Themes of British Social Realism.

Growing Up and Aspirations
To dow ith over coming what you had to deal with earlier on in your life. Maybe espcaping what you gre up with and making your life better. Making more of yourself, wanting and getting better than what you had or are used to.
Billy Elliot; As Billy grows up he realisess that boxing, which his dad wnts him to take part in, is not in his best interests, it is not what he wants to do so he starts to particiapte in ballet classes secretly as he knows his dad will be dissapointed.
The Firm; grwing up around people who are more popular and bigger than himself, the main character aspires to be one of them or like them. he wants to be known and noticed in the way that they are so changes his ways to become one of them

Race, Ethinicity and Cultural Tensions
This could occur within society or even within the family, like in east is east where George has different views tha the rest of his family. Could also be a clash between cultures.

Snatch; Different races and ethnic backgrounds all come togehter in this film, but all working in thier different ways and playing different parts.
Harry Brown; this works in the opposti to societys views of the elderly. Harry brown, an old man goes after the youngsters who killed his best friend, he breaks the stereotype that people percieve old men to be like and comes out on top.

Social Class
British social realism looks at the difference between under class and wokring class and all though they are both seen as the worse type of class, there is a big difference.

Full Monty; this shows a run down area and how this affects the people in it, they become unemplyed but they make the best out of a bad situation by makingthemselves into a group and earning money out of it.

Violence ( often with gangs)
Although it is usualy shown in gangs this can also be in the home, child abuse or domestic violence can occur in british social realism films. They also include violent language and threatening scences.

Bullet Boy; this is to do with gang violence. The main character comes out of prison and wants to get out of all the stuff that first got him in thier, this links in to aspirations aswell. He also brings his little brother into the bad stuff that he used to do.
Shifty; the violence in here is to dow ith gangs, but not big groups of them. The violence is mainly because of drugs and they tend to be running from police quite alot.

Sexuality
This is to do with hiding your sexuality as it is not accepted, like in my beautiful laundrette, as they cannot come out as gay as they would be shamed upon. It also includes people and younger people discovering sex and having thier first experiences with it. Also alot of illegal sexual things happen, like peodophilia, rape and under age sex, ahowing the realistic view of it. It can also show a person who lacks in sex life.

Gender Roles and Relationships
British social realism films show true realtionships, not through rose tinted glasses. They show the love and hate, they show broken relationships and the betrayel that can come with them. Absence and replacement is a big thing in these films, and it also looks at not just male and female relationships but any other type of relationship also.
Nil by Mouth; shows the good and the bad of thier relationship. We see the domestic violence that can go on behind closed doors. It also shows the decietful, cheating and uncaring view of the man in the relaitonship.

Addiction
this can with Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking. It can also be with violence or the constant need of love or affection that has been missed like Mia in Fish Tank. The party addiction, like what we see in 24 hour party people can also be shown in bristish social realism.

British Politics
This shows the poeple in these films to be against the politics thata re going on around them as they do not seem to benefit them selves or the area they live in and how it impacts on different people and people of different class.This can be seen in Four Lions.

Immigration
This links in to aspiration as they move here to get away from trouble in thier own countries and to get a good job and look after there family. British social realism shows them in a harsh light and the hardship that they face in england. they face many difficulties and the racism they get does not help and gives them no motivation.