3. Social Realism
Social realism is an international genre, it is a common genre in British film. The
genre focuses on real life issues in the world today but the story’s are fictional.
Themes such as prostitution, drugs, unemployment, money and sex are the key
features in social realism films.
Social realism goes way back to 1902 when a man called James Williamson produced a
movie called “A reservist before the war, and after the war”, the film showed
servicemen returning from war into unemployment, this was one of the first British
films to emphasise realisms value as a social protest.
The characters that star in social realism films are usually unknown actors this helps
give the film a realistic look, Moreover a lot of social realism films cannot afford well-
known actors as the film is likely to only have a small budget and well-known actors
are very expensive. A typical main character in a social realism film would usually be
working class or unemployed and facing real life struggles
As social realism film usually have a small budget they are usually shot in real life
locations such a run down estate or in a park etc. however this adds to the real life
look this film is trying to portray to the audience.
4. Codes and Conventions of social
realism films.
• Location filming not studio
• Wide shots
• Non professional actors
• Semi improvised scripts
• Humour and seriousness
• The erosion of regional identities
• Wider social issues explored via emotional and
dramatic individual stories
• Triumph over adversity
