DEAN COSTELLOE
CENTRE NUMBER: 14715
CANDIDATE NUMBER: 9058
GENRE STUDY
SOCIAL REALISM
ORIGINS
Social Realism in terms of filmmaking traces back to ‘The Golden Age of Italian Cinema’ known as ‘Italian Neorealism’ where they made films of the hardship of the working-class. These films were set in Italy after World-War 2 and focused on the difficult conditions of the poor’s life struggling with poverty and injustice. Non-professional actors were of ten used but sometimes there would be use of well known actors for lead roles, this would be to attract audience to the film. Films were, more often than not, filmed on location of rural and run down areas.
Vittorio De Sica’s 'Shoeshine', a film from 1964 that is about two shoeshine boys that get in trouble with the police after trying to get the money for a horse.
BRITISH CINEMA
A lot of films in Britain stemmed from the World War where it represented the hardship in which people were going through after coming back from the war and being unemployed. Historian Roger Manvell said once cinemas were opened again the public were desperate to find relief from hard work and emotional troubles. Social realism films grew in style and were influenced by British Documentary tradition of the 1930s and became critically and commercially successful. Generally the middle-class would be the typical viewers of social realist films where as the working-class would prefer Hollywood films. This could be explained by the need to escape your own life when watching a film.
CATHY COME HOME
Whilst social realism in film was blowing up, there was also success in the documentary style series aired on TV. Cathy Come Home was aired on BBC on 16th November 1966. It was based around a couple, Cathy & Reg, who build their lives together but Reg suffers an injury and loses his job so the couple are forced out of their house and have to survive in poor conditions. The reception of this series was incredible, it sparked discussion in Parliament and in 2005, Broadcast named it UK’s Most Influential TV Programme of All Time.
CHARACTERS
We usually see a working-class hero for a protagonist who the audience can admire for the change he is trying to spark in his own life. We also commonly see a dysfunctional family in the home setting which might explain the protagonist's situation and give more back story. We often meet characters that are hostile to a lot of situations due to their situation. This can result in them acting in violent ways.
LOCATION & CINEMATOGROPHY
Large amount of close-ups used to show emotion and results in audience sympathising with characters.  There tends to be quite a lot of establishing shots, to show the living conditions of the characters. Often run down, estate areas. Tracking shots are also a big part of social realism films,it makes it clear who the audience should be paying attention to. Natural, dull, unforced lighting is often used as it gives the film a more realistic feeling as if the audience can see themselves present in the scene. Location is almost always in an urban area that is often run down with bad conditions. This shows the audience the protagonist’s struggle with daily life. These are often real places rather than artificial sets made in studios, this gives the film more of a real life feeling. Eg. Estates, parks.
