Show how key sequences convey the main messages and values of the films you have studied in this topic. [40 Marks]

In the film Bullet Boy the themes that are focussed on are crime and the cycles of it.  The intro to the film is a prime example of this. When Wisdom is going to pick up Ricky from jail the film cuts from a shot f Ricky lying down in a jail cell to a shot of Curtis lying down in the boot of Wisdom’s car. This connotes that Curtis could eventually end up like Ricky and spend time in jail it can also suggest that crime is learned from elders. The title BulletBoy is a subtle hint that it could be Curtis’s future. From Ricky’s point of view, he is witnessing Wisdom’s and Curtis standing by Wisdom’s car. A bar on the door separates Curtis and Wisdom. At that moment it suggests that because Ricky has not yet came intro contact with Curtis, he has not yet corrupted Curtis.  This gives the audience a 2nd hint about the lives of these three characters.

Further on into the intro they stop for a break. Ricky and Curtis are sitting on the bonnet of the car but Wisdom’s leaves for a couple of minutes. Ricky’s demeanour in this scene looks relaxed and at peace and also it looks as though he is enjoying the peace and quiet. This shows that Ricky is appreciative of this scenery and maybe dreams of ending up somewhere peaceful like this. The fact that wisdom does not stay to appreciate the scenery highlights how Wisdom feel about the possibility of leaving the environment they live in. Before this we witness a conversation between Ricky and an officer, all of the authority figures are white which could represent the prejudice against black communities.

During this part of the intro Ricky is smoking whilst Curtis sits beside with a piece of grass in his mouth, seemingly copying what Ricky is doing, this shows that all of their behaviours have been taught by elders and to them is the norm.

In the second half of the intro the scenery changes for peaceful and full of colour to cramped urban environment. From Ricky’s point of view, the buildings and flats all look like a prison, somewhere he cannot escape from. During the scene there are what look to be young adults/ teenagers standing on street corners suggesting that they do not have a job and this is what could be causing crime. In the car the camera focusses from Curtis to Ricky which visually connects to brothers. When talking about trying to get a Job Ricky is made fun of by Wisdom, wisdoms reaction to this signifies how he feels about opportunities and shows that the environment they live in builds a culture of crime.

The topic of jobs then leads to Ricky’s perceived debt to Wisdom when wisdom claims “I wear this scar for you” This represents the cycle of violence in these communities and that Ricky now believes that he owes Wisdom and has to repay in some way. This is also seen in various scenes in the film, for example, when Curtis visits Leo in hospital after accidentally shooting him. Leo mentions that Curtis now “owes him” after the accident. This shows that the mentality of perceived debt is taught a at young age to even the most vulnerable people.

The opening to Get Carter is similar to BulletBoy in terms of representation. For example, they train is travelling from south to north and therefore the setting starts out as a bright , sunny day with a lot of greenery in the background. On the whole it is represented as a positive, idyllic environment. However, as the train starts to descend into the north we begin to see industry on the skyline and the whole setting and atmosphere becomes darker and has a neglected feel to it. The north is the visual signifies in this film of the north/south divide. During the train journey we are introduced to the character/ protagonist Carter. We can tell from this scene that he sees himself as being more sophisticated than other for example when eating on the train wipes the spoon that he is given. The book that he reads can also back up this point as it shows his own sense of intelligence due to those around him reading low brow newspapers. Carter is also the visual signified of direct fallout of the swinging 60’s as we witness him taking drugs in the bathroom.

After his train journey Carter travels to meet up with somebody in a pub. When crossing the road to enter the pub he walks straight into the road without looking ,causing a car to beep their horn which he chooses to ignore. This shows that the character of Carter is extremely arrogant. The way in which this is shot hints that Carter is being watched showing us that this environment is dangerous.  As he enters the pub people start to stare at him, this shows the audience that he is an outsider. Carter continues to stare at the people in the pub until they eventually look away highlighting that they are not only curios about Carter but are also intimidated by him. There is a close up whist in the pub of a man with six fingers, the use of this close up hints that Carter views people in the north as inferior and abnormal. Rather than emphasise the warm and good humour conventionally associated with Northern urban life, Hodges represents Newcastle as a cold, sinister landscape.

The women in Get Carter highlight the representations of how women were treated in the 60’s. The first woman that we meet in the film is Glenda and this is in the presence of a group of men. The first thing that she is ordered to do is to make Jack a drink, highlighting that she is a slave for kinnear. Throughout the scene we don't get a full view of Glenda and the audience are only given a view of parts of her body, showing that she is there solely for the men's entertainment. When Glenda is trying to tell Carter what seems to be important information, her voice is drowned out by the men's diegetic voices. This signifies her lower status and low importance to the men in the room. Glenda uses he sexuality to try and seduce Carter in the scene and seems to be the only power she can have over men however, even this is controlled by the men.