"Soft" Qualitative Analysis

1.       Opening Sequence

2006- ahead of its times, capturing footage of filming: abuse, 8 years ago, makes it more engaging as it is unusual, see character as a clear victim, want to learn more about the characters, why are the directors showing that? Using different stylistic techniques, dropped in chaotic environment, what will happen with the characters, video camera makes you want to watch it, low quality (why is this?), relief when seeing proper camera, possible vice-versa for this camera used, interesting shot/camera movement – very engaging, drops you straight into the action

Exploration of filming on phone could have gone further

2.       Stereotypes - Age

Shows extreme sides of youth, exaggerated stereotypes (binary oppositions) – "chavvy" young white popular male – nerd hiding in his house with father

Role-reversal – young guy becomes strongest, dad becomes weaker

Son notices fear in his father, rather than father realises the issue of his son first (blaring music, bruise goes unnoticed at first)

3.     Protagonist – who/why?

Dad is the main protagonist , every event connected to him, see mostly him, follow his storyline

4.       Do you feel sympathy?

Sympathy for son, son desperately calling for help, father won’t respond, son in vulnerable position, returned to safe place (behind walls, with family), gets disrupted, where do we go from here? Has no choice but to use baseball bat

5.       Location

Middle-class Suburban London – street, cars, dad wears tie to work, adopted culture of rapping and dancing, nice place, stereotypes not in stereotypical location, shop is not what we’d expect, point by director – this could happen to anyone? Having it in middle-class area suggests it is not always in types of setting we are used too.

6.       What issues/themes does it raise?

Physical/mental Violence

Bullying

Role-reversal

Revenge