‘How are British youths represented in Quadrophenia and Harry Brown?’

‘How are British youths represented in Quadrophenia and Harry Brown?’

  

         The two films that I have been studying, ‘Harry Brown’ and ‘Quadrophenia’ are very similar in the way that they represent British youths but there are also many differences. The two films connote a stereotypical representation of society’s views on British youths today. Many of the themes and ideologies in the films support all of these views and the media influences us by repetitively representing this in mass media, therefore embedding it in our minds, this is the theory of Gerbner and it links in with both of these films. People then develop a fear of youths which society then focus’ on and youths bad behavior.

    

      In ‘Quadrodphenia’ the main theme is identity because this is what is important to their sub-cultures and it makes them feel like they belong to something. Their sub-culture is being a ‘mod’ and this is an important part of their lives, it means they can be in a ‘gang’ and have something in common with everyone in that gang, making them a strong group. Being part of a group is very important to them because they can party together, travel, take drugs, riot and unite together in certain situations. Their sub-culture has a normal 9-5 job and then at the weekends they tend to go crazy and party and become part of their sub-culture again. This film shows the youths as being violent and aggressive, lazy, using drugs, drinking alcohol and being trouble. The use of drink, drugs and sex is a big theme and it shows the youths in a very negative way and this has a big effect because even their parents do not have a lot of respect for them. The ‘Mods’ also swear a lot which is another way of expressing themselves and rebelling against what is right. Everything from the way they dress, to the mopeds that they drive creates their sub-culture.

    In ‘Harry Brown’ the main theme is violence and survival. In this film the sub-culture is ‘Hoodies’ and ‘thugs’ and this is shown through the use of violence, guns, knives, abuse, sex, drugs, alcohol, territory and gang culture. All of these themes are used throughout to create the illusion of these gang cultures and hoodies. A big symbolic feature of this film is the subway that is in there estate. This is the path through to the other side and not many make it through. The kids on this estate think that they own this subway and that the only way they will let anyone through is if they become like them, violent thugs. Most people that go in this subway don’t make it out alive and they will either get violently injured or murdered. This kind of behavior is entertaining for these youths and they feel like it is the right thing to do. This makes question why these youths are behaving like this and do all youths behave like this? This is the theory of Giroux who says that youths are an empty category and they are empty boxes filled  ith fears from the adults in the world, this then makes the general view of youths a very negative one.

    The ideologies of ‘Quadrophenia’ are very much to be part of a sub-culture so that you can become important and have some kind of belonging. Jimmy seems like he is only ever happy when he is with his group of friends and can become a ‘mod’. Another ideology is rebelling and they all rebel against different aspects in the film. For example Jimmy seems to rebel against his parents a lot when they are shouting at him for drinking and taking drugs or not going to work, he seems to ignore them or shouts back.  This is the way that Jimmy feels he should react because it is part of his sub-culture and age group. He seems quite disrespectful towards his parents and he also riots in Brighton and quits his job. These are all things he should not have done but he did them because it made him feel part of his sub-culture even though he was lost and confused.  Ideologies are a main part in this film because it represents the youths but in a negative way. When they all riot in Brighton this is them trying to make a point about the fact that they are people too even though they are youths and they want to be noticed and to have their own freedom as a sub-culture. They want to be noticed but also to be independent but the rioting just creates more negativity and fears of them. This lands Jimmy in more trouble and he ends up getting thrown out of his home. This shows us that his parents do not agree with this kind of behavior and they do not respect the life choices he is making, his mum even seems to fear him and this is a clear representation of adults views on youths.

     The ideologies of ‘Harry Brown’ are to be part of a gang simply for survival; to be threatening and violent and protect their territory. They all seem to follow each other simply to survive the lifestyle on the estate. They believe that violence and murder is just another route to survival and they don’t see anything wrong with that. They want to be feared so that no one can threaten their lives. They use the fact that they are in a gang to scare off others and to be more threatening. Although they’re in a gang and are all fighting for the same reason they do not protect each other nor do they have any respect for anybody else. They seem to rebel against mainly the law and people of a different class this is the theory of Gramsci and he suggests that society can be ruled or dominated by one of its social classes. This is what the youths in ‘Harry Brown’ and trying to do, they believe that their social class should dominate and that is what they are trying to do. Harry Brown is therefore opposing this and he is trying to protect his social class because of what the youths did to his brother. He is rebelling against the law but he believes his morals are more important and this drives him to also murdering.  

     In both films they strongly represent youths in a very negative way, their identity and ideologies are so important to them it controls their lifestyles. In ‘Quadrophenia’ we see bad behavior but nothing as shocking as in ‘Harry Brown’. ‘Quadrophenia’ being the eldest of the two, shows how society changed but the views of youths has not but ‘Harry Brown’ is slightly more modern and therefore what we see in this film we are shocked at. The use of drink, drugs and sex in ‘Quadrophenia’ was shocking to the adults in them days but now that would be seen as something quite common.  Whereas the use of violence and murder in ‘Harry Brown’ is shocking to us because we do not think that it is acceptable to behave in that way. This shows us that the ways in which youths try to rebel has changed overtime but unfortunately progressing to a more violent and dangerous way.  This film makes people fear youths because they then think this is the way that all youths behave and that it is a normal routine for them. Thankfully this film is an exaggerated representation of youths today but the more we are embedded with this through media, the more fears people will have. 

E,A,A- 13- Knew both of the films very well and went into detail. Used words such as sub-culture and stereotyping well. Adresses the reader with rhetorical questions which really engage them in that you are saying. However needs to compare them more as most of the time  you talk about them indivdually.


Use of examples- 11- Used a few theorist to explain your answere however you should go more indepth to their theories so they know that you know what you are talking about.