exploring what dominant attitudes and beliefs are either reinforced or challenged within a society at the time. This includes various messages and values within mainstream cinema which also seek to question the ruling ideologies that exist within the spectator’s society. Typically all films are rooted in some kind of political reality and possess some kind of political position, either explicitly or implicitly, and so we can argue that movies within today’s society are created to reflect a theme or issue happening in society at the time, rather then simply creating a film with no contextual or political meaning.

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Film Theorists (Examples to return to - if needed!)

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Film Theorists (Examples to return to - if needed!)

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A pair of mutually-exclusive signifiers in a paradigm set representing categories which are logically opposed

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What is Levi Strauss' Theory of Binary Opposites?

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Levi Strauss, a French anthropologist in the 1900s, proposed a theory of 'binary opposites' which entails that the majority of narratives in media forms such as b...

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Stuart Hall developed this concept in 1973 which argues that “a text—be it a book, movie, or other creative work—is not simply passively accepted by the audience, but that the reader/viewer interprets the meanings of the text based on her or his individual cultural background and life experiences (Wikipedia, 2021). This reinforces how some filmmakers create conversation without ever truly displaying their opinion, they merely present an accurate reality in which the spectator can perceive for themselves and construct their own belief based on what they are being shown.

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Reception theory is a version of reader response literary theory that emphasizes each particular reader's reception or interpretation in making meaning from a literary text. Reception theory is generally referred to as audience reception in the analysis of communications models. In literary studies, reception theory originated from the work of Hans-Robert Jauss in the late 1960s, and the most influential work was produced during the 1970s and early 1980s in Germany and the US (Fortier 132), with some notable work done in other Western European countries. A form of reception theory has also been applied to the study of historiography.

The cultural theorist Stuart Hall was one of the main proponents of reception theory, first developed in his 1973 essay 'Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse'. His approach, called the encoding/decoding model of communication, is a form of textual analysis that focuses on the scope of "negotiation" and "opposition" by the audience. This means that a "text"-be it a book, movie, or other creative work-is not simply passively accepted by the audience, but that the reader/viewer interprets the meanings of the text based on her or his individual cultural background and life experiences. In essence, the meaning of a text is not inherent within the text itself, but is created within the relationship between the text and the reader.

Hall also developed a theory of encoding and decoding, Hall's theory, which focuses on the communication processes at play in texts that are in televisual form.

Reception theory has since been extended to the spectators of performative events, focusing predominantly on the theatre. Susan Bennett is often credited with beginning this discourse. Reception theory has also been applied to the history and analysis of landscapes, through the work of the landscape historian John Dixon Hunt, as Hunt recognized that the survival of gardens and landscapes is largely related to their public reception.

A basic acceptance of the meaning of a specific text tends to occur when a group of readers have a shared cultural background and interpret the text in similar ways. It is likely that the less shared heritage a reader has with the artist, the less he or she will be able to recognise the artist's intended meaning, and it follows that if two readers have vastly different cultural and personal experiences, their reading of a text will vary greatly. Umberto Eco coined the term aberrant decoding to describe the case when the reader's interpretation differs from what the artist intended.

In literature, the interaction between text and reader occurs within a framework that controls and limits the interaction, through genre, tone, structure, and the social conditions of the reader and author, whereas in landscapes the interaction occurs through movement and viewing, framed by typology instead of genre and tone. Instead of an "implied reader", reception theory of landscapes assumes an "implied visitor", who is an abstracted concatenation of responses of many visitors at different times.

The theory recognizes that there is no single reading of a landscape that fulfills its entire potential, and that it is important to examine the motives of visitors and the factors influencing their visits (whether they read guidebooks about the place before visiting, or had strong feelings about the place or the designer, for instance).

One key difference between reception theory in literature and reception theory in landscape architecture is that while literary works are accessible only to the imagination, physical landscapes are accessible to the senses as well as to the imagination.

Reception theoretical analysis of architecture differs from typical writing on the history and analysis of landscapes, which tends to focus on the intentions of the designers, the conditions leading to the creation of the design, and the building process. Reception theory also tends to de-emphasize commonly used terms of description like 'formal' and 'picturesque', unless those terms were known to have meaning to landscape visitors themselves.

According to Harold Marcuse, reception history is "the history of the meanings that have been imputed to historical events. It traces the different ways in which participants, observers, historians and other retrospective interpreters have attempted to make sense of events both as they unfolded and over time since then, to make those events meaningful for the present in which they lived and live."

Reception history and the Bible

One area of scholarship where reception history is being explored more deeply is the reception history of the Bible. In the context of the Bible, reception history comprises the manifold interpretations of the biblical text from the time that it was written until now. It aims to show how biblical interpretations have developed throughout the centuries. The field that predated the reception history of the Bible has been known as the "history of interpretation" or "history of exegesis." The greatest difference between reception history and its predecessor approach is that reception history does not restrict its interpretations. It includes interpretations that are marginal and even unorthodox. Reception history does not restrict interpretations by medium either; it includes the use of art, music, poetry, and liturgy. In contrast, the history of interpretation is concerned with how biblical scholars have interpreted a text in only their commentaries and monographs.

The reception of the Bible is founded on the interpretative framework of Hans-Georg Gadamer. Gadamer was concerned with displaying how all interpretive acts are contextualized. At the same time, however, Gadamer maintained the integrity of empirical knowledge. Gadamer saw the contextualized interpretation of scripture and the empirical knowledge about its development are best understood to be in a dialogical relationship with one another. In this sense, it is a diachronic approach to interpretation of the Bible. The individual contexts of interpreters in communication with the original text is the basis for reception history of the bible.

One of the key issues surrounding biblical reception history is locating when it began. This issue is sometimes addressed by demarcating a shift from the original text and its reception. However, the distinction of an original text becomes difficult because of the various forms of the earlier biblical texts that were being used. Because of the various sources, traditions, and editions of the earliest biblical texts it is difficult to know what was considered original and was interpreted. Related to this issue of numerous source materials in biblical reception is the context of these source materials. If one wishes to try and read the original text, one is required to do so in its historical context lest it become detached and lose their meaning. The various contexts that are associated with each of the contributing texts does not allow for there to be a single context in which to read the text correctly. This again muddles the difference between original text and reception history of the Bible.

Amacher, Richard, and Victor Lange, eds. New Perspectives in German Literary Criticism. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1979.

Bennett, Susan, eds. Theatre Audiences: A Theory of Production and Reception. New York: Routledge, 1990.

Eagleton, Terry. "Phenomenology, Hermeneutics, and Reception Theory," in Literary Theory. University of Minnesota Press, 1996. p. 47 - 78.

Fortier, Mark. Theory / Theatre: An Introduction. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2002.

Hohendahl, Peter Uwe. "Introduction to Reception Aesthetics." New German Critique 10 (1977): 29-63.

Holub, Robert C. Crossing Borders: Reception Theory, Poststructuralism, Deconstruction. Madison: U of Wisconsin P, 1992.

Holub, Robert C. Reception Theory: A Critical Introduction. London: Methuen, 1984.

Hunt, John Dixon. The Afterlife of Gardens. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004.

Iser, Wolfgang. The Act of Reading: A Theory of Aesthetic Response. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1978.

Jauss, Hans Robert. Aesthetic Experience and Literary Hermeneutics. Trans. Michael Shaw. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1982.

Jauss, Hans Robert. Toward an Aesthetic of Reception. Trans. Timothy Bahti. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1982.

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Reception theory is a version of reader response literary theory that emphasizes each particular reader's reception or interpretation in making meaning from a literary text. Reception theory is generally referred to as audience reception in the analysis of communications models.

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Vladimir Propp: Character Theory / 31 Narratemes

https://media-studies.com/propp/

https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/vladimir-propps-31-narratemes-another-approach-to-story-structure-da756027ed13

Categorised the function of different character roles in a narrative, i.e: the hero, the villain, the helper, the donor, the princess, fasle hero and the dispatcher. This can be applied to many different examples to help understand, i.e Super Mario

Example (simplified) - hero: mario, the helper: luigi, the princess: princess peach, the villain: bowser

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Equilibrium / Disequilibrium / New Equilibrium

Understanding the way in which a narrative is structured:

Equilibrium:

Found at the beginning of the film, where everything is as it should be and the characters' lives are ‘normal’.

Disequilibrium:

The second stage is the ‘disruption’ stage. The state of Equilibrium is disturbed by an event occurring.

New Equilibrium:

The return or restoration of the Equilibrium resulting in a ‘new’.

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No Country for Old Men (NCFOM) is personally one of my favourite movies as it is a great example of the way in which a Director can exhibit and/or subvert topical ideological conventions - i.e in NCFOM: gender, racism, gun control etc but remains entertaining and thrilling at the same time. To me, this rises the interesting blurred line between intentional ideological messaging and simply an entertaining film which I could potentially explore in my dissertation.

No Country For Old Men, directed by the Coen Brothers’ in 2008 with a budget of $25 million

Binary Opposition - conflict between USA and Mexico, reflecting dominant Republican ideology at the time. All ‘non-white’ characters are demonised and withhold the antagonist role. E.g Chigurh and the Cartel. This opposition could arguably reflect the Coen Brothers’ attempt to portray the traditional Cowboy vs Native American convention, typical in the western genre. E.g Moss in hotel, Chigurh behind door - replicates typical cowboy standoff however is modernised with a door between two characters. Links with ‘Borderland Cinema’, opposition primarily landing at the border between USA and Mexico. The fact Moss - the supposed hero - dies, emphasises the Brothers’ attempt to show flaw in these Republican views.

As an active spectator, we are able to dissect the Coen Brothers use of Republican ideologies that ultimately reinforce the brothers more democratic view. For example, throughout the film, the Coen Brothers intend for passive spectators to align themselves with Llewelyn Moss, the protagonist of the story. Because of this, a simplistic binary opposition is incorporated that illustrates Moss as the ‘hero’ and Chigurh as the ‘villian’. However we can argue that an active spectator would correlate the opposition between America and Mexico instead. For example all the antagonists of NCFOM are presented as Latin American, thus representing Mexicans as the enemy in society, reinforcing the concept of ‘borderland cinema’. We can suggest this is the Coen Brothers attempt to re-create and modernise the typical American vs Native American opposition, common in the western genre, but to also perpetuate the Coen Brothers personal democratic views. This is evident considering the supposed hero protagonist is killed, reinforcing the need for change in society.

Coin toss sequence: Chigurh challenges owner of the gas station to a ‘coin toss’ to decide whether he lives or dies. A more passive spectator may interpret this scene as just being used to establish the villain. However a more active spectator may understand the underlying racial discourses within the scene. Gas station owner appears to be the epitome - perfect example - of southern hospitality. He is pitted against Chigurh, the only character that doesn’t have an american accent and is the only ‘non-white’ character. Coen Brothers’ are placing Latin American people as the villians, arguably to inkeep with the western genre. Latin American people replicate Native Americans’ in 50’s westerns. More active spectator's may view Antonin less as a character and more as a representation of something bigger. 50/50 chance at life or death, may symbolise Chigurh as the role of fate - the decider on whether someone lives or dies.

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Do The Right Thing (DTRT) is another favourite movie of mine which I'd be interested to explore in depth. The Director, Spike Lee, was inspired to make this film following a racial attack which took place in 1987 where a black man was attacked by a group of white youths resulting in his death. This deeply rooted political context could easily be displayed throughout the movie through the use of film-form i.e lighting, sound and mise-en-scene which I could analyse throughout. This is one way in which I could narrow my dissertation to focus more on the link between film-form and ideology in my selected movies to ensure the analysis is not too broad.

Do The Right Thing, directed by Spike Lee in 1989 with a budget of $6 million

Lee was initially interested to make this film following the deadly Howard beach racial attack in 1986 in which a black man was chased onto a highway by a gang of white youths and struck a killed by a passing car.

Reflects the ‘New Black Cinema’ of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, directors such as Spike Lee made films about the black experience in the USA - e.g dealing with highly-charged racial issues at the time, such as police brutality and racism.

Spike Lee hoped the film would convince black voters in NYC to vote out the Mayor Ed Koch. E.g, In one scene of the film, graffiti can be seen on the wall which reads ‘Dump Koch’.

Lee’s bitter comments about the three-term Mayor came in the wake of a racial attack in Brooklyn Wednesday in which a black teenager was shot to death in a confrontation with as many as 30 baseball bat-wielding white youths.

Spike Lee therefore challenged white hegemony of Hollywood production by making challenging films about the black experience using black actors and crew.

One key scene is where Mookie complains about the lack of black people in Sal’s ‘wall of fame’ at the pizzeria, which is a comment on the lack of black representation in the media at the time.

Production context reflects the tension between independent producers and Hollywood studios. Lee was in charge of his own company (Forty Acres and a Mule) yet needed the financial support of a Hollywood studio to produce the film. Paramount originally wanted to change the ending which would profoundly change the meaning of the film. Paramount thought the ending of the film was “too violent” and would incite black filmgoers to riot. Lee refused to change the ending as the riot is pivotal to the whole film and worked instead with Universal who agreed to let Lee direct the film as he wished and keep the ending intact. However compromises were made in order for Lee to keep full creative control  - e.g forced to accept a lower budget than was usual for a Hollywood production. Despite low budget Lee was able to produce the film as he intended and also had final cut approval and agreement on the casting, therefore the final film is Lee’s vision.

The whole film was shot over 8 weeks in this one location - Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn NYC - quick shoot enabled crew to give the sense that the film takes place across one day as the buildings could not change. Also gives the film a feel of community, including the rising tensions within it,  as the characters from different ethnic backgrounds must all interact.

Extras used from local community to add realism to the film.

Filmed during the height of summer, also giving his film a sense of the intense heat. Cinematographer Ernest Dickerson would put a butane lighter underneath the lens to convey heat.

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I think This is England will be a great example of British Social Realism to analyse, particularly the representation communicated throughout i.e 'Skin head culture' - substantially compares with political context of Thatcherism, clearly depicted in the opening scene which utilises montage footage of the Falklands War

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Thatcherism: Falklands War (This is England, Political Context)

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Thatcherism: Falklands War (This is England, Political Context)

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Decided that the age of 'Thatcherism' is a great talking point particularly in the British Social Realist genre, common in Transporting, Billy Elliot and of course - This is England, and so I will keep looking at more ways in which film-form communicates this political context!

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Getting started
This film from 2006 depicts a particular period in the early 1980s when Margaret Thatcher was prime minister of the United Kingdom.

1) Here are some search words you can combine with the name Thatcher to see what you can find out about things she did that changed the country:

School milk

Unions

Miners

Poll Tax

Privatizing council houses

Homeless

Schools

Relations to USA

NHS

Dismantling of the welfare state

2) One of the issues Thatcher may be most remembered for is the Falklands War, which is quite prevalent in this film. Find out more about the Falklands War and what it meant to the UK and Thatcher.

3) A political movement called the National Front is depicted in the film. Find out more about this movement and discuss what you find out in class. Can you think of other similar movements recently in other countries (e.g. Norway, Sweden, France etc.)?

4) The characters in the film speak Yorkshire dialect. You may find it hard to understand the characters at times. Should you then use subtitles or try to understand what is being said? What do you think is the best approach?
The title sequence
Stop the film after the opening title sequence. If you asked what was England like in 1982/1983 the answer could be to look at all the images presented here. Here is a list of most of what is shown:

Maggie Thatcher trying to drive a construction vehicle. What does the expression on her face suggest? Was this the builder of a new England?

An early video game; these were becoming quite popular then. In those days people would play the games in arcades, pubs, cafes and youth clubs, not a home yet. That would come a little later in the decade.

A car from the 80s American TV show called Knight Rider starring David Hasselhoff. Hasselhoff played a typical brash American hero, while his co-star was his car, which was a very intelligent computer that talked; it had an English accent.

Typical council flats and walls painted with graffiti. Does this look like a nice place to grow up?

School boys walking up stairs. In uniform, looking rather sullen.

Rock band. We can't quite make out who it is, but it looks like Top of the Pops material.

Women exercising. The exercising trend really took off around this time.

Punk music crowd?

Couples kissing.

Marriage of Lady Diana to Prince Charles. At the time it was a hugely popular marriage that virtually the whole nation stopped to watch.

Demolition of council blocks. These types of blocks were never popular and were more like high-rise ghettos.

Train crash - British Rail had a bad reputation even back then.

Bomb exploding. This is from a specific incident that was on the news where Special Forces were trying to rescue hostages taken by terrorists.

Rocket

Demonstrators tearing down a fence. The anit-nukes and anti-American demonstrators were still strong back then.

Rubik's cube, a really popular craze at the time.

Trick bicycle. This developed as a new sport at the time.

Video game again.

Thatcher trying a computer, does she look very comfortable? Again not a very flattering picture of Thatcher.

People exercising on the job, an example of the introduction of Japanese business ideas. One of the reasons why Margaret Thatcher came to power was because British industry had been eclipsed by Japan and others, and a wave of strikes by powerful unions was crippling the country's economy.

CD and computer components manufacturing, harbinger of the great changes in computers and communication that were just around the corner.

Demonstrations. It is hard to see what they are demonstrating about: Could it be miners? Unions? Against fox hunting? Many people felt that Margaret Thatcher ruined the welfare state and there were many demonstrations against her. She did tame the unions.

National Front, neo-Nazi march.

Pictures of vandalism.

Immigrants.

Signs of racial tension and violence.

Sheep, but this is actually our first look at the Falklands. First you might think it could be the West Country, Ireland, Wales or perhaps even Scotland, but in fact, as the next pictures reveals, it is the Falklands.

Troops on the Falklands.

Scenes from the war including Thatcher talking to some sailors.

Thatcher with US President Ronald Reagan

Newspaper declaring US support for Britain (Argentina was also an American ally). This was no easy choice for the Americans.

A strange shot of Thatcher. Would you vote for this lady? But she won three elections and served as Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990.

War casualties - the side of war those who lead us into them seldom have to see or experience.

Now, discuss in class the effect of this opening sequence. What does the director want us to think about England at this time? What impressions are we left with?
After the first 11 minutes
Stop the film after the school when Shaun has met the skinheads (stops at 11.00) and then discuss the following points.

1. What is the general setting? How important does the setting appear to be in this film?

2. Does the film have a prevalent mood?

3. Are there any conflicts/tensions?

4. Apart from the main character, Shaun, who else do you find interesting at this point?

5. Think back to when Shaun first wakes up. Who is speaking on the radio? What does Shaun do? What else is on the night table?

6. What are your impressions about the language so far? Can you follow the dialect? What do you think about the amount of swearing?

7. Is Shaun the victim of bullying? Does he pick on anyone himself?

8. Why do you think Shaun seems to want to provoke trouble at times (e.g. with the shopkeeper)?
The other boy in the fight (Harvey) is first slapped across the head by a teacher and then Shaun listens as he is caned. What is Shaun's reaction while he is listening?

9. How does Shaun react to the skinheads? What might they offer him that he does not seem to be getting from his environment?

Stop the film after Shaun's haircut
This is what Wikipedia has to say about Doc Matens boots::

A footwear, clothing and accessories brand, and the footwear products are most often known as Doc Martens, Docs or DMs. The boots and shoes have been especially popular among skinheads, punks and members of a few other youth subcultures.

1. Why is it important for Shaun to have the Doc Martens? What does this tell us about Shaun at this early stage?

2. What are your opinions about the gang and the way they treat Shaun at this time? Do you think they have any ulterior motives?

Discussion topics groups can choose

1. Shaun wants to take on the appearance of the gang. What does this tell us about being in a gang? Why is it important for Shaun?

2. Youth in the UK have often formed cliques where the "look" is very important. There are/were skinheads, teddies, punks, greasers, casuals, Goths, hip-hoppers, Jesus Freaks, mods, scooterboys, skate punks, wiggers. You will probably know even more. Discuss in class the various groups you know of.

3. The members of this gang seem to be outsiders and some of them seem to have a lot of rage. Where do you think all their rage is coming from? To answer this you will have to look more into class differences in the UK. Choose an aspect about class to present. Is the UK still a class society today?

No more breaks in the action
Now it is time to stop these interventions and watch the rest of the film uninterrupted. Before starting again though, discuss what you think Shaun's future might be.
After you have seen the whole film
What do you think the title of the film refers to and reflects?
Looking at plot

1. Thinking of the scene, "The best day of my life" (starts 25 minutes into the film), what is your opinion of the gang and what they are doing for Shaun?

2. Everything changes when Combo enters the scene. How would you describe the mood of the gang and the atmosphere once he appears?

3. Very near the end of the film we see real footage from the Falklands War. We see bodies, guns and ammo surrendered by the Argentineans, Argentinean prisoners, cheering locals and returning heroes. Why do you think the director puts all this footage in his film? What message do you think he is trying to convey?

4. The film could end by telling us more about Shaun and how things go for him but ends suddenly with the camera on Shaun after he has thrown the flag away. Shaun then just looks into the camera. What do you read in his eyes?

Looking at theme

1. What is the main theme of the film? Explain your opinion and point to examples.

2. Are there any secondary themes? If so, what are they, and why have they been included in the film?

Considering the audience

1. A film with a message obviously has an audience in mind. Who do you think the director is trying to reach? Is this a film for children of Shaun's age (11 years old)?

2. The film depicts racism, but in the process we hear the propaganda of the National Front and we see Shaun harass the shopkeeper. Are those scenes important for the film, or could they backfire and actually encourage racism?

Looking at character

1. This is a film about outsiders. Why is Shaun an outsider? Why do you think the others in the gang, Woody, Gadget, Milky, Pukey, Smell, Lol and the others are outsiders? What kind of a future do you think they have?

2. Which characters do you sympathise with?

3. Could Woody have been a better support for Shaun? Should he have stood up for Milky at the first meeting with Combo?

4. Discuss the following: "Shaun is one of the many invisible victims of Thatcher's little war."

5. Discuss Combo's character. Is it possible to sympathise with him?

Looking at setting

1. You were asked to look at setting earlier. Now that you have seen the whole film, what is the impression you are left with?

2. What does the social setting tell us about the situation in England in the early 1980s?

Writing topics

1. Write a newspaper review of the film This Is England.

2. Write a character study of Shaun or Combo.

3. Write a text about Shaun's life calling it: "Falklands casualty". Choose the angle you want to take.

Sequels
A spin-off TV series set three years after the film ( This Is England '86) was broadcast in 2010, and in 2011 a sequel to the series appeared, set two and a half years later ( This Is England '88). A third installment ( This Is England '90) was shown in 2015.

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Getting started This film from 2006 depicts a particular period in the early 1980s when Margaret Thatcher was prime minister of the United Kingdom.

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Connecting Thatcherism in Transporting to other examples - Have solid points to make from This is England which is very comparable i.e Thatcherism affecting the both the protagonist, Renton in Trainspotting and Shaun in This is England

Will need to gather more analytical film-form examples...

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By Simon Castles

Updated January 3, 2017 — 1.29pm

It is fitting that the sequel to the film Trainspotting, which revisits the characters 20 years later, has its world premiere just days after Donald Trump is sworn in as US president this month. For the original film, and Irvine Welsh's 1993 novel on which it is based, is like a snapshot of the social, cultural and economic forces that made Trump possible, just as they gave rise to Brexit.

I was working as an usher at a cinema in 1996, and remember Trainspotting well. Partly this is because I saw the film, or at least snatches of it, a hundred times. But I also remember the film because I was vomited on – not once but twice – during the months it played at the cinema. People were always walking out of Trainspotting, either affronted or queasy or both, and on two separate occasions I opened the door, like a good usher, only to be hit by the flying spew of someone who'd misjudged the timing of their exit.

The characters of Trainspotting: Spud, Renton, Sick Boy and Begbie.

Being vomited on while doing a low-paid casual job struck me at the time as a very Trainspotting thing to have happen to you. But it wasn't the only reason I related to the film, even though I'd never taken heroin (or in fact anything stronger than marijuana) in my life. Trainspotting is a film about drugs, but more than that it is a film about feeling lost, about going nowhere and about the narrowing of opportunity.

I couldn't help but relate to this in mid-'90s Australia, even if I was tertiary educated (like most of my fellow ushers) and middle class, and my immediate concern was not how to score heroin, but how to get vomit out of an usher's standard issue velour waistcoat.

Actor Ewan McGregor, who will reprise his role as Renton in the Trainspotting sequel. Credit:Larry Busacca

Trainspotting is set in Leith, Edinburgh ("a place ay dispossessed white trash in a country fill ay dispossessed white trash") in the late-'80s, at the tail-end of Margaret Thatcher's reign. And it is life under Thatcherism, as much as heroin addiction, that is at the core of the book and film. Welsh has even said that Thatcher "was the invisible author of the book", because "she created the conditions" that made the characters' lives what they were.

The conditions she created were the conditions of life under neoliberalism. Tax cuts for the wealthy. Privatised public services. A disappearing social safety net. Rising inequality. Crumbling worker solidarity (with unions crushed for being inimical to the market). No society, just individuals pursuing self-interest. Competition as the defining characteristic of human relations. A hierarchy of winners and losers. And the promise, ever delayed, of wealth trickling down.

Certainly no wealth is trickling down to the characters in Trainspotting. Indeed, in a small satirical quirk in the novel, one of the few characters with a job, and therefore money, works at the dole office.

The main character is Mark Renton (played by Ewan McGregor), whose battle is to "choose life" over self-destruction. He's aware, though, that to choose life under late capitalism is essentially to choose consumerism – it is the only choice there is, and even that choice is placed largely out of reach by socio-economic factors beyond his control. Renton wants to reject consumer culture, but in truth consumer culture has already rejected him and most of those around him.

"Choose a f-----g big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin can openers," says Renton in his famous monologue. "Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suite on hire purchase in a range of f-----g fabrics."

In an interview with Dazed & Confused magazine last year, about a month before Trump won the presidency, Welsh said Trainspotting still resonated because it wasn't a book about drugs, it was a book about people being pushed out of work and losing meaning and hope. "These characters are all from the industrial working-class, being made redundant, being made socially irrelevant in Britain," he said. "Twenty, 30 years later it's happening to the middle classes. We're rationing out the dregs of capitalism to people."

There are a range of reasons for Trump and Brexit. But nothing explains them better than people tiring of being dealt the dregs of capitalism.

The characters we see in Trainspotting are the losers under neoliberalism, a political system that creates and compounds a culture of haves and have-nots. But with hindsight it is easy to see these characters – Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie – as just the early losers of a system that would create so many losers that eventually people would choose anything but more of the same.

They would choose Brexit. Choose nationalism. Choose Bernie Sanders. Choose Pauline Hanson. Choose a reality TV star as president. Choose Donald Trump.

Simon Castles is a desk editor at The Age.

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Twenty years later, Trainspotting explains much about the world

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Trainspotting is a film about drugs, but more than that it is a film about feeling lost, about going nowhere, and about the narrowing of opportunity.

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Some Like It Hot - Update: decided I won't be exploring any further :(

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Some Like It Hot - Update: decided I won't be exploring any further :(

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Some Like it Hot is a great example which explores masculinity and gender from the 1950's - could potentially compare this with modern examples?

Some Like It Hot, directed by Billy Wilder in 1959 with a budget of $2.9 million

Produced in the 50’s - an era that had already developed techno-colour. However Wilder decided to edit the footage in black and white to parody a typical 1930’s gangster movie. Although this benefited the makeup aesthetic of Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis, Monroe initially disagreed with the idea. B/W filter opposed Monroe’s fox contract as she gained recognition from her blonde hair and red lipstick. However SLIH became her biggest financial success

Use of themes such as homosexuality opposed dominant ideology of the 1920’s and 1950’s. For example, the spectator’s introduction to Josephine and Daphne - camera focuses on legs during low angle and replicates the way we are introduced to Sugar.

Hay’s code: morally strict - western christian values, racist dominance of ‘whiteness’, homophobic - dominance of herterosexualty, patriarchal values - dominance of male power/values, dominance of capitalism. Reflects 1920’s dominant ideology

Opening sequence presents a hearse, vehicle for conveying the coffin at a funeral, but instead is being used to store alcohol. Mobster setting to parody Hollywood, creates a sense of intertextuality even though the term was not recognised during the late 1950’s. Idea of parody can be seen in the production company Wilder decided to use - United Artists - set up by mainstream Hollywood stars such as Charlie Chaplin who believed that stars were underrepresented within Hollywood. Through this and constant depiction of artists who struggle to work, Wilder emphasises the unreliable and unstable world of the Hollywood industry.

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Beasts of the Southern Wild - (Comparing genre)

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Beasts of the Southern Wild - (Comparing genre)

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Beasts of the Southern Wild, directed by Benh Zeitlin in 2012 with a budget of $1.8 million

Blends harsh political reality of a post-katrina world with magical realism, seen through the eyes of a young girl.

Cast from local area

Themes such as: environmentalism, poverty, political failure to deal with marginalised communities on the fringes of society, AIDS - realistic issues, conveyed in a magical realist style.

Multi-ethnic community all joined together because they’re on the wrong side of the levee.

The world of the bathtub and its values of freedom and underdevelopment emerges in contrast to those of the developed and advanced society outside, so the spectators’ active or passive engagement with the characters’ and their predicament largely centres on this division.

Hushpuppy’s father claims: “we got the prettiest place on earth” - a passive spectator will perhaps not question his judgement. However an active spectator will take Hushpuppy’s prospects into consideration if she stays there. They may consider whether her living in a ramshackle hut with the imminent risk of severe flooding is the best outcome for her.

Active spectatorship will facilitate an empathy with the father’s point of view and invite spectators to see that whilst he struggles, he loves and does his best. E.g Wink urges Hushpuppy to leave with others from the community, because he doesn’t want her to see him dying. Similarly, the solidarity which the community shows. E.g As they are seen dancing and celebrating with fireworks, captured through wides shots communicating the idea of a loving and united community.

Arguably, Zeitlin encourages his spectators to balance their judgement of Wink. E.g In an early sequence when Wink is taken to hospital unexpectedly, the mise-en-scene of the hut invites the spectator to see Hushpuppy’s loneliness as she tries to cook dinner.

Mise-en-scene captures Hushpuppy’s longing for her absent mother, as we see that Hushpuppy has created a ‘mum’ by piecing together her belongings such as a necklace and garments, with her own drawing. To respond actively, invites sympathy for Hushpuppy who needs mother’s tenderness. Therefore encourages spectator to appreciate how Hushpuppy frequently addresses the spectator, establishing intimacy with them so she can share her feelings. A passive response would not be receptive to the setting, colour and ambience of the hut when Hushpuppy imagines her mother’s presence, and speaks with her.

More passive audiences may view the film as solely being about global warming. This is shown through mise-en-scene and narrative features. Film showcases devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. This link to Katrina may begin to stir racial discourse - government refused to act in order to help Katrina victims - predominantly black people suffered. Aerial shot shows ‘Bathtub’ as a marginalised community, cut off from the rest of the world and in risk of sea levels. Large factory greatly overshadows Wink and Hushpuppy.

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Trainspotting, directed by Danny Boyle in 1996 with a budget of £3.5 million

Reflected the fears of some sections of society while providing a unique, youthful and Scottish voice in British film.

Representation withholds a key role throughout film as fundamentally we are presented with certain people, communities and experiences from particular ideological perspectives. Trainspotting is no different, with a variety of representations being presented.

A key representation shown throughout Trainspotting is gender and in particular, the binary opposition between men and women. Although men are usually presented holding the power in relationships, there are many elements throughout Trainspotting that challenge this stereotype. For example the relationship between Renton and Diane. Our first introduction to Diane forces the audience to believe she is an articulate, young adult. This is evident during her short monologue to Renton after leaving the club, where she provides an insight into her knowledge regarding men, reinforcing her experience in relationships and dating. When Diane’s real age is revealed to Renton, she forces him to remain seeing her or otherwise she will “tell the police”. This emphasises her power within the relationship and challenges the stereotype that men are significantly in more control over women. Boyle arguably foreshadows this using mise-en-scene as Diane’s coat is red, establishing connotations of danger. This idea is further demonstrated during the nightclub sequence. For example; Spud disregards the myth that men become more assertive when drunk and is instead displayed stumbling and falling, alongside the actor’s use of facial expression to present Spud as calm and joyful, furthermore women are displayed talking about sex which further challenges the common ideology regarding women’s roles in film to be stereotypically feminine and vulnerable. From this we can infer Boyle disregards how women are usually perceived in movies and therefore should be able to sexually explore and hold control within relationships.

Opening sequence, binary opposition is visualised in the moment when Renton runs into the car - POV shot from the driver - we see through the eyes of the driver as Renton looks towards us, breaking the fourth wall and laughing. Mocking us, our choices and mainstream ideologies. His “Choose Life” voice-over is his counter cultural manifesto, he is openly criticizing our existence in false consciousness, offering us an alternative ideology and he is ‘other’ to us.

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Trainspotting is a 1996 British black comedy-drama film directed by Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle, and Kelly Macdonald in her debut. Based on the 1993 novel of the same title by Irvine Welsh, the film was released in the United Kingdom on 23 February 1996.

The Academy Award-nominated screenplay by John Hodge follows a group of heroin addicts in an economically depressed area of Edinburgh and their passage through life. Beyond drug addiction, other themes in the film include an exploration of the urban poverty and squalor in Edinburgh.

Trainspotting was released to critical acclaim, and is regarded by many critics as one of the best films of the 1990s. The film was ranked tenth by the British Film Institute (BFI) in its list of Top 100 British films of the 20th century. In 2004, the film was voted the best Scottish film of all time in a general public poll. A 2017 poll, which consisted of 150 actors, directors, writers, producers and critics for magazine, ranked it the tenth best British film ever. A sequel, T2 Trainspotting, was released in January 2017.

Mark Renton, a 26-year-old unemployed heroin addict, lives with his parents in the Edinburgh ward of Leith, and regularly partakes in drug use with his friends: treacherous, womanising James Bond fanatic Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson; docile and slow-minded Daniel "Spud" Murphy; and Swanney, "Mother Superior", their dealer. Renton's other friends, aggressive alcoholic psychopath Francis "Franco" Begbie and footballer Tommy Mackenzie, who abstain from illegal drugs, warn him about his dangerous drug habit. Growing tired of his reckless lifestyle, Renton attempts to wean himself off heroin with a bare room, several foodstuffs, and opium suppositories given by ill-reputed dealer Mikey Forrester; he also suffers a bout of diarrhea, and has to relieve himself in "the worst toilet in Scotland". At a nightclub, Renton notices that his cessation of heroin use has increased his libido. He seduces a girl named Diane Coulston, and they return to her apartment to have sex. The following morning, Renton is horrified to learn that she is below the age of consent and lives with her parents, who Renton initially assumes are her flatmates. Diane threatens to report him to the police if he does not continue the relationship.

After several unsuccessful attempts to reintegrate into society, Renton, Sick Boy, and Spud relapse into heroin use; Tommy also begins to dabble in drug use after becoming depressed due to being dumped by his girlfriend Lizzy, thanks to the actions of an unknowing Renton. Even the negligence-induced death of Dawn, the infant daughter of Sick Boy and his girlfriend Allison, does not persuade the group to recover. Later, Renton, Sick Boy, and Spud are caught shoplifting; Renton and Spud are arrested while Sick Boy narrowly escapes. Spud receives a six-month custodial sentence at HMP Saughton, while Renton avoids jail time by entering a drug rehabilitation programme. Despite being given methadone to help him, Renton quickly relapses and nearly dies of a heroin overdose at Swanney's home. Upon returning home after his revival at a hospital, Renton's parents lock him in his childhood bedroom and force him to go cold turkey. Following a problematic withdrawal punctuated by hallucinations of his friends and visions of Dawn crawling on the ceiling, Renton is released upon the condition of an HIV/AIDS test. Despite years of sharing syringes with other addicts, Renton tests negative.

Now clean, but bored and devoid of a sense of meaning in his life, Renton visits Tommy, who is now severely addicted to heroin and has tested HIV-positive. On Diane's advice, Renton moves to London and takes a job as a property letting agent. He begins to enjoy his new life of sobriety in London and corresponds with Diane, who updates him on developments back home. However, to Renton's shock and frustration, Begbie, wanted for a failed armed robbery, tracks him down and takes up refuge with him in his apartment. Sick Boy, now trying to be a pimp and drug dealer, soon joins them. Begbie and Sick Boy later attack two of Renton's clientele (at a supposedly impossible-to-sell property where Renton has sent them to get them off his back), resulting in him losing his job. The trio return to Edinburgh, both to avoid police attention and for the funeral of Tommy, who has died of AIDS-related toxoplasmosis.

Following the funeral, Sick Boy asks Renton, Begbie, and Spud (who has been recently released from prison) for help in buying two kilograms of pure heroin from Mikey Forrester (who got it after a drunken night out with two Russian sailors), for the low price of £4,000, to later resell at a higher price; but Renton is needed to supply the remaining £2,000 asking price. After Begbie threatens him, Renton reluctantly covers the remaining cost, and the group returns to London to sell the heroin to a major dealer for £16,000. As they celebrate in a pub, Renton secretly suggests to Spud that they could leave with the money, but Spud, motivated by fear and loyalty, refuses. However, Sick Boy indicates he would happily do so, and Begbie brutally beats a man after a petty accident. Concluding that Begbie and Sick Boy are unpredictable and dangerous, Renton quietly steals the bag of money and leaves the following morning. Spud witnesses him but does not warn the others. Renton leaves £4,000 in a safe deposit box for Spud, who "never hurt anybody". Begbie, discovering both Renton and the money gone, angrily destroys the hotel room where the four stayed, prompting the police to arrive and arrest him as Sick Boy and Spud flee. Spud discreetly claims his share of the money, and Renton walks away to his new life.

Producer Andrew Macdonald read Irvine Welsh's book on a plane in December 1993, and felt that it could be made into a film. He turned it on to director Danny Boyle and writer John Hodge in February 1994. Boyle was excited by its potential to be the "most energetic film you've ever seen - about something that ultimately ends up in purgatory or worse". Hodge read it and made it his goal to "produce a screenplay which would seem to have a beginning, a middle and an end, would last 90 minutes and would convey at least some of the spirit and the content of the book". Boyle convinced Welsh to let them option the rights to his book by writing him a letter stating that Hodge and Macdonald were "the two most important Scotsmen since Kenny Dalglish and Alex Ferguson". Welsh remembered that originally the people wanting to option his book "wanted to make a po-faced piece of social realism like Christiane F or The Basketball Diaries". He was impressed that Boyle, Hodge and Macdonald wanted everyone to see the film and "not just the arthouse audience". In October 1994, Hodge, Boyle and Macdonald spent a lot of time discussing which chapters of the book would and would not translate into film. Hodge finished the first draft by December. Macdonald secured financing from Channel 4, a British television station known for funding independent films.

Pre-production began in April 1995. Ewan McGregor was cast after impressing Boyle and Macdonald with his work on their previous film, Shallow Grave. According to Boyle, for the role of Renton, they wanted the quality of Michael Caine's character in and Malcolm McDowell's character in A Clockwork Orange, "repulsive ... with charm "that makes you feel deeply ambiguous about what he's doing." McGregor shaved his head and lost 2 stone (12.7 kilograms) for the film. Ewen Bremner had played Renton in the stage adaptation of Trainspotting and agreed to play the role of Spud, saying he felt the characters "were part of my heritage." Boyle had heard about Jonny Lee Miller playing an American in the film and was impressed when he auditioned by doing a Sean Connery accent. For the role of Begbie, Boyle considered casting Christopher Eccleston for his resemblance to how he imagined the character in the novel, but asked Robert Carlyle instead. Carlyle said, "I've met loads of Begbies in my time. Wander round Glasgow on Saturday night and you've a good chance of running into Begbie." For the role of Diane, Boyle wanted an unknown actress so audiences would not realise that a 19-year-old was playing a 15-year-old. The filmmakers sent flyers to nightclubs and boutiques and approached people on the street, eventually hiring Kelly Macdonald. The casting of Keith Allen as "the Dealer" was a reference to Allen's role in Shallow Grave, with the implication that he plays the same character in both.

McGregor read books about crack and heroin to prepare for the role. He also went to Glasgow and met people from the Calton Athletic Recovery Group, an organisation of recovering heroin addicts, who play the opposing football team in the opening credits. He was taught how to cook up heroin with a spoon using glucose powder. McGregor considered injecting heroin to better understand the character, but eventually decided against it.

Many of the book's stories and characters were dropped to create a cohesive script of adequate length. Danny Boyle had his actors prepare by making them watch older films about rebellious youths like The Hustler and A Clockwork Orange.

Trainspotting was shot in mid-1995 over seven weeks on a budget of £1.5million with the cast and crew working out of an abandoned cigarette factory in Glasgow. Due to time constraints and a tight budget, most scenes were done in one take, which contributed to the grungy look of the film. For example, when Renton sinks into the floor after overdosing on heroin, the crew built a platform above a trap door and lowered the actor down. The faeces in the 'Worst Toilet in Scotland' scene was made from chocolate.

Although set in Edinburgh, almost all of the film was shot in Glasgow, apart from the opening scenes which were shot in Edinburgh, and the final scenes which were shot in London.

Locations in the film include:

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.

Prior to its release in the United States, Miramax, the film's US distributor, requested that some of the dialogue be dubbed so the film would be easier to understand for American viewers unfamiliar with Scottish slang.

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, the company responsible for the distribution of the film launched a publicity campaign of half as much as the film's production costs (£850,000) in the UK alone, making the film stand out more as a Hollywood blockbuster rather than a smaller European production.

Trainspotting was able to portray itself as British and as an 'exotic' element to the international market while also staying relevant to the American public, making it an international success in its marketing.

The Trainspotting soundtracks were two best-selling albums of music centred around the film. The first is a collection of songs featured in the film, while the second includes those left out from the first soundtrack and extra songs that inspired the filmmakers during production.

The soundtrack for Trainspotting has gone on to become a pop culture phenomenon. Nearly all of the score is pre-recorded music from existing artists. This score is divided into three distinct groups, all representing a different eras and styles: The first being pop music from the 1970s, by artists such as Lou Reed and Iggy Pop; who are all musicians closely associated with drug use and are referred to throughout the original novel. The second group is the music from the Britpop era in the 1990s, with bands Blur and Pulp. Finally, there is the techno-dance music from the 1990s, including Underworld, Bedrock and Ice MC. Danny Boyle approached Oasis about contributing a song to the soundtrack but Noel Gallagher turned down the opportunity, believing it would be a film about actual trainspotters.

Through the years, acclaim for the soundtrack has been sustained. In 2007, Vanity Fair ranked the Trainspotting original soundtrack at number 7 for best motion picture soundtrack in history. Additionally, Entertainment Weekly ranked the Trainspotting soundtrack as 17th on their 100 best movie soundtracks list. In 2013, Rolling Stone listed it as the 13th best soundtrack in their 25 best soundtracks. In 2015, New Musical Express praised it as a "perfect snapshot of 1996 music."

1996 saw a drastic change in British music with the rise of popularity for Britpop although old fashioned pop was still firmly rooted in British culture. With Oasis dominating the singles chart, and the Spice Girls on the rise, the face of pop shifted from guitars to digitised beats. The Trainspotting soundtrack aimed to champion the alternative music legacy of 1996 Britain with a focus on presenting electronic music on equal footing with rock music in a way that had never been done before.

Trainspotting was screened at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival but was shown out of competition, according to the filmmakers, due to its subject. It went on to become the festival's one unqualified critical and popular hit.

By the time it opened in North America, on 19 July 1996, the film had made more than $18million in Britain. It initially opened in eight theatres in the U.S. and Canada and on its first weekend grossed $33,000 per screen. The film expanded to 357 screens and made $16.4million in North America, one of the biggest grossing films of 1996 in limited release. Trainspotting was the highest-grossing British film of 1996, and at the time it was the fourth highest grossing British film in history. The film made £12million in the domestic market and $72million internationally. Based on a cost-to-return ratio, Trainspotting was the most profitable film of the year.

The film has an approval rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 88 reviews collected by the site, with an average score of 8.40/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "A brutal, often times funny, other times terrifying portrayal of drug addiction in Edinburgh. Not for the faint of heart, but well worth viewing as a realistic and entertaining reminder of the horrors of drug use". On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 based on 28 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". In his review for The Guardian, Derek Malcolm gave the film credit for tapping into the youth subculture of the time and felt that it was "acted out with a freedom of expression that's often astonishing." magazine gave the film five out of five stars and described the film as "something Britain can be proud of and Hollywood must be afraid of. If we Brits can make movies this good about subjects this horrific, what chance does Tinseltown have?"

American film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars and praised its portrayal of addicts' experiences with each other. In his review for the Los Angeles Times, Kenneth Turan wrote, "in McGregor ... the film has an actor whose magnetism monopolizes our attention no matter what". Entertainment Weekly gave the film an "A" rating and Owen Gleiberman wrote, "Like Scorsese and Tarantino, Boyle uses pop songs as rhapsodic mood enhancers, though in his own ravey-hypnotic style. Whether he's staging a fumbly sex montage to Sleeper's version of " Atomic" or having Renton go cold turkey to the ominous slow build of Underworld's "Dark and Long" ... Trainspotting keeps us wired to the pulse of its characters' passions". In her review for The New York Times, Janet Maslin wrote, " Trainspotting doesn't have much narrative holding it together. Nor does it really have the dramatic range to cope with such wild extremes. Most of it sticks to the same moderate pitch, with entertainment value enhanced by Mr. Boyle's savvy use of wide angles, bright colours, attractively clean compositions and a dynamic pop score".

Rolling Stone's Peter Travers wrote, "the film's flash can't disguise the emptiness of these blasted lives. Trainspotting is 90 minutes of raw power that Boyle and a bang-on cast inject right into the vein". In his review for The Washington Post, Desson Howe wrote, "Without a doubt, this is the most provocative, enjoyable pop-cultural experience since Pulp Fiction". Jonathan Rosenbaum, in his review for the Chicago Reader, wrote, "Like and Independence Day, this movie is a theme-park ride - though it's a much better one, basically a series of youthful thrills, spills, chills, and swerves rather than a story intended to say very much".

The film's release sparked controversy in some countries, including Britain, Australia and the United States, as to whether or not it promoted and romanticized drug use. U.S. Senator Bob Dole accused it of moral depravity and glorifying drug use during the 1996 U.S. presidential campaign, although he later admitted that he had not seen the film. Producer of the film Andrew Macdonald responded to these claims in a BBC interview stating "we were determined to show why people took drugs ... you had to show that it was fun and that it was awful" to which Boyle adds "It's the music and humour that makes people feel it's glamorising drugs." Despite the controversy, it was widely praised and received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in that year's Academy Awards. magazine ranked Trainspotting as the third best film of 1996.

The film had an immediate effect on popular culture. In 1999, Trainspotting was ranked in the tenth spot by the British Film Institute (BFI) in its list of Top 100 British films of all time, while in 2004 the magazine named it the fourth greatest British film of all time. That same year, Channel 4 named it as the greatest British film of all time. The Observer polled several filmmakers and film critics who voted it the best British film in the last 25 years. In 2004, the film was voted the best Scottish film of all time by the public in a poll for magazine. Trainspotting has developed a cult following. It was recognised as an important film during the 1990s British cultural tour de force known as Cool Britannia. It was also featured in the documentary Live Forever: The Rise and Fall of Brit Pop.

The film title is a reference to a scene in the book where Begbie and Renton meet "an auld drunkard" who turns out to be Begbie's estranged father, in the disused Leith Central railway station, which they are using as a toilet. He asks them if they are "trainspottin'". This scene is later included as a flashback in T2 Trainspotting.

The music video for the 2019 song "Doorman" by English rapper Slowthai contains several references to the film.

Trainspotting was nominated for two British Academy Film Awards in 1996, Best British Film and John Hodge for Best Adapted Screenplay. Hodge won in his category. Hodge also won Best Screenplay from the Evening Standard British Film Awards. The film won the Golden Space Needle (the award for Best Film) at the 1996 Seattle International Film Festival. Ewan McGregor was named Best Actor from the London Film Critics Circle, BAFTA Scotland Awards, and Empire magazine. Hodge was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay but lost to Billy Bob Thornton's Sling Blade.

Music has great importance in Boyle's films, as evident by the best-selling soundtracks for Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire, both of which feature many pop and punk rock artists. In Boyle's view, songs can be "amazing things to use because they obviously bring a lot of baggage with them. They may have painful associations, and so they inter-breathe with the material you're using".

The combination of images and music with the setting of the criminal underworld has drawn comparisons to Pulp Fiction and the films of Quentin Tarantino, that had spawned a certain type of "90s indie cinema" which "strove to dazzle the viewer with self-conscious cleverness and empty shock tactics". This impacted the shooting style of the film, which features "wildly imaginative" and "downright hallucinatory" visual imagery, achieved through a mix of "a handheld, hurtling camera", jump cuts, zoom shots, freeze frames and wide angles. This vigorous style contributed to the "breathless" pace that Boyle's films have been associated with.

For the look of the film, Boyle was influenced by the colours of Francis Bacon's paintings, which represented "a sort of in-between land - part reality, part fantasy". The scene where Renton (McGregor) dives in a toilet is a reference to Thomas Pynchon's 1973 novel Gravity's Rainbow.

Boyle had declared his wish to make a sequel to Trainspotting which would take place nine years after the original film, based on Irvine Welsh's sequel, . He was reportedly waiting until the original actors themselves aged visibly enough to portray the same characters, ravaged by time; Boyle joked that the natural vanity of actors would make it a long wait. Ewan McGregor stated in an interview that he would return for a sequel, saying "I'm totally up for it. I'd be so chuffed to be back on set with everybody and I think it would be an extraordinary experience."

In 2013, Boyle said he wanted to make a sequel that would be loosely based on which he has described as "not a great book in the way that Trainspotting, the original novel, is genuinely a masterpiece". Boyle said that if the sequel happens 2016 would be the release date.

On 6 May 2014, during a BBC Radio interview with Richard Bacon, Welsh confirmed that he had spent a week with Boyle, Andrew Macdonald and the creative team behind Trainspotting to discuss the sequel. Welsh stated that the meeting was in order to "explore the story and script ideas. We're not interested in doing something that will trash the legacy of Trainspotting. ... We want to do something that's very fresh and contemporary." Welsh did not however confirm any kind of timeline for the film, unlike Boyle's comments about wanting the film to come out in 2016.

In a newspaper interview with The Scotsman on 17 November 2014, Welsh revealed that McGregor and Boyle had resolved their differences and had held meetings about the film, saying "I know Danny and Ewan are back in touch with each other again. There are others in the cast who've had a rocky road, but now also reconciled. With the Trainspotting sequel the attention is going to be even more intense this time round because the first was such a great movie-and Danny's such a colossus now. We're all protective of the Trainspotting legacy and we want to make a film that adds to that legacy and doesn't take away from it."

On 7 September 2015, at the Telluride Film Festival, Boyle stated his next film would be a sequel, tentatively titled Trainspotting 2.

In a September 2015, interview with ComingSoon.net, Boyle revealed that a script for the sequel had been written, and that filming would reportedly take place between May and June 2016, in the hopes of releasing the film within that same year to commemorate Trainspotting's 20th anniversary.

While promoting in November 2015, Boyle reiterated the hopes of beginning principal photography for the sequel in May and June 2016, and started pre-production in Edinburgh. Boyle also clarified that John Hodge had written an original screenplay for the sequel, which would not be a strict adaptation of . An earlier script was reportedly written about ten years prior, but was scrapped and redone so that the original cast would agree to return for a film sequel. The working title for the sequel was T2.

In a November 2015 phone interview with , Robert Carlyle confirmed he would be returning for the sequel to play Begbie. According to Carlyle, he and other members of the Trainspotting cast had already read John Hodge's script, which would take place 20 years (much like its intended 2016 release) after the original plot. Filming started on 16 May 2016, Carlyle praised Hodge's screenplay and hinted that T2 "is going to be quite emotional for people. Because the film sort of tells you to think about yourself. You are going to be thinking: 'Fuck. What have I done with my life?'"

Trainspotting, by Fredric Dannen, John Hodge, Barry Long, Irvine Welsh. Published by Hyperion, 1997. ISBN 0-7868-8221-2.

Trainspotting screenplay by John Hodge.

Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting: A Reader's Guide, by Robert A. Morace. Published by Continuum International Publishing Group, 2001. ISBN 0-8264-5237-X.

Working-class Fiction: From Chartism to Trainspotting, by Ian Haywood. Published by Northcote House in association with the British Council, 1997. ISBN 0-7463-0780-2.

Trainspotting: Director, Danny Boyle, by Martin Stollery. Published by Longman, 2001. ISBN 0-582-45258-9.

"Welsh Warner and Cinematic Adaptation". In Contemporary Scottish Fictions: Film, Television and the Novel, by Duncan J. Petrie. Published by Edinburgh University Press, 2004.ISBN 0-7486-1789-2. pp. 101-102.

"Trendspotting: Screening Trainspotting" . In Irvine Welsh, by Aaron Kelly. Published by Manchester University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-7190-6651-4. pp. 68-78.

Trainspotting and My Name is Joe Hooked: Drug War Films in Britain, Canada, and the US, by Susan C. Boyd. Published by Routledge, 2008. ISBN 0-415-95706-0. p..

Wartofsky, Alona (21 July 1996). "'Trainspotting': Junk Culture". The Washington Post.

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Trainspotting is a 1996 British black comedy-drama film directed by Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle, and Kelly Macdonald in her debut. Based on the 1993 novel of the same title by Irvine Welsh, the film was released in the United Kingdom on 23 February 1996.

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Parasite is one of my favourite movies of all time! I have always been interested in the way Joon-ho communicates political ideology. Going to have a look more in to this!

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Exploring Visual Language and Symbolism in "Parasite"

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Fish Tank - A potential British Social Realist example?

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Fish Tank - A potential British Social Realist example?

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Fish Tank, directed by Andrea Arnold in 2009 with a budget of £3 million.

Arnold’s ideological position is one of challenging the dominant, mainstream ideologies on feminism and women as a whole. Arnold believes that society is unfair and is in need of change.

During the kitchen sequence, Arnold uses aspects of cinematography, mise-en-scene and narrative to illustrate the dynamic relationship between Mia and Connor. One way she does this is through the use of costume. Mia is presented wearing an oversized pajama set as she dances to a diegetic rnb hip-hop soundtrack emitting from the small television in her kitchen. The way in which her top ‘bags’ arguably symbolises Mia still growing and therefore presents her as child-like and vulnerable. This emphasises Connor’s first introduction to Mia as Arnold purposely uses the female gaze to convey a sexual undertone throughout the sequence. For example Connor’s lack of clothing with his tracksuit bottoms placed low down beneath the waist almost symbolises his manipulation toward Mia developing. This correlates with the handheld, POV shot from Mia looking towards Connor’s body panning up and down which communicates a sense of voyeurism.

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Fish Tank is a 2009 British drama film written and directed by Andrea Arnold. The film is about Mia, a volatile and socially isolated 15-year-old, and her relationship with her mother's new boyfriend. Fish Tank was well-received and won the Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. It also won the 2010 BAFTA for Best British Film. It was included in the BBC's The 21st Century's 100 greatest films (compiled in 2016), ranking at no. 65 on the list.

The film was funded by BBC Films and the UK Film Council. It was theatrically released on 11 September 2009 by Curzon Artificial Eye.

Mia Williams, a volatile and socially isolated 15-year-old, lives on an East London council estate with her single mother, Joanne, and younger sister, Tyler. Mia has just fallen out with her best friend, Keely. She doesn't get along with her precious sister, nor with her verbally abusive mother. Mia provokes Keely's other friends with physical aggression. Mia regularly practices hip-hop dance alone in a deserted flat in her family's building, drinking alcoholic cider beforehand.

Later, Mia comes across a tethered horse in a Traveller encampment. She tries to free it, only to be caught and chased by two young men, the horse's owners. Billy, the younger of the two, is less hostile to Mia.

Mia's mother Joanne's new boyfriend, Conor, is charming and handsome. He notices Mia's dance moves, and invites Mia and Tyler to come with him and Joanne on a day-trip to the countryside. He introduces them to his favourite song, Bobby Womack's version of " California Dreamin'", and shows Mia how to catch a fish using her bare hands. Although Mia is abrupt with Conor, she seeks his attention.

A social worker visits Joanne regarding Mia, offering a referral to a boarding unit for disengaged teens. Mia flees. At an internet café, Mia takes a poster stuck up in the window by a club that is clearly advertising for erotic dancers. Friends of Keely enter the internet cafe and argue with and attack Mia. Later, Mia visits Conor at work where he is a security guard. Conor encourages her to apply for the dancing audition, lending her a video camera to record an audition on. Their interactions become increasingly flirtatious.

Conor later administers a flirtatious spanking to Mia when she returns, and Mia becomes jealous and angry when she overhears Conor and her mother having sex. After that, Mia assists Billy in stealing a car engine part from a junkyard, appearing to flirt.

Mia is invited by the club to perform in person after sending in her tape. With Joanne passed out drunk upstairs, and after Mia and Conor have also been drinking, Conor asks to see Mia's dance routine. She dances to "California Dreamin'", and Conor initiates sex. Conor tells Mia to keep their liaison a secret. The following morning, Mia hears her mother crying as Conor has left. In her anger, Joanne tells Mia she planned to abort her whilst pregnant. Mia tracks Conor down to his middle-class home. He explains that he cannot see her anymore because of her age and drives her to a station. However, Mia returns to his house and sneaks in. She finds a video camera which reveals footage of Conor's partner and their young daughter, Keira. Mia angrily urinates on Conor's living room floor, and then sneaks out of the back door when the family return home.

Mia lingers by Conor's home and eventually leads Keira away from her family. Keira tries to escape Mia, who catches up with her, and in the struggle inadvertently pushes her into the river. Mia pulls Keira out and takes her home anonymously. Conor soon chases Mia down post Keira's return, chasing Mia across a field and forcefully slapping her.

Mia goes to her dance audition, soon realising its true nature. The other participants perform erotic auditions. Mia takes the stage, but as the music she had chosen (Bobby Womack's version of "California Dreamin'" from Conor's CD) starts, she dejectedly leaves the stage.

Mia heads to Billy's home, not finding the horse. Billy tells her that the horse had to be put down, to which Mia responds by breaking down in tears. Billy invites Mia to relocate with him to Cardiff. Mia returns home to pack for the trip, and, despite their coldness, joins Joanne and her sister in synchronised dancing to Nas' " Life's a Bitch". Mia and Billy depart for Wales.

Katie Jarvis, who plays Mia, had no prior acting experience. She was cast for the film after one of Arnold's casting assistants saw her arguing with her boyfriend in Tilbury Town, which is the railway station featured in the film.

Principal photography began 28 July 2008 over the course of six weeks, and was filmed in chronological order. Actors were unaware of their characters' trajectories through the film due to only being provided relevant sections of the script at a time.

Location filming took place on the Mardyke Estate in Havering, in the town of Tilbury, and on the A13.

Music features prominently in the film. The song Mia uses at her audition is " California Dreamin'", as covered by Bobby Womack (1968). Characters in the film dance to the song " Me & U" by Cassie and the video for Down 4 U by Ja Rule and Ashanti is shown on screen. Other songs include "Jah Rule (w/ Paul St. Hilaire)" by Rhythm & Sound (Album: W/The Artists), " Life's a Bitch" by Nas, "Just to Get a Rep" by Gang Starr, "Cool Down the Pace" by Gregory Isaacs, "Your House" by Steel Pulse, " Juice" by Eric B and Rakim, "Baby girl" by Wiley, "Show Me Love" (Stonebridge Club Mix) by Robin S, " Get Up Offa That Thing" by James Brown, "In The Fading Light" by New Device, and " Original Nuttah" by Shy FX & UK Apache.

The film has no non- diagetic music; the entire soundtrack consists of songs and music played by characters within the narrative.

The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on 14 May 2009. Curzon Artificial Eye and IFC Films acquired United Kingdom and United States distribution rights to the film respectively. The film went onto screen at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and the Toronto International Film Festival. The film was released in the United Kingdom on 11 September 2009. It was then released in the United States on 15 January 2010.

Rotten Tomatoes reports that 91% of critics reviewed the film positively, based on a sample of 143 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6 out of 10. The consensus states "Cannes Jury Prize-winner Fish Tank is gritty British realism at its very best, with flawless performances from newcomer Kate Jarvis, and Michael Fassbender." The New Yorker's David Denby writes, " Fish Tank may begin as a patch of lower-class chaos, but it turns into a commanding, emotionally satisfying movie, comparable to such youth-in-trouble classics as The 400 Blows".

Fish Tank was released domestically on 11 September 2009 taking £103,180 on its first weekend and a total of £332,488. As of 15 June 2010, the film earned $374,675 in the United States and $1,612,034 elsewhere, bringing the worldwide total to $1,986,709.

A new high-definition digital transfer of the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray by The Criterion Collection in February 2011. Extras include three short films by director Andrea Arnold: Milk (1998), Dog (2001), and the Oscar-winning (2003).

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Fish Tank is a 2009 British drama film written and directed by Andrea Arnold. The film is about Mia, a volatile and socially isolated 15-year-old, and her relationship with her mother's new boyfriend. Fish Tank was well-received and won the Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

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Deciding on: Comparing British Social Realism

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Deciding on: Comparing British Social Realism

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In order to ensure I can explore this idea methodically, I have decided to focus my analysis to specifically comparing ‘British Social Realism’ with a comparing genre - Contrasting target audiences and demographic. Focusing specifically on film form which includes the stylistic system of; mise-en-scene, cinematography and sound, and the formal system which scopes in on the narrative. How far do their ideological and political positioning compare with one another? British Social Realism typically deals with everyday issues which usually promotes a societal or political discussion, including themes in; unemployment, working class issues and gender which greatly compares with the Action and Adventure genre. Thus I will investigate how far these contrasting genres, through film form, can echo an important message or theme ensued by the filmmaker.

I am considerably thinking about international cinema and how political context can be communicated in movies comparing to the likes of British Social Realism - Is this too open? Need to speak with lecturer and ask for some advice!

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After giving myself time to focus on which genres I will be comparing to examine the way in which ideological/political themes are communicated, I have decided these movies hold substantial weight in this type of conversation:

- Beasts of the Southern Wild
- No Country for Old Men
- Fish Tank or This is England?
- Trainspotting
- Parasite

I am conflicted with Fish Tank as although this could be a great example of exploring the way in which gender is depicted in British Social Realism, I initially wanted to focus more on political context i.e Capitalism etc so would this not work in hand with the other movies?

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(Feed-forward):

With your choice of case-study films in mind, refresh your Lead Question and develop a detailed Chapter Plan; flesh out the topics will you include in each section, and what research models and sources will you need for each topic

Invest some time writing a Treatment/Script for your video essay, paying attention to how this and your written text will best compliment and interact with each other

Do think carefully about whether you want to include discussion about a comparison genre as described in your proposal; you have a limited word-count

Although you have a Bibliography and some in-text references, remember you have the usual resource of Rave’s online Harvard Guide to help you with this; here’s the link > http://ravensbourneharvardreferencing.org.uk/

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On the first lesson back, I decided the format of a video essay would not be satisfactory in the support of my dissertation and would not in itself be a standalone documentation which compares and contributes to my argument - i.e repeating myself/commentary already reflected in my argument. Because of this I believe it will be more beneficial to move towards a (normal) academic text - 6000-7000 words, lower 10% 5400 words.

Because of this, it is vital that I have enough study to craft this dissertation as I initially was only working towards a 4000+ word count with a supporting artefact. I am slightly worried about this however I think so long as I focus on gathering more contextual evidence for my examples, alongside my personal analytical examination of all the movies - I should be okay...

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Supporting secondary research: (Explored in class)

Media Ideologies: An Introduction: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43104264

The Conversation between Film and Ideology: https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:534657/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Language and ideology in film theory: The case study of the LAP model: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311983.2018.1429078

The Romance of Patriarchy: Ideology, Subjectivity, and Postmodern Feminist Cultural Theory: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1354105

Utilising the 'Ideological Antiquity': Rethinking Brecht and Film Theory: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24550140

Embodied Worlds and Situated Bodies: Feminism, Phenomenology, Film Theory: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/678144

In class today I went over my progression with Hayley, dissertation lecturer, and we explored various amounts of websites which can help me in my ideological approach - it is paramount I have as much examples/theory to quote and use alongside my findings

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Today I looked more into structuring my study, going back to my chapter plan, which entailed thinking more about how I can compare all of these movies simultaneously without losing focus on my question.

It was recommend that I stick to British Social Realism and although this could narrow my focus, I worry I won't have enough sufficient examples to talk about. This is something I can consider for the time being however I think I am happy sticking to comparing British Social Realism with at least one another genre as this makes for a compelling examination on how differing filmmakers achieve this - especially if I look more into international cinema with Parasite.

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In class today I realised that it is incredibly important that I rewatch the potential list of movies I will explore in the study. I am focused on for sure selecting No Country for Old Men, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Trainspotting and Parasite - However I am still unsure whether I should compare these examples with This is England or Trainspotting so after class today I will be critically rewatching and deciding what movie will help me progress my question more - particularly how filmmakers reflect political ideology and or context?

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After giving myself a whole week, I managed to watch all of the movies on my list and definitely have concluded that This is England will be a better example of analysis to talk about in my study as I can engage more about the political context of Thatcherism which perfectly matches with Trainspotting. Although Fish Tank would have been great for elaborating on this ideological approach towards gender, I feel as though I won't have enough work to examine - especially when I prefer This is England more then Fish Tank, giving me more of a push to explore this.

I feel as though I am on track to potentially start drafting an introduction or finalising my chapter plan which at the moment stands; chapter 1 - British social realism (Trainspotting and This is England, chapter 2 - comparative genre (No Country for Old Men and Beasts of the Southern Wild, I additionally think that Do the Right Thing would have been a great choice but Beasts touches upon subverting capitalist ideology which not only draws on NCFOM but additionally parasite! and chapter 3 - international (Parasite)

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Unfortunately I was unable to attend the class today as I had an orthodontist appointment, however where I am at in terms of my progress I think this won't hinder me.

I have been watching some analytical YouTube videos which have helped me understand how to tackle political context through dissecting the use of film-form so I feel as though I have made somewhat progress this week

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I managed to complete a draft of my chapter one which explores the ideological / political context communicated in both This is England and Trainspotting. I am incredibly happy with it as I think the way I draw a comparison to both examples in the topic of Margaret Thatcher perfectly refers back to my question in that 'to what extent' do filmmakers communicate.... and so I have managed to give a clear idea on how Meadows and Boyle do this. Some parts of it feel a little too descriptive so I managed to cut out some of it to gather more theory/references.

I have another deadline coming up which I am slightly worrying about and so I think I might have to organise how I plan my upcoming time with both modules but I am hopeful I'll make it work - It will all be fine!

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I didn't get much completed this week as predicted! However I have been able to keep watching more YouTube videos as they have been incredibly helpful in gathering knowledge in political ideology in cinema. I've found some more references I think I could mention too - Marxism and 'Conflict Theory'. This in short is the idea that because our society/culture is built upon capitalist structures, one day this system will become flawed as the oppressed workers it negatively affects will attempt to overthrow. When I read about this, I thought of how much it perfectly resembles the ending to Parasite and so I have thought about drafting a couple sentences of my international cinema chapter! not holding myself up to too much pressure at the moment but I'm going to try and get something achieved in the coming week :)

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Managed to get a big chunk of my second chapter completed! I feel as though I am leaving gaps to gather references so I can provide more support to my political context and I think this is a good idea, so long as manage to find examples I can put with them. I'm on the side doing as much of this as I can.

I have been feeling really stressed this week, especially with my other module but I think I am on track. I am thinking of giving myself time to breathe as I don't want to overwork myself - however deadline isn't too far now!

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Preparing myself for the Christmas break!

Finalising on my chapter drafts and preparing to flesh out my international cinema paragraph. Today I spoke to a couple of friends including students on the Film Production course and explained to them my idea for dissertation. They all gave me optimism that particularly Parasite is a great example to explore when comparing political ideology in cinema - this has driven me more!

One thing they said was to avoid being too descriptive as the base of a dissertation is of course analytical so I need to make sure I refine anything in the essay that goes too in to detail about anything that is irrelevant i.e explaining the plot etc.

Going to set myself a deadline on having a strong draft completed by the end of Christmas however I am incredibly busy over this period so I'm worried if I'll get much done. However I have made myself a schedule to attempt to follow, so long as I stick to this as much as possible I should be fine!

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Over Christmas I managed to complete some of the tasks I set out to achieve however I personally have been dealing with overwhelming mental health struggles at the moment. I am usually good at dealing with this issue but I think the pressure intertwined with external circumstances outside of University is putting more stress on me than necessary. I know I will be okay however nearing the finish line, I feel as though I potentially may have to request a 5-day extension as this could greatly help in ensuring I submit a piece of work I am incredibly proud of, especially considering I am much a perfectionist. I have never requested an extension in the time of me being at University so I somewhat feel ashamed/guilty but I know I shouldn't feel this way as this could help me greatly.

In the mean time of balancing things out, I have been particularly exploring more theory to reference in my chapters and stumbled across Žižek who speaks of ideology in film. He takes an incredibly interesting approach to this subject and think some of this thoughts could greatly add to the examples I mention in the study. His ideas are often well-known but sometimes misunderstood so I will look at him in more detail before deciding whether he adds anything relevant to my study!

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I applied for my extension and was accepted which I am incredibly thankful for as this has greatly helped me balance my world load with personal external mental health struggles I'm dealing with at the moment. I feel as though I have the time to refine my whole essay and change/add anything I see fit for this last short period of time I have left.  I have had the chance to add illustrations and collated all of my references on to the bibliography page so the format of the Dissertation is basically ready to be submitted! Giving myself these last few days to make adjustments where needed.

I am incredibly happy with the result of my study and am proud of the journey it has taken me dating back from coming up with simple ideas back in the last academic year.

On track to get this submitted!