INTRODUCTION
Kidulthood tells the story of a turbulent 48 hours in the life of a group of fifteen-year-olds living in West London. Filmmaker Menhaj Huda and his youthful cast set out to show what life was really like for young people growing up today and the problems and issues they face. The film was shot in the UK in just four and a half weeks on a minimal budget but incorporates all the action and suspense of a big Hollywood production.
BEFORE YOU VIEW THE FILM:
■ Look at the poster image. How does this confirm or contradict your expectations of Kidultood?
The image is very dark which would suggest that the characters are maybe feel depressed or unhappy, this would tell the audience that the film is unsuitable for some people.
■ Why do you think the title ‘Kidulthood’ was chosen? Think about all the different parts of the word - what associations does it have and what impression does it give of what you are about to see?
I think the title links with the setting, the film is set in a school playground which would make alot of people think about 'kids' although 'kids' shouldn't have to go through what is shown in the movie.
SETTING THE TONE
In the early stages of a film we, as an audience, are watching intently for indications of character and genre and clues as to where the narrative will lead. It is important for the filmmaker to use this time to set the tone of the film so that we can build certain expectations of what will follow. By creating a mood or atmosphere the filmmaker can engage us fully in the narrative on an emotional level. The opening sequence of Kidulthood makes it clear right from the start that the action is set in a world where tension and aggression are part of everyday life. We are prepared for the conflict to come and eager to see how it will be resolved.
■ The action is set in a school playground. How does this contradict traditional associations of the playground and what effect does this have?
The thought of a playground would suggest kids having fun and a happy place, which is ironic as the film isn't fun or happy.
■ How is tension and/or aggression conveyed through the body language and facial expression of each group of characters?
Tension was shown in the eyes of every character, this would lead to the audience wanting to see more.
■ Is it easy to identify the ‘outsiders’? If so, how?
You could identify the outsiders by their body language, they often lowered their head and slouched, this would also show levels so the 'insiders' would look more important characters would look stronger.
■ How does the filmmaker build tension into the story of Sam and Claire at this point?
The film makers have switched between scenes of the characcters showing the strength they have over weaker characters and you can see that it's the start of something.
■ What words would you use to describe the images of Trife we see in the opening
sequence of the film? How do they support what is going on around him? How do they contrast with them? What do you assume he is doing?
The images are dark and could be seen as depressing which would show that Trife isn't a happy character and would corse some upset through the film.
REPRESENTATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE
Representing young people in film can be problematic, not least because filmmakers are invariably almost a generation away from the age they are trying to represent. In an attempt to avoid misrepresentation, the characters in Kidulthood are played by young actors who were encouraged to improvise, particularly with regard to language, as filming progressed. Kidulthood aims to give an accurate representation of what young people are really like. Filmmaker Menhaj Huda said that between finishing production and awaiting distribution he was constantly aware of incidents and issues reported in the news that directly paralleled those in the film.
The film has been a success with young audiences who reported in test screenings that they felt that they ‘knew’ the characters in real life and could identify with the way in which they looked, spoke and behaved.
■ What are the main stories in the film? Are these representative of the majority of young people?
The film shows young people how they're portrayed in the media and how the majority of elders see us, although i think the film exaggerated even that!
■ What kinds of activities do we see the ‘kids’ doing throughout the day?
The kids don't involve their selves in a lot of activities, they hang out most of the time around school and parties.
■ How do you feel about the language used in the film? Is it an accurate representation of how young people speak?
Although young people use alot of slang the majority of young people do not speak like the characters in this movie, some rougher parts of UK do use alot of the same language as the characters.
■ How do we feel about the incident where Trife is accused of stealing the Burberry cap? How does the filmmaker influence our thoughts by the way in which it is presented?
I felt sorry for the character Trife as i felt he was judged badly by the security guard, he could have avoided this stereotypical judge if he wasn't dressed like that.
■ How are the adults in the film represented? Who is seen in a) a positive light
b) a negative light? How is this shown as influencing or impacting on the actions of the teenagers?
■ How do you feel about the way in which young people are represented by the media in a) film b) print media?
I feel young people are represented badly in the media which brings on all the stereotypes about teenagers. Although the minority of young people are like the fictional stereotypes the majority aren't. The media focus on the minority as the papers will sell more with these stories but this ends badly for young people and the elderly end up being afraid of 'gangs'.
■ What do you think the reaction of someone aged 50+ might be to the film? What would you say to them?
Someone aged 50+ would not enjoy this film as this is the way the majority of the eldery do see young people.
■ Do you think the film raises issues of gender or race?
After seeing this film i can see that racism is still around more than it should be, i feel people judge others on there race and gender. In this film the woman are treated better by the public than men are, for example when the boys were waiting for the texi no-one would stop and in the end they had to jump a taxi with the help of a girl.
The adults don't seem to understand what the young people have to go through everyday which makes he hard for the younger characters.
