Collective Identitiy- Pressure

1) What event occurred in the 1970's and 1980's that represent the presence of racial tension?

In the 1970's and 80's young black British men and women were in a time of rising unemployment. As I saw in the film Pressure Tony is a young black British boy who was looking for a job in an office as an accountant, he has been to many interviews and been declined every time. In pressure it is put across that the reason for Tony not getting a job is because of his colour. As an alternative Tony goes to a metal/welding garage and asks for a job but there isnt enough work to need another person working. Only the lowest paid jobs were open to him. There was also police harassment, black British people would get picked on more than the white British.

2) Why do you think pressure was made?

I think that Pressure was made to show everyone what it is like for a black British person to adapt in a white dominated society. This film felt real like a documentry it wasnt over exaggerated it showed the real problems that black British had. As an example tony gets caught up in a shop theft that his friends did, further on in that storyline Tony comes home to find that his house has been trashed because the police were looking for evidence of stolen objects or even drugs. I think in a way it would help white British understand what it feels like to be in a community like that.

3) What examples of racism are represented in Pressure?

The examples of racism I saw in the film is when Tony goes for his job interview and the man and woman are acting very strange towards him and make him feel uncomfortable. They ask him questions like 'Are you born here?' at this point I noticed his face drops. The interviewer also asks 'Have you ever been in trouble with the police?'. Another racist moment was when Tony goes back to the girls apartment and the landlord shouts at him to get out she says 'You know their not welcome here' The girl souts out in his defence 'Frightend he will rape you!'. Also there was a black man getting arrested for having a comb, the police thought it was a weapon.

4) How dose the theme of collective identity come across in Pressure?

Collective identiy is show through Tony's family and how they do things diffrently, for example Tony's brother is eating what he calls zaboca but British people would know it as an avocardo, where as Tony is eating bacon and eggs. Tony also likes fish and chips where as his friends eat 'patties'.

5) How do you think Pressure differs from mainstream representation of black Britons?

The two films Sapphire and Flame in the streets took a more overexaggerated root in their story lines to show the representation of black Britons. In Sappire the girl that appears to be white who is in fact black is murderd because her boyfriends family are disgraced to have him dating a black lady. In Flame in the streets there is a big fight between black and white people and also has a black and white relationship which the family also disagre with. These two films don't show their way of living. Where as on the otherhand Pressure is more realistic and told the story of a young black british boy trying to live in his multi- cultural society. He is trying to live like a black British boy by eating English food such as fish and chips.

Research

• Investigate what was happening in Britain between 1948-1962
• How was the social landscape changing?
• How did the changing of social landscape lead to a 'racialisation' of british politics?
• representation works through construction- how were black people represented in the film?
• considering your research and film analysis- how dose the film put across a sense of collective identity of black people?

There were race riots in London in 1958, between 1948 and 1962 workers from colonies could migrate to britain without restriction. West indians migrated to britain. Until 1962 every commonwealth citizen was entitled to enter the united kingdom at will. This right had been freely exercised for many years but it was only in the 10 years from 1952 onwards that substantial numbers of people from the commonwealth began to think of settling in britain.

From watching Sapphire and Flame in the streets the social landscape in both films were the same. Both films were about a relationship between black and white people and people reactions to them. In Sapphire it even lead to murder. I think that Flame in the streets showed more of a progress towards black and white people coming together, for example the film showed white and black kids in the same classrooms as each other also white and black workers together.

The two films put across a sense that white people were still unsure about living in a society with black people. Both families in the two films were against a family member going out with a black person. The families were worried about what other people would think of them and if they will get shunned from their local community. In flame in the streets white people and black couldn't get along peacefully together. Ending in a big fight.

In the films black people were represented quite badly for example in Sapphire one of the officers didn't want to shake the black mans hand. Also a quote from the film Flame in the streets said "black and white don't mix their ways, habits." " Live like animal, 6/7 children". In todays society this is racist, but back then it happened more because black and white people didn't get along with each other.