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Abstract

This dissertation explores the key theme of social injustice in the social realist films of British cinema and seek to understand how, if at all, social realism can find a place in the education system. An interrogation into the nature of social realism through the use of two key texts, The Wind That Shakes the Barley (dir. Loach, 2006) and This is England (dir. Meadows, 2006), with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of how film is used to fight contemporary social injustices and how they can be used in a pedagogical manner. Textual analysis alongside a myriad of secondary sources were used to deconstruct the genre resulting in an insight into the cruciality of tradition in social realism, the need for solidarity within social realist filmmaking, and the role of equal representation when it comes to critiquing social injustices. Using key secondary sources provided historical contexts that would otherwise be unknown through textual analysis alone. The results achieved indicate that only through the harmony of tradition and innovation to critique past and contemporary social injustices can real change occur. Furthermore, this unification allows for such films to potentially be implemented successfully into a pedagogical model which enhances the teaching of cultural differences and social injustices which would otherwise be unheard of in Britain however, deeper research needs to be done to understand if these films would have a significant impact in the long-term in an educational setting.

Course: Film Industries - BA - C2651S

Date Deposited: 2022-08-10

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis13978.html