Harry Brown

• Harry Brown was released in 2009 
• The classification is rated R, a UK 18
• The companies responsible for making it were:

1. Marv Films
2. UK Film Council
3. HanWay Films
4. Prescience Film Fund
5. Framestore
6. Prescience

• The production companies were Lionsgate and Samuel Goldwyn films.
• The budget of this film was $7,300,000
• The film grossed $10,329,747
• This film profited $3,029,247

Brief Synopsis: 

This film is about gang crime and violence on an estate that was once peaceful and a nice area to live in, the film follows Harry Brown who wants revenge as his friend is murdered on the estate in a subway with his very own weapon. Harry sets out to find the killer and his military background and knowledge benefits him even though he is old. He does this because the police claim there is not enough evidence to put the person who killed his best friend in prison, which angers him. Eventually Harry Brown finds the killer and kills him and the film ends with Harry walking through the same subway in which his friend was killed. This tells the audience that because of Harry Brown the estate is now safe. 

How the story is told: 

The story is told in a way that Harry Browns actions are justified as the gang are shown to be drug takers, violent (when they kill his best friend especially) and they also constantly use foul language. Also they are shown on an estate that used to be calm so are represented to be disturbing the peace. The creators of this film wanted the audience to dislike the gang, so when Harry went to find and kill the killer, he was seen as a hero despite his actions.

All statistics and initial information: imdb.com

We watched part of the film again in class and discussed certain things. This film was filmed very precisely and thought out carefully, for example:

• The beginning of the film was shot on a hand held camera to express realism, and to defy the stereotypes that all of Britain is posh, as with the hand held it seems like an account, and the audience watches as the gang shoots at people. 

• In the interviewing scene, every person being interviewed was wearing a hoodie, a stereotype of youth gang culture. This represented them to be harmful and disrupting, as all of them are being questioned on the murder of Harry Browns friend. 
• The film shoots Harry Brown carrying out normal day tasks at the beginning which shows that he is just a normal person. The shots also show him cleaning up, this foreshadows the film as it is a representation of him cleaning the estate up when he plans to take out the gang. 
• The way the film is filmed keeps the image of it very naturalistic and provides a sense of realism, an example of this is the lighting when Harry is in his flat watching someone get beat up outside, the lighting is dim rather than bright highlighting everything. It makes you feel as if the film is real. 

• To me, this film focuses on the idea of realism, they want to show a side of London which isn't often seen. This is shown in various ways just through the first part. For example, when the police officers are passing across a block, graffiti is covered on the walls, which is found a lot in urban areas, but people from other regions may not think of London this way. 
• The titles have purposely been put in a small font, this shows that these are just ordinary people and there is nothing special about any of them. The titles are also put in a line which shows that everything has its place, also it shows theoretical equality and this foreshadows because Harry commits the exact same crime, however the audience does not feel sorry for the gang and support Harry.
• When in the interviewing scene, the solicitor and the gang member are shot to be far apart. This is quite amusing because although the solicitor is under obligation to support the gang member, they are very different and don't wish to be associated together. It is a juxtaposition by putting these 2 next to each other, because the solicitor is in a suit being formal and proper whereas the gang member is in a tracksuit and hoodie. By putting these to next to each other it shows the opposites of people in the world, good and evil.