The document analyzes the 2009 film Harry Brown. It describes Harry Brown as a frail, lonely, isolated man living a dull lifestyle in London. The film uses elements of social realism and the crime and revenge genres. It examines Harry Brown's transformation from a victim to a vigilante seeking revenge after his best friend is murdered. The document analyzes aspects of the film like characters, themes, narrative techniques, and how it portrays youth crime to potentially exploit moral panics around criminal youth.

1. Harry Brown Analysis
February 27, 2014
caring
selfless
hides away
frail
lonely
house proud
Questions:
1. List the codes and conventions of a
crime film.
2. What adjectives could you use to
describe Noel?
fearful
morals
routine
isolated
dull lifestyle
3. What possible audience responses
could there be?
nothing to lose
Bloodbath
Vigilante
jus/ce
Counter
cultural
pleasure
REVENGE
GENRE
SOCIAL
REALISM
Contemporary
situa/on
Everyday
characters
Urban
drama
Struggle
to
survive

2. Harry Brown Analysis
ge
What
are
audience
expecta/ons
of
the
revenge
film?
m
fil
so
ci
al
re
al
is
m
re
n
ve
February 27, 2014
Application?
How
do
these
elements
of
Filming
Style
contribute
to
Social
Realism?
Which
of
these
are
the
following
classic
elements
of
the
Crime
genre
that
feature
in
Harry
Brown?
Murder,
Widower,
Council
Estate,
Drug
Dealer,
Police
Raid,
Hospital,
Sword,
Inves/ga/on,
Drug
Overdose,
Ex
Soldier,
Pub,
London,
England,
Gun
Crime,
Stab
Wound,
Shoo/ng,
Mugger,
Gang,
Interroga/on,
Youth
Crime,
Chess,
Police
Pensioner,
Mobile
Phone,
Vigilante,
Riot,
Arrest,
Revenge,
Molotov
Cocktail,
Funeral,
Gun,
Character
Name
In
Title.
Hand
held
camera
Ligh;ng
Se<ngs
Famous
actor
Key words:
naturalis*c
ligh*ng
immerse
Aylesbury
Estate

3. Harry Brown Analysis
February 27, 2014
ANALYSIS
OF
THE
OPENING
SEQUENCE
SOUND
MISE-EN-SCÈNE
CAMERA/EDITING
How does the sequence communicate
messages/values?
P
1
2
3
who?
how?
E
why?
4
E
Representa)on
5

4. Harry Brown Analysis
February 27, 2014
BINARY OPPOSITES
The narrative is driven by opposing forces clashing
with each other.
Lack of.....
morals
hope
money
things to do
Lies
role models
respect
Police
Truth
Evil
!
N
IO
CT
A
DE
CO
I know what will
happen next
I
EN
?
DE
CO
A
GM
Questions in the
narrative
Old age
Youth
Good
Criminal
Fear
Security

5. Harry Brown Analysis
A Moral Panic is something identified by the media that
emerges to be a threat to society's values/ideologies.
Often stereotypes are used.
So one argument could be that...
Harry Brown is a pseudo social-realism film wanting to be
taken seriously. The depiction of the young out-of-control
criminals is absurdly over-the-top from the very
beginning. Harry states that the young thugs simply do
what they do for entertainment and the film is happy to
exploit and then continue to perpetrate this nasty
stereotype of the evil, predatory juvenile delinquency.
This is finger wagging at the youth of today at its most
extreme and reactionary. The young criminals are
represented as either obscenely arrogant, aggressive
sociopaths or pathetic, desperate junky scum. Harry
Brown is cinema for outraged talkback radio callers and
tabloid readers as it revels in blatant fear mongering.
February 27, 2014