Social realism became an important art movement during the Great Depression in the United States in the 1930s. Every nation’s cinema has their own content within the Social Realism genre however, Britian specifically are renound for some of their memorable, hard-hitting films in this genre.
There are many directors who specialise in the Social Realism genre these including, Ken Loach best known for- Kes(1969) I, Daniel Blake(2016), Mike Leigh- Life Is Sweet(1990), Roy Boulting- The Family Way(1966).The writers and filmmakers of this genre aim to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structures behind these conditions; there are many screenwriters who have perfected this outlook including Barry Hines, Paul Laverty, Bill Naughton, etc. Some of the production companies that were involved in many Social Realism films are Woodfall Film Productions, Film4 Productions, Boulting Brothers, Why Not Productions and BBC Film.
The visual style of the film is key when associating it with the genre. The conventions of a Social Realism films typically are identified with black and white, or monochrome, cinematography. This colour scheme relates the genre back to the Realism style of paintings that depicts the actuality of what the eyes can see, was an immensely popular art form in France around the mid- to late-19th century. Art cinema is crucial to the analysis of the history and aesthetics of British social realist filmmaking. It is a concept that provides us with a framework to understand how social realist films oppose the mainstream forms of cinematic address, both in terms of form and style and within the context of wider institutional factors such as reception, production and distribution. By evoking the convention alongside social realism, we are able to seek the origin of the creative forces that shape the delivery of a filmic text, in addition to developing an understanding of the world and/or the issues that it depicts.
Social realism is a genre of film that focuses on topical issues alive in a modern society, which is represented by different ideologies. Themes such as money, drugs, prostitution and sex are quite usual in modern contemporary social realism films as well as class, religion and political views. Common themes of social realism include: Social injustice. Racial injustice. Economic hardship. The main characteristics of Social Realism adhere to reality, avoid romantic embellishments, and create candid portraits that expose human flaws. Social realism is a genre of film that focuses on topical issues alive in a modern society, which is represented by different ideologies. Social realism is the genre of ‘The doppelganger’, intensive research was done in order to create a better understanding for what social realism means and offers to a short film. Many codes and conventions of short film are closely analysed.
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