The generic conventions of our film Max Ardron

Generic conventions and our film Our film is set in a marginalised society. It is about two characters, similar in personality yet could not have been brought up in more different backgrounds. The film covers many issues in society, poverty, alcoholism, disease, gang culture and homelessness.

Characters Joe, a homeless man is a character typical of the genre. – He has a very poor standard of living and lives in a margin of society that is very much an ‘elephant in the room’. – Joe once had a family, but, for at least the later part of his life he has lived in poverty. Although he has worked hard his entire life he has found it incredibly hard to achieve anything. Charles was born into an upper-class family where he took over his father’s company. – Although he was brought up wealthy, that does not mean he didn’t work hard to be the man he is, he worked very hard. These characters essentially live very different lives and due to circumstances might never have met if it wasn’t for Charles’ life getting turned upside down due to the cancer.

Because of Joe’s situation, he has to do what he can to survive, this means occasionally doing jobs for dodgy criminals such as gang members. The Gang are also characters that come from a marginalised part of society. Unlike the homeless man who survives alone, the gang members have each other. Like the homeless, gangs are often overlooked by society and are seen as more a burden than real people living their own lives.