Fish tank represents the film genre of 'social realism' in many different ways, social realism is a text that represents real life in Britain, the narrative and characters and portrayed as everyday people and what they would say, usually from working class backgrounds. Typically social realism films are gritty, urban dramas about the struggle to survive the everyday grind. This type of film generally uses predominantly diegetic sound, hand held cameras and a narrow depth of field, with linear narrative. this medium reflects the concept that social realism films try to show. They try and use unknown actors/actresses to make the film feel more real compared to a mainstream, big budgeted film. These types of film also have a use of natural lighting at all times.
The themes that are generally seen in social realism films like fish tank are; prostitution, abortion, homosexuality, alienation, relationship issues, alcohol, drug use and domestic violence. They also have more explicit sex scenes in and become more sexualised.
Fish Tank; Brief Analysis;
The setting is shown immediately, we seen a run down council estate with flats and the typical sub-urban run down city look, this gives us the first insight to the idea of the film being a social realism genre, due to the harsh reality of where people are actually growing up, making the film more real to the viewers and in some cases relatable. During the first scene we see that all the sound is diegetic, this also suggests that the film is social realism as no non-diegetic music is added in to create an affect on the person who is watching it, the raw sound of the frame itself is enough for the viewers to understand the concept of the area and gain an insight to Mia's surrounding.
The camera itself also gives us a clue, we can tell that there is not a huge film crew being used by the use of constant tracking and panning shots, and also the slight camera shake, this made be placed on a tripod but the constant movement has slight areas where we see the frame become slightly off centred. As the first scene goes on we are introduced to the main characters, we see than non of these are well established, or even unknown people to the public, the use of these people allow the film itself to look and feel more real to the public, as if there were people who are always in the public eye and well known, the idea of 'social realism' would not be true, as it would not feel real and connectable. Within the first scene, the highlighted typical topics are established by poverty, violence, alcoholism and sexualised characters.
The mise en scene suggest a real place from the urban traffic noise that is all diegetic, the gritty downbeat content that is shown within the first scenes, the use of the natural lighting also suggests that this is a social realism film as all throughout no light is added in to make a room feel happier or run down with either high-key or low-key lighting, all lighting is kept natural to add to the aspect that this is what happens in real life to real families, so my keeping the lighting natural it in effect recreates scenes that can be seen all over Britain behind closed doors.
During a scene where Mia is dancing in a empty room alone with a CD player, we know the sound is diegetic and it has not been added in to make it sound better and clearer, we establish the diegetic sound as we see her press play, although this may not be a good enough indicator to suggest the diegetic sound is there by the tinny sound within the room, we also are able to hear echo's and dull sounds of the music from within the building where it was filmed, this suggests that it is apart of the film and not added in.
The language that is used in fish tank has accents which suggests the 'real' aspect of the film, as most actors/actresses have to put on a accent to suit a film role, here the employed actress/actor can speak without trying to create a voice. In this film we see that Mia, her Mum and little sister have a twang t there accents, form the ages that Mia and her little sister are, we are bale to understand that they are 'too young' to put on a voice, this also gives us the idea of social realism as everyone from certain areas over the county have specific accents that allows us to identify where they are form. The language that is used is also 'trashy talk', by the constant swearing and negative words used, no affection is used when is talking as we establish that throughout the scenes that the social issues begin to unfold as we learn that the children have picked up they're language and the way they speak to people from how there mother speaks to them.
The theory of 'The Gaze' is also presented in this film, as the film is all from Mia's point of view with a more female perspective (also from a woman director) this challenges Mulvey's theory of the male gaze as we see that she is the one staring at him, and the camera fragments his body, as we see that the camera is look at him through Mia's eyes and creates the idea of a female gaze, also it rejects the male ideology as Connor walks away.
Slow motion and heavy breathing are a reoccurring theme that happens in various parts if the film, the idea of the slow motion part is to draw the viewer in =to the idea of it being her fantasy of what she wants, the slow motions moves away from reality as she feels alienated within the place she is, so the slow motion allows us to get into her thoughts as see what she is thinking. also to show the idea of a fantasy , non-diegetic sound is put in, this also gives us a clue that we are being pulled away from realism and into Mia's fantasy world or thoughts.
The scene where Mia and Connor are involved in sexual intercourse is a key scene within the film, we hear Mia's heavy breathing again, but we soon realise by the diegetic sound and no slow motion involved that it is really happening, and is not another of Mia's fantasy's, even though it is over quickly, it is all done in real time and there is no romance there what so ever. As expected the curiosity from her little sister she sees this take place as they all live in tight conditions, and behaviour is learnt from each other, the social issues are recognised in a social realism way.
Through out the films Mia has a connection with animals, for example the horse she tries to set free from the gypsy's, her connection with this is shown in an animalistic way, her first sight of emotion and femininity is when she finds out the horse has died, like Mia, the horse was trapped in something she/he couldn't get away from without hurting herself or breaking away. The horse was 16, and as Mia is 15, the film suggests that Mia has one more year until she is 'shot down' like the horse and trapped, she has to break away or she will feel trapped in the life she is in forever, and by making amend of her life and following certain aspirations she will be able to break away from the poverty.
The very end scene shows a balloon floating away just as Mia leaves to go to Wales with a boy she has became friends with, the balloon symbolises her freedom and the 'breakaway' from her current life style of an economic hardship.
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