Sunday, 27 September 2015

Urban drama: Deconstruction of 'Shank'

Deconstruction of Shank

Shank is a 2010 British action film shot in London. It is set in a dystopian future where society has fallen apart, gangs have taken over and the economy is still in complete anarchy.


Common conventions:

  • Urban dramas tend to have a realistic outlook on life and include issues such as knife crime, violence, drugs, gangs, etc.
  • Typically set in an urban, deprived area which includes council estates, alleyways and broken down buildings.
  • The main character is usually between the ages of 16 and early twenties who comes from a dysfunctional family ie. no father figure or mum is an alcoholic
  • Dark clothing is worn to create a dark atmosphere along with low key lighting and props such as guns, knives, hoodies/tracksuits and bikes to create a moral panic and a fear of working class youths
  • Non diegetic sounds of music genres such as rap and hip hop are usually played in the background
  • A lot of point of view (POV) and close-up shots are used to convey emotions and to create tension


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