Living With Crime

What social scenarios are explored within each film?
'London to Brighton' - Kelly and Joanne are at first complete strangers to each other, but after going through so much trauma together, end up so close that they are much like siblings. It shows what 24 hours with someone you never met before can do.
'Sweet Sixteen' - the partnership between Liam and Pinball is what keeps these close friends together when selling drugs. When Liam joins the new gang, however, a strain is put on their friendship, which Pinball deals with by creating disastrous results.
'Bullet Boy' - Again, a strong friendship is clearly displayed between Rikki and Wisdom, but they as well clash over their differences. Wisdom often wants to deal with his problems with violent affairs, while Rikki can see because of his time in jail, violence is often not needed and often attempts to get him out of it. Wisdom causes trouble with a rival gang after shooting a gang member's dog, which comes back to haunt both Wisdom and Rikki.

How is crime portrayed in each film?
In 'Bullet Boy' Rikki's home town of Hackney, North-East London, is represented a city where crime is just around the corner, as the almost street brawl between Wisdom and the enemy gang members show. The smallest accident, like breaking the car-wing mirror, can result in violence if words are not chosen carefully. After his time in prison, Rikki knows that a brawl would result with him back in prison and therefore is smart enough to get himself and Wisdom out of it. 'London to Brighton', however, has crime as the driving force throughout the entire film, with Kelly and Joanne running away from crime from the start of the film. It seems that crime is the only way to gain money (Kelly's prostitution) and the result at the end of the film is only more crime and the effects it leaves on people. 'Sweet Sixteen' also displays crime as the only motive for gaining money (Liam's entrance into drug dealing) but his intentions are good (to raise money for the 'dream' caravan and to make his mother happy). However, it means that he has to do the dirty and dangerous dealing that come with selling drugs, much like Kelly in 'London to Brighton' with her prostitution, as her intentions are also good (raising the train fare for safety).

In what ways are people deprived in each film?
Rikki in 'Bullet Boy' has his chances of finding employment cut down heavily after gaining a criminal record. His restraining order also limits him to speaking and showing what is on his mind, for example, at the brawl of the start of the film, he has to get himself and Wisdom out of it because of what it could lead to - For all we know, he may have wanted to tell the enemy gang members how he felt with his fists. In 'Sweet Sixteen' teenager seems to only connect with his mother, who is in prison because of Liam's abusive stepfarther Stan's drug dealing. He is deprived here because he is not able to see his mother that much and has to deal with the anger from his stepfarther and earn money for himself, and not in the most convenient way (selling contraband cigarettes in local pubs). Much like Liam, Joanne of 'London to Brighton' also deals without the care of her mother and farther as she had ran away from her home. However, I feel that because of her young age, she also deprived of an understanding to what really circles around the events in the film.

What opportunities are available to the main characters in each of the films?
For each of the characters (Liam, Rikki and Kelly) I would say not a lot, if any, opportunities are available for them. This is because in each film, there is little, if any, mention of education. In 'Sweet Sixteen' Liam is 15-years-old - at this age you would expect him to be in school. However, when his mother asks him about it, he simple laughs and ignores the subject. Rikki's ('Bullet Boy') time in prison would have cut him off from education opportunities and Joanne ('London to Brighton') is in the same position because of running away from home.

How are criminals portrayed within each film?
Stuart Allen ('London to Brighton') appears as the upper-class, in charge of everything overall threatening criminal(dressed in white suit accompanied by henchmen, sat in a strip club answering a call). He puts fear into Derek by slashing his leg open as a 'taste' of whats to come, and Derek constantly tells Kelly of how much trouble he is in. 'Sweet Sixteen' and 'Bullet Boy' portray criminals as a team effort, but in 'Sweet Sixteen' new members must undergo a test to show that they have the guts to take part (Liam being asked to stab the man in the club). 'Bullet Boy' shows the unease that can be felt when surrounded by an enemy gang when alone (Rikki standing at the train station at the end of the film).

Can the protagonists escape from the situation they are in?
'Bullet Boy's protagonist, Rikki, is released from prison but with a probation order, and cannot get heavily involved in violent situations, as the early scene with Wisdom shows. His criminal record also slices his employment opportunities, so it is as if he is 'boxed in' from the actions that take place around him. Joanne and Kelly, at the end of 'London to Brighton' although they are safe from the previous night's events and be relieved that its all over, have to live with the guilt that they were the reason behind Stuart murdering Derek and Chum. in 'Sweet Sixteen' Liam emotional scars those close to him - his friend Pinball feel betrayed by him being sucked into the new gang and his mother cannot bare the thought of his earning from drug dealing getting them a new apartment. He also has to live with guilt.

What punishments do characters receive for their crimes in each of the films?
Joanne - For stabbing and leaving his farther to die, Stuart makes her pull the trigger on Derek, which will leave her emotionally scared for the rest of her life.
Liam - After spending more time with his new gang, Pinball becomes angered and sets Liam's dream caravan on fire, leaving it to burn to the ground. As an act of self-punishment, he also cuts his face right in front of Liam. Liam's mother, upset by how Liam has earned money, runs away to Liam's abusive stepfarther.
Rikki - Because of his younger brother, Curtis, finding and injuring a friend with the gun Wisdom gave him, Rikki is asked to leave home by his mother. However, it is ultimately Wisdom's crime of attempted murder that gets Rikki into trouble. At the train station, Rikki is shot dead by the gang member Godfrey, who Wisdom almost has a brawl with at the start of the film.

How is violence portrayed within each of the films?
'Bullet Boy' portrays violence as something anyone can easily walk into, even for the most minor accident. After seeing the brawl that could have taken place if Rikki didn't pull Wisdom back, I find it is easy to see how Rikki ended up in prison in the first place - violence, if not careful, can be found just around the corner.
'London to Brighton' and 'Sweet Sixteen' however, show how violence can occur for the business that the characters are in. for Liam, this involves the dangers that drug dealing can have (where he is beaten for his gear, but gets up again multiple times) and 'London to Brighton' keeps a reminder of violence throughout the film - Kelly's bruised, swollen face.

What social restrictions are evident in each of these films?
in 'London to Brighton' Joanne is found begging outside Waterloo station. When Kelly approaches her, at first she is instantly questioning and just wants her to leave. This indicates that because of not being at home and going to school, Joanne does not get the opportunity to meet and socialise with many people and her life on the streets forces to be rude. 'Bullet Boy' and 'Sweet Sixteen's protagonists, Liam and Rikki, are both shows to have social skills as they both have close peers (Pinball and Wisdom respectively) but they also show that the simplest misunderstanding, if not handled correctly, can make a long-lasting, incorrect impression.

How can the films be said to reflect aspects of contemporary society?
Firstly, I would like to draw attention to a scene in 'Sweet Sixteen' in particular. The scene where Liam is beaten by a rival gang because of selling drugs. The gang then take the drugs for themselves and Liam attempts to get them back several times, and with each attempt comes another beating. In life, the drug trade can often be a dangerous one and if cards are played incorrectly, beatings can happen. However, the realism of society reflected in this scene, I feel, is the simple act of bullying. The rival gang are obviously unhappy about his involvement in drug dealing and what he has to sell so, as an act of jealously, they steal his gear, beating him down to the ground in the process.
Next, I will look at the situation Joanne is put in in 'London to Brighton'. Joanne reveals that she has run away from home, at the young age of 12. Sadly, Joanne is representing an extremely realistic scenario in society. She tells Kelly that she ran away from home because she had 'nothing' for her there. Unfortunately, there are many children in Britain like Joanne who do the same thing because of the same reason, so society is well reflected in this aspect. The same applies for Kelly and her prostitution services. the seedy men she serves can be found all over the country, and so can prostitutes.
Finally, I will look at aspects of 'Bullet Boy' that are easily reflected in society. When finding the gun that his older brother had hidden, Curtis gives off a strong impression that he will follow in the footsteps of his older brother - footsteps that Rikki is desperate to erase. The comparison to society here is not necessarily related to crime, but the actions that younger siblings can imitate. The fear here is that if an older sibling makes a mistake, the younger sibling can repeat it and the actions of this mistake, no matter how serious it can be, will also be repeated. For Rikki and Curtis, this is ultimately a prison sentence, a restraining order, employment becoming harder to find and the emotional strain on the family.

What links can be made between the social situation of the films and the society in which we live?
'Bullet Boy' - Because of his probation order and criminal record, Rikki will now find it harder to seek employment, as his brother points out. Interviewers may find think that it will be harder to talk to him, which would be bad for a customer-friendly environment. His record makes him a figure to be intimidated by. On application forms, a company will often ask about if a person has a criminal record and for details about it, which means that regretful words will have to be written down on the paper: there is no way around it. Because of this, it is no surprise that Rikki begins to get upset when Curtis mentions it: he too will have a regretful stain on his application forms that he wishes wasn't there.
'Sweet Sixteen' - When Liam is initiated into the new drug-running gang and gains a new apartment, Pinball, his best friend, feels betrayed. He and Liam had been previously selling contraband cigarettes and entered the drug trade together, so he feels that when Liam begins selling as part of the gang, he feels he has been left behind. as an act of self-punishment, Pinball cuts his own face with the knife Liam had been given when joining the gang. the link to society here is the effect on drugs, but not taking them, still has on those close to you. When drugs are taken, there are bound to be family members and/or friends that become upset, but in this film, no one is seen taking them. The effects are still powerful though, with Pinball slashing his face and Liam's mother, Jean, running away after a 'welcome home' party. This goes to show that you don't have to take drugs to upset someone: it's just mentioning them or getting involved with them that can be harmful, and this links in well to society.
'London to Brighton' - Kelly is a prostitute, servicing anyone she can for money. No record of a previous education or employment is mentioned and she is in disgust with herself about what she does for a living. She feels as if there is nothing else for her, but her commitment and willingness to get Joanne to safety is strong. I think that this shows that her disgust for herself really could be unnecessary and this is the link to society. People often feel like there is nothing better they can do with their lives and pick the job at the bottom of the pile (for Kelly, this is prostitution) and because they feel there is nowhere else they belong. A lot of the time, there is the clear light that they really could be doing something better if they just put the effort in. Kelly shows this effort when protecting Joanne and getting her to safety, but sadly, she seems unaware of it, and so do many people who end up on the lowest step of the ladder.