Similarities Between Harry Brown And Trainspotting

Being released just a mere three years apart, both Harry Brown (Dir. by Daniel Barber, 2009) and Ill Manors (Dir. by Ben Drew, 2012) provide a thought provoking insight to twenty-first century Britain. Such ‘crime action dramas’ have long been a part of British film culture, from Hitchcock’s 1929 picture Blackmail to 1996’s Trainspotting (Dir. by Danny Boyle), they all aim portray the lives of those ‘living with crime’ as well as their inevitable consequences. The two aforementioned contemporary social-realist films do the same. They both highlight themes of youth crime, drugs, violence, as well as sociopolitical debate - and both do so in their less than five minute openings.

Although the two films showcase differing storytelling techniques, one of the most prominent similarities is the filmmaker’s quick establishment of the location wherein the stories take place. In Ill Manors, there is a repetitive use of time lapses showcasing a long shot view of London. The use of this technique showcases not only the fast paced nature of the city, but the ‘blandness’ and repetitive nature of it too - this connotes the idea that this ‘bland’ lifestyle is what triggers
In the opening sequence to Ill Manors, montage and continuity editing are both used to interlace the time lapse scenes and the stop motion footage showcasing the ‘hierarchy’ within drug culture - showcasing scenes both of its dealers and the users. In doing so, it communicates the ‘connectedness’ of the different ‘ranks’ in the said hierarchy - the ‘toy camera’ effect used in the scenes shot outside also help in resonating the message of people’s lives revolving and being controlled by drugs. The stop motion effect also connotes the effects of drug use. Throughout the sequence, a non-diegetic soundtrack featuring a direct address to the viewer is used - the score is also used to directly ‘narrate’ the images on