Social Realism Social Realism Themes and Themes and

IssuesIssuesBy Jordan CrichlowBy Jordan Crichlow

Class: 12A/Me1Class: 12A/Me1Teacher: Mr. BeckerTeacher: Mr. BeckerThe Beacon SchoolThe Beacon School

OverviewOverview

IssuesIssues -- are problems that occur are problems that occur within within society.society.

-- change over time.change over time.

-- e.g. bullying, child abuse, e.g. bullying, child abuse, alcohol/drug abuse.alcohol/drug abuse.

ThemesThemes -- are problems put into are problems put into context.context.

-- are broader topics.are broader topics.

-- e.g. jealousy, revengee.g. jealousy, revenge

Loneliness of the Long Loneliness of the Long Distance RunnerDistance Runner

Year:Year: 1962 1962 Writer: Writer: Allan SillitoeAllan Sillitoe Producer: Producer: Tony Tony

RichardsonRichardson Director: Director: Tony Tony

RichardsonRichardson Themes:Themes:

RebellionRebellion Nature and NurtureNature and Nurture JealousyJealousy

Issues:Issues: RobberyRobbery Class and StatusClass and Status

Storyline: Storyline: A rebellious A rebellious youth, sentenced to a youth, sentenced to a boy's reformatory for boy's reformatory for robbing a bakery, rises robbing a bakery, rises through the ranks of the through the ranks of the institution through his institution through his prowess as a long prowess as a long distance runner. During distance runner. During his solitary runs, his solitary runs, reveries of his life and reveries of his life and times before his times before his incarceration lead him incarceration lead him to re-evaluate his to re-evaluate his privileged status as the privileged status as the Governor's prize runner. Governor's prize runner.

Saturday Night and Sunday Saturday Night and Sunday MorningMorning

Year: Year: 19601960 Writer: Writer: Allan SillitoeAllan Sillitoe Producer: Producer: Tony Tony

RichardsonRichardson Director: Director: Karel ReiszKarel Reisz Themes:Themes:

EstablishmentEstablishment Kitchen sink realismKitchen sink realism

Issues:Issues: AdulteryAdultery DishonestyDishonesty AbortionAbortion

Storyline: Storyline: A A rebellious, hard-living rebellious, hard-living factory worker juggles factory worker juggles relationships with two relationships with two women, one of whom women, one of whom is married to another is married to another man but pregnant man but pregnant with his child. with his child.

Poor CowPoor Cow

Year: Year: 19671967 Writer: Writer: Nell DunnNell Dunn Producer: Producer: Joseph Joseph

JanniJanni Director: Director: Ken LoachKen Loach Themes:Themes:

Kitchen sink realismKitchen sink realism Female ProtagonistFemale Protagonist

Issues:Issues: AbuseAbuse PovertyPoverty RelocationRelocation

Storyline: Storyline: A young A young woman lives a life woman lives a life filled with bad filled with bad choices. She choices. She continuously marries, continuously marries, and has flings with and has flings with many different people, many different people, before her child goes before her child goes missing, and she missing, and she briefly comes to grips briefly comes to grips with what is most with what is most important to her.important to her.

KesKes Year: Year: 19691969 Writer: Writer: Barry HinesBarry Hines Producer: Producer: Tony Tony

GarnettGarnett Director: Director: Ken LoachKen Loach Themes:Themes:

Coming of ageComing of age Issues:Issues:

BullyingBullying Child abuseChild abuse HumiliationHumiliation

Storyline: Storyline: A young, A young, English working-class English working-class boy, named Billy, who boy, named Billy, who is bullied and abused is bullied and abused at school and at home, at school and at home, spends his free time spends his free time caring for and caring for and training his pet falcon. training his pet falcon. Billy finally finds a Billy finally finds a positive purpose to his positive purpose to his unhappy existence, unhappy existence, until tragedy strikes.until tragedy strikes.

My ChildhoodMy Childhood Year: Year: 19721972 Writer: Writer: Bill DouglasBill Douglas Producer: Producer: Geoffrey Geoffrey

EvansEvans Director: Director: Bill DouglasBill Douglas Themes:Themes:

InspirationInspiration Issues:Issues:

PovertyPoverty Child neglectChild neglect

Storyline: Storyline: The first part of The first part of Bill Douglas' influential Bill Douglas' influential trilogy harks back to his trilogy harks back to his impoverished upbringing impoverished upbringing in early-'40s Scotland. in early-'40s Scotland. Cinema was his only Cinema was his only escape - he paid for it with escape - he paid for it with the money he made from the money he made from returning empty jam jars - returning empty jam jars - and this escape is reflected and this escape is reflected most closely at this time of most closely at this time of his life as an eight-year-old his life as an eight-year-old living on the breadline living on the breadline with his half-brother and with his half-brother and sick grandmother in a poor sick grandmother in a poor mining village.mining village.

Made in BritainMade in Britain Year: Year: 19821982 Writer: Writer: David LelandDavid Leland Producer: Producer: Margaret Margaret

MathesonMatheson Director: Director: Alan ClarkeAlan Clarke Themes:Themes:

ConformityConformity Social RealismSocial Realism Dark ComedyDark Comedy

Issues:Issues: DefecationDefecation RacismRacism CrimeCrime

Storyline: Storyline: Trevor is a Trevor is a 16 year old, sometimes-16 year old, sometimes-violent skinhead with no violent skinhead with no regard for authority, regard for authority, and would rather spend and would rather spend his time stealing cars his time stealing cars than sitting in the than sitting in the detention centre to detention centre to which he is sent. His which he is sent. His social worker, Harry social worker, Harry Parker, tries to do his Parker, tries to do his best, but Trevor is only best, but Trevor is only interested when there's interested when there's something that he can something that he can get out of it.get out of it.

My Beautiful My Beautiful LaunderetteLaunderette

Year: Year: 19851985 Writer: Writer: Hanif KureishiHanif Kureishi Producer: Producer: Tim BevanTim Bevan Director: Director: Stephen Stephen

FrearsFrears Themes:Themes:

DiversityDiversity Issues:Issues:

SexismSexism VandalismVandalism AdulteryAdultery AbuseAbuse

Storyline: Storyline: An An ambitious Asian ambitious Asian Briton and his white Briton and his white lover strive for lover strive for success and hope, success and hope, when they open up a when they open up a glamorous glamorous laundromat.laundromat.

Raining StonesRaining Stones

Year: Year: 19931993 Writer: Writer: Jim AllenJim Allen Producer: Producer: Sally HibbinSally Hibbin Director: Director: Ken LoachKen Loach Themes:Themes:

Social RealismSocial Realism DevotionDevotion DeterminationDetermination

IssuesIssues DesperationDesperation PovertyPoverty RiskRisk

Storyline: Storyline: This film tells This film tells the story of a man devoted to his the story of a man devoted to his family and his religion. Proud, family and his religion. Proud, though poor, Bob wants his little though poor, Bob wants his little girl to have a beautiful (and girl to have a beautiful (and costly) brand-new dress for her costly) brand-new dress for her First Communion. His First Communion. His stubbornness and determination stubbornness and determination get him into trouble as he turns get him into trouble as he turns to more and more questionable to more and more questionable measures, in his desperation to measures, in his desperation to raise the needed money. This raise the needed money. This tragic flaw leads him to risk all tragic flaw leads him to risk all that he loves and values, his that he loves and values, his beloved family, indeed even his beloved family, indeed even his immortal soul and salvation, in immortal soul and salvation, in

blind pursuit of that goal.blind pursuit of that goal.

The Full MontyThe Full Monty Year: Year: 19971997 Writer: Writer: Simon BeaufoySimon Beaufoy Producer: Producer: Uberto Uberto

PasoliniPasolini Director: Director: Peter CattaneoPeter Cattaneo Themes:Themes:

JealouslyJealously Issues:Issues:

UnemploymentUnemployment MistrustMistrust TheftTheft ThatcherismThatcherism

Storyline: Storyline: Six Six unemployed steel unemployed steel workers form a male workers form a male striptease act. The striptease act. The women cheer them on women cheer them on to go for "the full to go for "the full monty" - total nudity. monty" - total nudity.

My Name is JoeMy Name is Joe

Year: Year: 19981998 Writer: Writer: Paul LavertyPaul Laverty Producer: Producer: Rebecca Rebecca

O’BrienO’Brien Director: Director: Ken LoachKen Loach Themes:Themes:

RomanceRomance DependenceDependence

Issues:Issues: UnemploymentUnemployment Alcohol abuseAlcohol abuse Drug abuseDrug abuse

Storyline: Storyline: Two Two thirtysomethings, thirtysomethings, unemployed former unemployed former alcoholic Joe and alcoholic Joe and community health worker community health worker Sarah, start a romantic Sarah, start a romantic relationship in the one of relationship in the one of the toughest Glasgow the toughest Glasgow neighbourhoods.neighbourhoods.

Sweet SixteenSweet Sixteen Year: Year: 20022002 Writer: Writer: Paul LavertyPaul Laverty Producer:Producer: Rebecca Rebecca

O’BrienO’Brien Director: Director: Ken LoachKen Loach Themes:Themes:

DeterminationDetermination Reform (ability to)Reform (ability to)

Issues:Issues: CrimeCrime Family issuesFamily issues PovertyPoverty Class and StatusClass and Status

Storyline: Storyline: Determined to have a Determined to have a normal family life normal family life once his mother gets once his mother gets out of prison, a out of prison, a Scottish teenager Scottish teenager from a tough from a tough background sets out background sets out to raise the money for to raise the money for a home. a home.

This is EnglandThis is England

Year: Year: 20062006 Writer: Writer: Shane MeadowsShane Meadows Producer: Producer: Mark Mark

HerbertHerbert Director: Director: Shane Shane

MeadowsMeadows Themes:Themes:

RacismRacism Cultural TensionCultural Tension

Issues:Issues: RacismRacism ThatcherismThatcherism

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

The Angels ShareThe Angels Share Year: Year: 20122012 Writer: Writer: Paul LavertyPaul Laverty Producer: Producer: Rebecca Rebecca

O’BrienO’Brien Director: Director: Ken LoachKen Loach Themes:Themes:

InspirationInspiration Reform (of the self)Reform (of the self)

Issues:Issues: PridePride Alcohol abuseAlcohol abuse Crime (jail)Crime (jail)

Storyline: Storyline: Narrowly Narrowly avoiding jail, new dad avoiding jail, new dad Robbie vows to turn Robbie vows to turn over a new leaf. A over a new leaf. A visit to a whisky visit to a whisky distillery inspires him distillery inspires him and his mates to seek and his mates to seek a way out of their a way out of their hopeless lives.hopeless lives.

Matrix of Themes and Matrix of Themes and Issues (1)Issues (1)

The 60s +The 60s +the 70sthe 70s

Themes Issues

Kitchen sink realism

Female Protagonists

Establishment Dishonesty RobberyAbuse

Child

Sexual

Adultery

Matrix of Themes and Matrix of Themes and Issues (2)Issues (2)

The 80sThe 80s

Themes Issues

Social Realism Diversity Dark Comedy Racism SexismVandalism(violence)

Matrix of Themes and Matrix of Themes and Issues (3)Issues (3)

The 90sThe 90s

Themes Issues

DependenceDetermination Romance Abuse Desperation Poverty

Alcohol

Drug

Theft Unemployment

Mistrust

Matrix of Themes and Matrix of Themes and Issues (4)Issues (4)

The 00s +The 00s +10s10s

Themes Issues

Cultural Tension

ReformDetermination/

Inspiration CrimeClass and

StatusFamily Issues

Jail

Racism

Racism