Entry 8 - Lecture notes, Somers Town

Somers Town, Directed my Shane Meadows and funded by Eurostar.

A British film is normally low budget, about ordinary people, includes domestic themes and really focuses on class e.g. Ronnie Barker

The British new wave was at the end of the second world war and focused on the working class. Between 1959 - 1963 Tony Richardson along with other directors created new wave films. It broke taboos such as adultery and criminology. It also changes the working class too, as children could go to school etc.

The British/French new wave believed in a sense of place and portrayed it through settings etc.
There was also the strong sense of leaving your identity behind. e.g. Billy Liar 1963. In the film "Taste Of Honey" outsiders were apparent. Such as; Black characters, Gays, Pregnant teenagers etc.

Television began depicting true images of the working class also, with soaps such as Eastenders coming on our screens.

Now there is the Brit Grit/Brit film also known as the new new wave.
These include directors like Mike Leigh with "Vera Drake" and Ken Loach with "Looking for Eric". There was films such as the "Full Monty" and "Billy Elliot" which went with the theme of changing identity, as Billy wanted to be a dancer and full grown men stripping. Both of of these were seen as woman's jobs.

Most new new wave directors are from working class and many of them show the working class in a more three dimension view, as the new wave directors in the 1950's were dealing with identify and immigration, which still occurs today but in a different fashion.

SOMERS TOWN
The theme of the Eurostar runs all the way through this film. Changing identify as the boys are always trying to re-event themselves. The theme of immigration as Marie (French) joins the two boys but does tear them apart in some sense. The Sense of the British re-eventing themselves, new British identity.