Post - colonialism

Films:

- Kidulthood 
- Adulthood 
- Bullet Boy
- Anuva Hood 
- Attack the block 
- Rollin' with the nines 
- Sket 
- Shank 
- Ill manors 

TV Programs: 

- Top Boy 
- 55 degrees North 
- Line of duty
- Luther 
- The Real McCoy 

Online - only productions:

- Brothers with no game 
- Venus vs Mars 
- The Ryan Sisters 
- All about the McKenzies 
- Meet the Adebanjos  


To what extent can we apply Alvarado's and Fanon's theories to these films? 

Do they reinforce or subvert typical black stereotypes in British film and TV?

Gone too far 

410 words

Straight away when the trailer to the film Gone too far starts, we hear African music playing and the main character of the film is seen dancing. This goes with one of the relationships that Alvarado has come up with, exotic. This is when traits of music, modelling, and food is associated with non – white males. The Frantz Fanon theory of Primitize can also be applied as he says, “with a natural sense of rhythm”. As we see the boy dancing and the song playing it shows a natural sense of rhythm and as he is dancing to African music, further enforces this point. As the trailer further progresses we see the Alvarado representation of ‘pitied’ , as the main character says to his mother, “ we need a bigger place.” And she replies with, “Am I the queen of England?” from this we as an audience get the feeling that they cannot afford a place that is big enough for all of them to live in.

Then we come to the Frantz Fanons main theory or saying of “Putting on the white mask”. This is seen when Yemis brother is talking to the two girls, and she says, “Move man, we don’t talk to people that don’t speak English.” This could almost show that she is ashamed of her ethnic background and wants to be a white British person, thus putting on the white mask, hiding her ethnic background as she tries to fit in with the white community.

Finally, in the scene were Yemi is talking to the female character a football is kicked at his head, as one of the boys shouts, “Yo Yemi, stay away from my girl bruv.” The boys that are seen when this shot is filmed, shows them wearing snapbacks, tracksuits (low bottoms), side bags, and one boy in the background can also be seen filming what is happening, this fits in to the dangerous representation from Alvarado, as this type of clothing and behaviour can be related to gang culture.

Overall the film can be seen portraying a number of the theories and stereotypes that both Alvarado and Frantz Fanon have come up with. They both reinforce and subvert the stereotypes that have been set against black males in British films, as in the film we see some gang culture, however the main character subverts the traits that are usually associated with black males in British films and TV.