“There is nothing in this film that is not based on reality and that isn’t happening already”[1] To what extent does ‘Kidulthood’ reflect contemporary issues. Is this an accurate representation?


Since 2002, British filmmakers have taken an interest in promoting teenage dramas. British cinema became popular in the 1950’s, which also saw the making of the most popular British film comedies. British directors such as Mike Leigh is famous for his 1990 film ‘Life Is Sweet’, which includes a mixture of both comedy and drama. Ken Loach is also popular for producing films that include realism, as his subject matter struck contemporary audiences, as his chosen form and style were distinctive and provocative too. He was concerned to capture a sense of the real, extending a range a range of practised cinema-verite techniques to produce a sense of immediacy and plausibility that would in turn produce recognition in the spectator and inspire collective action.
Filmmakers were belatedly reflecting the changing patterns of society, by introducing their films to contain more realism. Beginning in 1959, British filmmaking was revolutionised by a series of films that realistically examined working class life.
Menhaj Huda the director of ‘Kidulthood’ (2006) successfully mirrors these real life issues mainly through the construction of the characters, along with the real life setting, improvised dialogue and contemporary issues raised. However, critics would argue films such as ‘Kidulthood’, ‘Bullet Boy’, ‘Thirteen’ and ‘Kids’ exaggerate these issues.

‘Kidulthood’ can be identified as connoting a clash between childhood and adulthood, as the film itself can be portrayed as challenging the issues of ‘kids’ and also preparing for their lives into adulthood. “The film is about teenagers, and shows what some teenagers have always done”[2] It follows a group of 15-year-old school friends as they go about their everyday business of beatings in the classroom, sex on the playing field, and drugs in the schoolyard. This provokes a negative stereotype of teenagers today, as it questions their behaviour.

An overall Marxist view states that the “capitalist society is divided in to two social classes”[3], which allows the audience to identify with at least one of the characters in the film. The social classes of individuals are challenged in this film as there is a division presented between certain characters. This helps to identify with the bourgeois ideologies of Althusser.

As Britain consists of a multicultural society, ‘Kidulthood’ is able to reflect on this as the majority of the cast is made up of a multicultural cast. This allows the audience to engage with at least one of the characters being conveyed to us. “Television in the mid 1980’s is increasingly taking women seriously, and there are a number of programmes, or types of programme, that feature women in a more central way”[4]
One of the characters presented to us is a white, middle class girl. Her character (Katie) represents the “weak, ineffectual”[5]female, who’s life ends with a painful suicide. The director explicitly shows this suicide of the middle class girl through the form of bullying. Bullying in today’s society is considered a serious offence, and is not tolerated by anyone. For example the Big Brother race row between Shilpa and Jade, was a news story that reached worldwide, and was the biggest news issue in Big Brother history. ‘Kidulthood’ is able to portray this as the divide between classes is present. The fact that the white middle class girl is living in a working class area can convey the reason that she is bullied, as she is seen to be ‘different’ by the other girls and does not fit in. The ideologies of middle class and working class people are portrayed as being completely divided by one another.
However, critics argue that this bullying is misrepresented. This is seen in the horribly aggressive girl-on-girl bullying scene which takes place in front of a whole class “who fail to intervene”[6] From this portrayal the film can be constructed as being over exaggerated in order to show the extremes of this behaviour.
In addition, Laura Mulvey’s theory of the ‘male gaze’ can be applied in some ways. Katie’s character can adhere to engaging to the theory of “to be looked- at-ness”[7] as her ‘tall and pretty’ appearance can evoke male pleasures. However, Mulvey’s theory does not completely fit as this female character is not only seen from a male’s perspective, but also allows females to identify with her.

Furthermore, from the range of different characters represented there is a different issue being raised alongside them. This emphasises the realism, as young teenagers today are associated with battling with society and the problems that surround it. “What you see is in the newspapers everyday”[8]
An accurate depiction of this is seen from another female character. A young mixed raced girl who falls pregnant with her boyfriend’s baby. She represents the majority of under aged pregnancies that happen amongst the British population. “In 2000, 38, 690 under 18 year olds in England became pregnant”[9]
This representation of girls is portrayed as being irresponsible and naïve, therefore conforming to the stereotypes of women altogether. The majority of the audience can identify with this character, as she is one of the main characters and raises a common issue.
In contrast to the issues raised in the film, this character can also relate to promoting ‘peer pressure’ from friends, as her friend Becky leads her. This is another common issue that many teenagers today face as one of their biggest threats in life. “23% of young women feel that they are being pressured in to having either sex or to do drugs like alcohol”[10]
The director has chosen to portray this character in this way to interpret a view on the working class background. From the representation of the characters it is easy to identify their upbringing to be poor as there seems to be no support from families, and the “teenagers live in their own little bubble”[11] None of the characters seem to come form a nuclear family which can therefore be proved by their behaviour. This is something which is frowned upon as functionalists say, “it is essential to have two parents”[12] in order for a family to work.
In comparison to this theory, Marxist believes that ethnic minorities, living in deprived working class areas are known as being “materially and culturally deprived”[13] ‘Kidulthood’ being set in a real life place, based around real life people and situations, can conform to this theory.

Following on from this, the third and final girl that is presented to us is the passive, white girl, Becky. She is the promiscuous 15-year-old who “swaps blowjobs for handfuls of E”[14]. Her character raises the issues of sex, drink and drugs, which represent her to break the normal stereotypes of women, and portrays young white girls to behave in this way.
This could be another criticism that the film holds as the representation of Becky’s character is conveyed as being ‘shocking’ and over exaggerated. The way she is stereotyped is not an accurate depiction of all white girls, but just some white girls in today’s society. In a way, the director has juxtaposed both the ‘middle class’ and ‘working class’ white girls to show the difference in class and social status, and how that is viewed amongst the audience is completely their own perception. “Psychologists Muncer, Campbell, Jervis and Lewis(2001) responded to growing media concern about ‘ladettes’- young women with the assertive/aggressive attitudes usually associated with ‘lads”[15]

An overall theory from John Fiske states “a singular mass of consumers does not exist: there is only a range of different individuals with their own changing tastes and a shifting set of social allegiances which may or may nor relater to their social background and which are complex and contradictory”.[16] He also goes on to say how “texts contain the preferred meaning, but also offer possibilities for consumers to create their own alternative or resistant readings”[17]. This can again emphasise the character on screen being stereotyped in a certain way as the audience are being influenced by what they are watching.


As well as the female cast raising issues and certain representations, the male cast also make part of the realism that is constructed in the film. The main male character can represent the average, normal looking teenager seen in today’s society as “they talk different, walk different and listen to different music”[18] This is a reflection of today’s society, therefore ‘Kidulthood’ is successful in constructing this society.
Trife as the main character is left to deal with a pregnant girlfriend who he blames of sleeping with someone else, an uncle who involves him with gun crime, and the trouble he is in with the school bully, Sam, who also wrote the movie. This chaotic period leads to Trife’s death at the end of the film, which can suggest that all the situations he was involved with led him to lose his life. The director strongly chooses the main characters death to portray a message to the audience. As a main character in the film, this is seen as an over dramatic ending to the film, as it is unexpected. However, this climax to the film can be seen as something “shocking for some but, unfortunately, it is very real”[19] as real life situations don’t always have a happy ending. The narrative can be described as a cycle as Trife dies, his girlfriend is left holding the baby, and therefore cannot continue with further education. A whole new generation is being re-born in to the corrupt society. This shows the reality of today’s society to be a continuous and on going process, being passed on generation to generation, and not always having happy endings.

This therefore does not fit in with Todorov’s theory of the narrative structure, as the situation is not really resolved. However, endings like this are considered to be a convention of British movies. In 2004, was the launch of the film ‘Bullet Boy’, which was based around similar aspects seen in ‘Kidulthood’. The main protagonist is played by the well-known young star, Ashley Walters, who is released from prison on the possession of gun crime. Even though ‘Bullet Boy’ focuses on the issue of gun crime, it also raises awareness towards contemporary issues such as sex, alcohol and drugs. Like ‘Kidulthood’ the main character in this film also dies at the end due to the situations he is led in to.
However, this film can be criticised to represent only a black ethnic minority, which could lead to stereotypes being constructed by the audience.
‘Kidulthood’ can also comply with this criticism, as there is a scene where Trife and his friends are accused of stealing an expensive cap from a department store. They have not committed the offence, but are accused on suspicion of being the typical black youths on the street wearing low jeans with ‘hoodies’. This is a common element associated with today’s youths and is seen as something which is taking over society.
An example of this would be the scene where the teacher tells Trife to go to class, and Trife gives him a threatening look. The teacher becomes afraid of him, which can show the teenagers becoming more inferior and powerful than the older generation.

There is also another male character that represents the multicultural society that Britain consists of. However, Asians are not represented in the film, apart from the shopkeeper, which can be seen as a stereotypical issue. This can insinuate that Asians are not part of the deviancy that white and black ethnicities are involved with. This is inaccurate as Asians today are involved with as much crime as black and white people.
This second male character makes up the typical ‘bad boy’ image that is constructed today and plays the role of Trife’s best friend. This can suggest that the stereotypes made against black people can be something which is inaccurate, as anyone of a different ethnicity is capable of being as violent as a black person. “There are white faces behind black violence”[20].
This character raises issues such as under age sex, stealing and verbal, as well as, physical abuse. Even though under age sex is a common issue being put across, it can still be criticised in the way it is being represented in the film. The sex that takes place between two characters is depicted explicitly, especially as it takes place in front of others. This is usually for “specific items, respect or love”[21]. This is suggested to be unrealistic as something as intimate as this is expected to be private and respectful.
However, this extremism can be a way of showing the extremes of behaviour, and how different classes and societies are influenced differently. It can also encourage an audience as the use of sexual content can appeal to the young audience. This can relate to the audience gaining masochistic pleasures, as they become appealed by what they see. An example of this sexual content is conveyed at the beginning of the film where there is a couple making out, and a group of boys smoking in the school playground. This can emphasise the divide in class and how schools like this are less disciplined than others.


As the majority of the film is based around the trials and tribulations of teenagers, “adults are on the periphery: either out of reach, out of touch, or as in the open minded mother who urges her daughter through her bedroom door to ‘use a condom, darling’, completely on the wrong track”[22]. This can again reflect the title of the film as the ‘kids’ in the film are left to face the world of ‘adulthood’ on their own. In some cases this can be argued to show an accurate representation, but on the other hand can have some criticism.
A realistic approach will be that in some household’s parents and their child’s relationship is far form close, and the child is left to live their life on their own accord. In opposition to this having a family can cause the child to be rebellious. Statistics “show that parents are the most influence on teenagers and the decision they make towards peer pressure”[23] An example of this is conveyed in the film as Katie’s suicide is led by bullying; partly from the discretion of her parents not being aware of their daughters’ problems, and being busy with their own careers.

Other texts have also been successful in depicting similar issues like those reflected in ‘Kidulthood’. ‘Thirteen’ (2003) directed by Catherine Hardwicke focuses on teenagers tackling their own problems such as living with an alcoholic mother, being introduced to sex and drugs, which leads the main protagonist in to self harming.
Another text would be the film ‘Kids’ (1995) directed by Larry Clark. It is presented in documentary form, which can suggest the realism it includes, as its main aim is to portray real and factual events, however this has been proven to be untrue as most of the situations depicted in the movie were apparently scripted. Anyhow, this movie contains explicit subject matter centering on relatively young teenagers, and includes a large portion of sexual dialogue, scenes of rape, physical violence, drug deals and shoplifting. “It is considered by some to be a wakeup call to the world about the nature of present day youth in the city”[24]
In comparison, ‘Kidulthood’ can reflect this statement as the film itself is trying to overcome the problems of teenagers by representing them negatively, in order to gain a reaction. This can reflect on the view that “a black character can send out various signals and can carry a number of apparently conflicting meanings”[25]

The characters constructed in the film are the most important elements that depict realism in the film. However, there are also other elements that help drive the narrative forward, and engage the audience in to watching the film.
The use of music and sound can also reflect today’s society, as the ‘urban/garage’ genre is something that British youths favour, and is becoming more and more popular. This engages the audience in to the film as they become more and more familiar with what is being portrayed to them. The music helps the film to not only illustrate what is happening on screen, but also to create some sort of tension or suspense.
The use of camerawork is successful in allowing the audience to see the true surroundings of a working class area, and able to interact with the lifestyle of the characters. The range of high to low angle shots help to construct a “voyeuristic” view, however, this can also suggest a criticism from those who accuse it of being “unbelievably bleak or, weirdly, voyeuristic” (as though we’re only allowed to watch films that directly depict our own lives) [26]
Another element that helps the audience to interact with the film is with the use of dialogue. The improvised dialogue can reflect the common use of ‘slang’ and ‘colloquial language’ that the younger generation today have become familiar with using. In some cases this can be portrayed as a disadvantage for the audience, as it can be a way of encouraging youngsters to continue using this language. Language like this is not classed as a serious offence, but it is conveyed as a natural thing used between Britain’s youths, which can create negative responses from audiences. These responses encourage the way teenagers are associated, as being ‘rude, disrespectful and corrupt’. For this reason they are also ‘looked down’ upon.

In conclusion, ‘Kidulthood’ is successful in promoting contemporary issues, allowing the audience to engage with the film in a realistic way. This is presented through the range of characters constructed, along with the lifestyle they hold, and their social background.
However, these representations can be identified as being inaccurate, as some of what is being conveyed is over exaggerated.Overall, the film can be said to “open the eyes of many and close the ears of some”[27]
[1] http://www.theindependent.com/ (review)
[2] http://www.theguardian.com/ (review)
[3] www.mediatheories.co.uk
[4] Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction/pg 44 (David Gauntlett- 2002)
[5] http://www.kidulthood.com/
[6] http://www.kidulthood.com/
[7] http://www.mediatheories.com/ - Mulvey’s theory
[8] http://www.theindependent.com/ - review
[9] http://www.nhsinherts.nhs.uk/
[10] http://www.girlhealth.org/
[11] http://www.theindependent.com/
[12] Applied Ethics/ pg 14. Mel Thompson(2000)
[13] http://www.mediatheories.com/ - Marxist theory
[14] http://www.kidulthood.com/ -review
[15] Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction/ pg 69 (David Gauntlett- 2002)
[16] Representing Black Britain/ pg 27 (Sarita Malik- 2002)
[17] Representing Black Britain/ pg 27 (Sarita Malik – 2002)
[18] There Ain’t No Black In The Union Jack/ Pg 30. Paul Gilroy(2002)
[19] http://www.theindependent.com/ - review
[20] Post- Soul Nation: Nelson George/ pg 41
[21] http://www.kidulthood.com/ - review
[22] http://www.kidulthood.com/ - review
[23] www.girlhealth.org
[24] www.futuremovies.co.uk
[25] Understanding film texts: Meaning and Experience/ pg 25- Patrick Phillips (2000)
[26] www.britishcinema.co.uk
[27] www.bfi.org.uk