2. W h a t is s o c ia l r e a lis m ?
S o c ia l R e a lis m is a g e n r e t h a t is b a s e d o n a r e a lis t ic le v e l, s e e in g
w o r k i n g d a y a c t i v i t y h e r o i c . S o c i a l R e a l i s m c a n c o n v e y p e o p l e ’s s i t u a t i o n
a n d e v e n t s t h a t h a v e t a k e n p l a c e i n t h e 2 1 s t c e n t u r y , t r a n s l a t i n g p e o p l e ’s
e m o t io n a l f e e lin g t o w a r d s c e r t a in is s u e s o r e v e n t s . B r it a in is t a k in g o n a
m a j o r r o le in S o c ia l R e a lis m c h a n g in g t h e c in e m a , r e a lis m s e e n a s a “ g if t ”
t o t h e c i n e m a . T h i s h a s c r e a t e d a l o n g s t a n d i n g r i v a l r y w i t h H o ll y w o o d ,
c a llin g t h e f ilm m a k in g “ t in s e l” f a r f e t c h e d a n d f a k e .
3. T e c h n ic a l c o d e s .
T e c h n ic a l c o d e s u s e d o n a S o c ia l R e a lis m f ilm a r e n a t u r a l r e a lis t ic
lig h t in g a n d h a n d h e ld c a m e r a s h o t s , t h is is im p o r t a n t it m a k in g a r e a lis m
f ilm a s t h is m a k e s it m o r e r e a lis t ic a n d a d o c u m e n t a r y e x p e r ie n c e f o r
t h e a u d ie n c e . I n f ilm s s u c h a s “ T h e F is h T a n k ” r e a lis m f ilm s t e n d t o s h o w
p e o p le f r o m a le s s f o r t u n a t e b a c k g r o u n d t h is is p o r t r a y e d t h r o u g h v is u a l
c o d e s lik e t h e e n v ir o n m e n t it is f ilm e d o r w h e r e t h e c h a r a c t e r s liv e .
C o d e s a n d c o n v e n t io n s o f t h is g e n r e t y p ic a lly in v o lv e s u c h is s u e s lik e
st
s t r e e t v io le n c e , c r im e , d r u g u s e . R e f le c t in g 2 1 c e n t u r y liv e s s h o w in g h o w
t h e s e is s u e s a r e e a s y t o c o m e a c r o s s a n d a f f e c t t h e liv e s o f m a n y p e o p le .
A s t h e f ilm s a r e m a d e o n a lo w b u d g e t m o s t ly f ilm e d a ll h a n d h e ld t h is
g iv e s n o s p a c e f o r s u c h t e c h n o lo g y lik e s p e c ia l e f f e c t .
4. M IC R O F E A T U R E S
M ic r o b e in g t h e s m a lle r d e t a il a n d M a c r o a r e t h e b ig g e r f e a t u r e s t h a t s h a p e t h e f ilm , b o t h a r e e q u a lly
im p o r t a n t t o o n e a n o t h e r . T e c h n ic a l c o d e s u s e d o n a S o c ia l R e a lis m f ilm s t h a t a r e m ic r o , c o n s is t s o f t h e
n a t u r a l r e a lis t ic lig h t in g t h is is im p o r t a n t in m a k in g a r e a lis m film . T h e lig h t in g c a n s h a p e t h e m o o d , o n t h e
d a r k e r a n d s in is t e r s c e n e s t h e r e a p p e a r s t o b e v e r y lit t le lig h t u s e d , t h is in d ic a t e s to t h e a u d ie n c e t h a t
e v e n t n e e d s to b e h id d e n a w a y a n d d is g u is e d t e llin g u s t h a t it m a y b e a n u n h a p p y o n e . H o w e v e r t h e
s c e n e w it h m o r e lig h t a r e o n e s t h a t a r e c le a r e r to t h e a u d ie n c e p e r h a p s s h o w t h e f ilm o n a m o r e h a p p ie r
lig h t , o r a n im p o r t a n t p a r t o f t h e f ilm t h a t t h e a u d ie n c e n e e d s to b e c le a r o f . I n f ilm s s u c h a s “ F is h T a n k a n d
B u lle t B o y ” r e a lis m f ilm s te n d t o s h o w p e o p le f r o m a le s s f o r t u n a t e b a c k g r o u n d t h is is p o r t r a y e d t h r o u g h
v is u a l c o d e s lik e t h e e n v ir o n m e n t it is film e d . T h is is c a lle d m is e e n s c e n e t h is is c h a r a c te r is e d b y t h e
s e t t in g , p r o p s , m a k e u p a n d c o s t u m e a n d fa c ia l e x p r e s s io n s .
T h e c h a r a c t e r s w e a r n o r m a l c lo t h in g w h ic h s o m e y o u n g t e e n a g e r s m a y a p p e a r t o w e a r ,
s t r a i g h t a w a y y o u c a n r e l a t e t o t h e c h a r a c t e r s v i s u a l l y . T h e c l o t h i n g c a n a l s o h e lp a u d i e n c e
p e r h a p s u n d e r s t a n d t h e ir b a c k g r o u n d s a n d p o r t r a y t h e c h a r a c t e r s f e e lin g s . T h e m a in
c h a r a c t e r i s w e a r i n g c l o t h e s o f v e r y d u l l c o l o u r s . T h i s t e l ls m e t h a t h e r f e e l i n g m a y b e v e r y
d o w n o r a n g r y n o c o lo u r b e in g e x p r e s s e d .
5. T h is is a g o o d s c e n e fro m th e film “ F is h T a n k ” to s h o w th e e ffe c t o f th e c a m e ra p o s itio n , b o d y
la n g u a g e a n d fa c ia l e x p re s s io n s o n th e s c e n e . T h e c a m e ra p o s itio n is a m e d iu m s h o t; th is is a
g o o d s h o t to s e e c le a rly w h a t th e c h a ra c te rs m o v e m e n ts a re a n d s h o w s m o re d e ta il in th e s c e n e .
In th is c irc u m s ta n c e th e s h o t s h o w s th e b o d y la n g u a g e a p p e a rs s tra in e d , th e d is ta n c e b e tw e e n
th e m s h o w s th a t th e re la tio n s h ip is n ’t a c lo s e o n e . T h e m a n is le a n in g in a p p e a rin g th a t h e w a n ts
to s h o w a ffe c tio n a n d g e t c lo s e r to h e r. H o w e v e r s h e is b e in g v e ry d is m is s iv e , h e r p o stu re a p p e a rs
s tra in e d a n d u n c o m fo rta b le , th is c o u ld s h o w th a t s h e is w e a ry o f h im a n d h a s n ’t b u ilt a
tru s tw o rth y re la tio n s h ip . T h e fa c ia l e x p re s s io n s a ls o c o n tra s t w ith o n e a n o th e r; h e a p p e a rs to b e
s m ilin g g iv in g o ff a s o fte r m o re frie n d ly a p p e a l. J u s t lik e w ith th e b o d y la n g u a g e h e r fa c ia l
e x p re s s io n s a p p e a r u n frie n d ly ; w e a ry o f h im th is m a k e s m e th in k th a t s h e is a u n frie n d ly a n d c o ld
c h a ra c te r.
6. F o r m o st so cia l re a lism film s th e lo ca tio n is se t in p la ce s th a t a re fa m ilia r to th e n o rm a l d a y
p e rso n th e lo ca tio n s te n d to co n sist o f a m o re lo w e r cla ss b a ckg ro u n d . T h is o p e n s u p th e
m in d o f p e o p le liv e s th a t co m e fro m a le ss fo rtu n a te b a ckg ro u n d a n d w h a t e v e n ts g o o n , th is
m a ke s a u d ie n ce s fe e l th a t th e ch a ra cte rs a re n o rm a l m a kin g th e m e a sie r to re la te to . In
“B u lle t B o y” so m e sce n e s lik e th e o n e a b o ve th e e n viro n m e n t a p p e a rs v e ry d u ll, th e co lo u rs
a re ve ry little co lo u r, it a p p e a rs life le ss w h ich is p o rtra y e d o n th e b o y s fa ce .
7. T h e r e a r e d if f e r e n t r a n g e s o f s o u n d s t h a t a r e u s e d in a n y f ilm , it is
im p o rt a n t t o h a v e s o u n d a s t h e y c a n s e t th e s c e n e o r in t r o d u c e p r o p s .
T h e r e a r e t w o d if f e r e n t t y p e s o f s o u n d s t h a t a r e u s e d n o n d ia g e t ic a n d
d ia g e t ic . N o n d ia g e t ic s o u n d s m a y b e c o n s is t o f s o u n d s t h a t a r e u s e d
o v e r t h e d ia lo g u e ; in r e a lis m f ilm s t h e s o u n d s a r e f a m ilia r a n d w e ll
h e a r d t o t h e a u d ie n c e s . A g o o d e x a m p le o f n o n d ia g e t ic s o u n d u s e d in
r e a lis m f ilm is in “ B u lle t B o y ” w h e n t h e c a r is s p e e d in g , t h is is a s o u n d
t h a t m o s t o f t h e a u d ie n c e w o u ld b e a b le t o r e c o g n iz e it c o u ld s h o w
t r o u b le o r c h a o s in t h e c h a r a c t e r s liv e s . H o w e v e r w h e n t h e c h a r a c t e r s
a r e s p e a k in g in a n o u t d o o r e n v ir o n m e n t , t h e s o u n d s a r e m o r e n a t u r e
b a s e lik e t h e s o u n d o f b ir d s t h is c o u ld r e p r e s e n t a c a lm e r s id e . D ia g e t ic
s o u n d s is t h e d ia lo g u e t h e c h a r a c t e r s s p e a k t h is in c lu d e s t h e a c c e n t , t h e
a c c e n t h e lp s a u d ie n c e s u n d e r s t a n d t h e ir b a c k g r o u n d a n d w h e r e t h e y a r e
s it u a t e d . T h e w a y s t h e c h a r a c t e r s s p e a k a ls o d e t e r m in e t h e ir c la s s , o r
t h e i r a t t it u d e s . I n t h e f i l m “ F i s h T a n k ” t h e y s p e a k w i t h a n E s s e x a c c e n t ,
t h e y s p e a k in s la n g a n d s w e a r o c c a s io n a lly t h is c o u ld t r a n s la t e t h a t t h e y
c o m e f r o m r o u g h e r s id e o f E s s e x .
