Collective Identity 2

Love  Actually:

This film is written and directed by Richard Curtis so we expect it to have a similar mood and representation style to Notting Hill and Bridget Jones. The audience could be Americans because London is represented in a way that we know is not fully true. However, it does match some of the stereotypes that Americans have of English life. The film is is represented as a multicultural community.

The mise en scene at the beginning of this film shows all the characters smartly dressed in suits. This connotes that they are from an upper class background. The type of language they use and how they speak also illustrate the background in which they are from. In the background Royalist music is heard, this implies Britishness and Nationalism.

This is England:

This film was set around 30 years ago and the characters at the beginning of the film seem to be from a working class background. This is shown through how they speak, their behaviour and the costume that they wear. At the beginning of the film, a group of men are spray painting a wall. This is referred to as graffiti and is classed anti-social behaviour. It suggests that they do not work as it is set during the day and that they have nothing better to do. As they are adults they should also know better than this and should be setting an example to children.

The characters in the film are very racist towards Indians. This is shown through the language used towards the Indian shopkeeper such as swearing and foul language. An example is when they call him a "Paki cunt". This indicates that they are rude, spiteful and crude. The men also speak with a Cockney accent which connotes their social class; working class.

Racism is also shown towards the Indian shopkeeper when the group of men become very aggressive and violent towards him. One of the men use a sword type of weapon to scare the shopkeeper. This is so that the White man feels in charge and has a dominant position over the Indian man. All of the characters threaten the shopkeeper to make him feel intimidated. The group shows another sign of anti-social behaviour when they steal a large number of things from the shop before leaving.

Taste of Honey:

This film is set in a dark and depressing location; a graveyard. At the time when the film was set/made, white women were not allowed to get pregnant and mix with other races. This was not common and accepted by society aswell as families as it was frowned upon. However, the woman in this film finds herself in this position as she is pregnant with a coloured baby.

It is clear that she is poor, and not confident with herself. Her Dad is Irish and refers to him as being "daft" which means stupid and therefore is putting him down and does not think much of him.