SSC Film Studies

In this essay I am going to look at how the British youth have been represented in film Throughout the last 50 years different sub cultures have emerged from Britain to create a moral panic, Mods and rockers, skinheads, football hooligans, ravers etc.. the British newspaper laed the groups every day and created a situation which led to far serious consequences than what should of happened. whilst watching a number of films about british youth sub cultures i realised the way the british youth is represented can be varied, they can go from being a no good drug abusing hooligan to a hero, and in my research I aim to find out the reason why the british youth are being represented like this. The three films i Have chosen to study are Cass, Attack the block and This is england. This is england is a real polictical driven film that gives you an insight on how the country was in turmoil in the 1980's and why it was, also a look at the racism and anger that there was. attack the block is a film about a young group of lads who fight off aliens, as the film progresses the representation becomes a lot more positive and develops a sympathetic representation. the film represents the young people as monsters and then eventually replaces them with actual monsters, its a contrast to other "hoodie horror films"
“Societies appear to be subject every now and then, to periods of moral panic. A condition episode, person or group people emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests; its nature is presented in a stylised and stereotypical fashion by the mass media”

The prime minister, Margaret thatcher’s created this image of the football hooligans throughout the 80s and they reacted in creating trouble every weekend at football games. Former west ham hooligan Cass Pennant bases the film “Cass” upon his autobiography, There is a scene in the film were two rival groups meet in Leeds, prior to a match and there is a commentary about it from the main character and he mentions how the new wave off football casual's have took over the terraces, the use of images of Margaret thatcher speaking about the hooligans show how far the moral panic reached throughout society. The fight scene itself is set in a gritty Leeds council estate and shows how degrading their lives were, and also how the violence filled a gap left by lack off government support.  Cultural hegemony is a massive part of how British working class were depicted and there was a clear division in classes when films were being produced                                                                                                                                      
"it is widely acknowledged that this is the age of the moral panic. Newspaper headlines continually warn of some new danger resulting from moral laxity and television programmes echo the theme with sensational documentaries"

Cass is one of many films such as green street, football factory, away days etc. are all films based upon the football hooligan culture and have similar themes, story lines and character templates. there is always the older hooligan that everybody looks upto, then there is the newcomer that sees all this happening and wants to join in which is what makes the storyline. the way the films have been produced to show hooligansism gives the impression that it is easy to get away with and there is no strings attached and no consequences.