This document provides a textual analysis of the 2006 film Kidulthood. It analyzes various cinematic techniques used to establish the film's genre. Specifically, it notes that the editing between slow motion and real time shots could represent drug use among teenage characters. It also discusses how props like a football, phones, and video games seen in early scenes help set the context of teenage urban drama. Musical choices and diegetic sounds also contribute to setting the tone and genre. Character names and lifestyles, like a character going by the nickname "Trife," further construct the codes and conventions of the urban genre through themes of gangs and illegal activity.

1. Kidulthood (2006) – Textual Analysis
The extract begins with a slow motion, close-up shot of a boy playing with a football then
the speed of the shot becomes real time, everything is now moving at a normal pace then
slows down again. This aspect of editing could possibly be linked with the drug taking
teenagers, some drugs make teenagers hyperactive whereas there are other drugs that
make them extremely drowsy and slow, hence the slow motion to real time effect in this
extract. Mise-en-scene contributes to the construction of the typical codes and conventions
of this genre. For example, the football being played with by students in the school
playground doesn’t immediately tells us what genre this movie holds, however we the
audience can assume that the movie will have teenage characters; this is how the
construction of movie genre starts.
We then cut to a mid shot of a female student on her phone, students handing out invitation
cards and a student playing a handheld console. All these props are mostly used by
teenagers, from all of this we can assume the movie’s genre is going to be based on urban
drama. The lighting within this extract is supplementary lighting because this scene was
filmed outside. Some teenagers, who are mainly the cause of urban drama in the urban
society spend most of their times outdoors. The diegetic and non-diegetic sounds used
throughout the extract helped construct the genre a little bit. For example the non-diegetic
sound, soundtrack, had a mysterious feel about it and also had a fast tempo. This is the type
of music some teenagers listen to. Also the diegetic sound let off by the handheld console
played by Moony helps construct the genre of this movie, because the majority of teenagers
play video games and would be familiar with the sound.
The genre codes and conventions are evident throughout the film via these factors;
characters, stylistic elements, storylines and themes. The characters play is one of the most
important genre codes and conventions of this film, the personality and life style of each
character is typical of the urban life. For example, we see Trife making something, us the
audience are not quite sure what it is, but we can assume it’s something dangerous due to
the fact that he doesn’t take the item with him but rather he hides it. Also in the urban
society people give their selves nicknames and preferred to be called by that rather than
their real names, i.e. Trife’s real name is Trevor but we established that he wishes to be
called Trife when he’s uncle says “This is my nephew Trevor” and Trife immediately responds
to that saying “Trife” implying that he should be referred to as ‘Trife’. Trife’s lifestyle was
based on fast money and gangster living, which can also be associated with the urban way of
living.