Exam Prep - Section B and C Questions

Section B - LIVING WITH CRIME

How far do the opening sequences of the films you have studied for this topic introduce their key messages and values?

The opening sequences for Get Carter which was produced in 1971 and Bullet Boy which was produced in 2004 are in a majority of ways, identical. Specifically, the two films both use the shift in location as a process to represent their key messages and values.

In the opening sequence of Get Carter, the main character, Jack Carter embarks on a journey from London to Newcastle which is in the North-East of England because of his brother’s death. Instantly, the perceived differences between the North and the South are portrayed, which is one of the themes that is presented in Get Carter. At first, the surrounding environment is very radiant and pleasant with green fields and blue skies, however this soon fades when Jack gets closer to his destination. The blue skies and green fields are displaced with a bleak and colourless environment with frequent numbers of factories and plants, which gives the impression that the North is very industrialised and polluted. It could be said that Jack takes many drugs on the train because the North is too hard to endure.

Another key message that is shown throughout the film Get Carter, is the representation of women. As the film reflects the time that it was made, it shows the extent of the ‘Swinging Sixties’ and the mythology of women being liberated and independent women. Get Carter clearly represents this message as all women in the film are passive and serve the purpose of being an erotic object. The Swinging Sixties involved the introduction of the contraceptive pill which was supposed to liberate women. However, men felt their position in society was under threat and so had to reinforce their status over women by becoming more controlling and demanding. An example of this is the opening sequence in Get Carter - the men are all gathered around viewing pornographic images whilst there is a woman in the room which shows that they disrespect her. The woman, Anna, is only often shot in parts, from her legs to her face which reinforces Laura Mulvey’s theory of the Male Gaze and how women are passive and seen as erotic objects. This is clearly the case in Get Carter because Anna’s facial expression is very discomfortable and wary as the male stroking her leg is undoubtedly fetishing about her.

The film, Bullet Boy opens with a close up shot of Curtis inside a boot of a car, and then goes onto the next shot of Ricky lying down in a prison cell. Immediately, from these shots a connection is formed between these two characters; they are alike in nature. This correlation between the brothers shows that Curtis is destined to follow and become involved in the crime life just like Ricky. This proposes that the older generation has a influence on the younger generation which leads to a cycle of violence and crime. An example of this is when Curtis and Wisdom collect Ricky and stop by the side of the road. Ricky and Wisdom openly smoke drugs in front of Curtis, who is not distressed which gives the impression that this happens all the time. Curtis even tries to mimic Ricky by chewing on some nearby grass to fit in with his brothers.

Bullet Boy and Get Carter are both similar in how they represent the location and surrounding areas to reflect the atmosphere and mood. For instance, in the film Bullet Boy, as Wisdom and Curtis are travelling to collect Ricky from prison to take him back home to Hackney, the environment is very buoyant and warming as there is green fields and blue skies. This soon changes as they get closer to Hackney which is crowded with council estates and concrete. The tall council estates makes the setting feel more claustrophobic and gives the sense of feeling trapped. It shows that Ricky has been captured once again into the life of crime - there is no escaping and he has determined his fate. This is also reinforced by the numerous close up shots of the characters in the car; it frames them in a tighter space. Ricky’s facial expression shows that he does not want to return home, as he knows that it will have an influence and impact on his behaviour, it shows that he does not want to become involved in the crime life again and has learnt from his mistakes.