Fish Tank Analysis - Clip 3

How typical is your chosen text of it's genre?

As a genre, Social Realism aims to gain empathy from it's audience members for the characters involved in the narrative. Such characters include a protagonist (usually working class, found as part of an under represented minority and striving for an improved life) and a non-nuclear family, which is usually found to be dysfunctional or broken in some way. It may be argued that the protagonist and her family in 'Fish Tank' are part of the under class rather than considered working class as it isn't mentioned that Mia's (the protagonist) mother works, and neither does she, therefore not adhering to the traditional conventions of said genre.
In trying to gain this empathy, the genre uses typical issues (of it's genre) such as paedophilia, children under the age limit (for either alcohol or sexual intercourse), alcohol and depression. It is made clear in this short clip that these factors and issues are apparent in the lives of the protagonist and her family, an example being when Connor, the boyfriend of Mia' mother is at their home and playing with Mia's younger sister, Tyler, all is well, however as soon as he leaves, we find the mother and her two daughters arguing, screaming and swearing at each other. This shows that not only Mia but her mother and sister need a male influence in their lives to restore order to their family setting. This male may act as a father and authoritative figure, or as a partner. A shot of Connor playing with Tyler just before he leaves their home uses an over the shoulder shot to allow the audience to view the scene over the shoulder of our protagonist and therefore seeing what happens from her perspective, and through her eyes. This is a relatively still and clam shot in comparison to one which follows Connor leaving, and the argument breaking out between the mother and daughter. As Mia is in the living room watching her sister and mother argue, she gets up and walks to them in the kitchen, with the movement of the shot being very abrupt and fast pace, following Mia as she moves towards the action. This may indicate that without a male figure, the family is dysfunctional and broken, however with such a figure, the family would fulfil the role of the nuclear family. This is also another narrative convention of the Social Realist genre.
Technical conventions which are used by and usually associated with the Social Realist genre include the use of a Point Of View shot, normally at eye level, following the protagonist or character involved. These are made apparent in the clip, and are used in many ways. When Mia is throwing stones at the window of a flat a few stories up, 

'Most texts today mix genres.' How true is this of your three main texts?

Post Modernism suggests that genres are often mixed, creating hybrids, parodies or films paying homage to a previous creation. The text District 9 is seen to support this statement, and this is evident in the films conventions conforming to those of both the Sci-Fi genre and Documentary-style genres. The text is therefore considered a hybrid of the two. 

The Sci-Fi genre is made significantly apparent during the film District 9, involving the typical conventions of aliens and humans co-existing, space travel and transformations of the body. Other, less obvious aspects of the Sci-Fi genre (for example a futuristic aspect) are made apparent in a subtle manner, with parts of the mise-en-scene making this factor apparent. Examples of these factors include the use of high-technological apparatus and the date at the beginning of the film being stated (as in the future). Other, more apparent conventions of such a gene are also made apparent, for example the co-existence of aliens. This, mixed with the aliens (or 'prawns') being documented in such a fashion supporting the conventions of a documentary-style genre creates a hybrid of two genres. The aliens and humans interact through both the documentary-style filming of the film and the smaller documentaries found throughout.

One scene in particular shows aspects of a documentary-style film, through the use of hand-held recording which follows the protagonist through corridors, from a higher camera angle which may be found to put him at a disadvantage in relation to his power. By being shot from a higher angles, Wikus (the protagonist) may be looked upon by the audience members as weak and lacking authority, which is how he is being represented at this point in the film. This angle, however remaining very short (approximately 2 seconds) in this shot, continues throughout the scene where Wikus is being examined and tested (against his will, again representing him as a weak person) by members of staff. THese characters are filmed in a juxtapositional manner in comparison to Wikus, putting them in a dominating and controlling position. The MNU logos around the scene present the audience with a large corporation, clearly being used to test humans (and maybe aliens) against their will. The scene shows Wikus to have a mutated hand, heavily supporting the convention of the Sci-Fi genre of body transformations., however the documentary-style genre is also supported in this scene through the use of