Green street analysis

Green Street Hooligans (2005) Micro analysis:                                    Simon Cheshire

Micro elements which are including in film are a very important they help create many different meanings such as: new ideas, suspense and they also represent an important meaning. The micro features in film include: sound, camera, editing and mise-en-scene. The micro feature of sound includes are the films diegetic and non diegetic. Sound can be essential in portraying characters emotion, feelings, atmosphere it also engages the audience. Furthermore the micro feature of mise-en-scene includes the props, costumes, body positioning and location which the film is shot in. This can help set the feel for the film and generates a lot more realism and suspense around the film. This essay will focus on how sound and mise-en-scene are used to generate meaning and response in a particular scene in the film Green Street (Lexi Alexander, 2005) were the West Ham hooligans are first introduced to the audience and have a confrontation with another football ‘firm’. This juxtaposes with the next scene were Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood) is leaving Harvard University with a envelope full of cash. This scene is an integral part of the film because it introduces the whole feel of the film and engages the target audience straight away with action, swearing and a engaging storyline with a cliff hanger.

The director of Green Street is Lexi Alexander she is a German film director and former world champion in point fighting and Karate. Her work on Green Street helped it win the Audience and Jury award for the first time in South by Southwest history. It was also nominated for the William Shartner Golden Groundhog Award for Best Underground Movie. She has worked on many films such as: Punisher: War Zone (2008), Lifted (2011). She has also has directed an episode for Anthony Zuiker's BlackBoxTVYouTube channel entitled ‘Execution Style’.

First of all the audience see a establishing shot of Bank London Underground Station while they hear the non-diegetic of the famous football chant ‘I’m West Ham till I die’ this is an iconic football chant which the audience will easily recognize and associate with West Ham United football club and the pure anger in the way it is be sung the audience can easily identify that it’s not your average football fan singing, it is the football hooligan, also it signifies to the audience how the football ‘hooligans’ will even be prepared to die to maintain the reputation of West Ham. We hear this before we seem them which represent how they are a group of people.

Next the main characters are first introduced to the audience this shows all of their mise-en-scene such as the clothes they are wearing, Bank London Tube station and they are kicking the can like a football which would appeal to the audience because it shows they are football fans and are just trying to achieve their dreams. The clothes they are wearing are very symbolic, the white trainers, jeans and the high zipped jackets connotate the hooligan idea and the director Lexi Alexander has done this to try to replicate this as they are very stereotypical for a football hooligan.

The first piece of diegetic which the West Ham hooligans say is ‘Fuck me, if I knew I was going to a bar mitzvah I would have brought my skull cap’ this is racist towards a group of opposing football Tottenham fans, this is a historic verbal battle between West ham and Tottenham and is supposed to antagonist them and help ‘Pete’ the main character gain a reaction off them, this is followed by the diegetic of his group of friends laughing in approval to antagonise them even more which they do. In addition to this the constant use of the swear word ‘fuck or fucking’ is very significant because it presents to the audience how he has to swear to be heard and to gain authority over the opposing fans he has to swear. This constant swearing by one main character then turns into the two opposing groups swearing at each other kind of in unison, this turns into a chant which everyone can join in with and signifies that they are ready for battle similar to the way Zulu warriors would before they are ready to fight. This is again highlighted in the non-diegetic of the London Tube banging along the track.

This is then followed by the fight scene outside the station where they use public things to fight each other with. For example they fight with a telephone box, a bin and a street bollard. This has been done by Lexi Alexander to show how they are fighting against society as much as they are fighting against each other. Foley has been used drastically throughout this particular scene to over exaggerate noises such as punches and glass smashing which adds a lot more effect.   

This juxtaposes with a peaceful shot of a river outside Harvard University which has been done to show the audience the contrast in locations, where the audience see a male character clearing his office out, this is where the audience can see the huge different between the costumes which the characters are wearing as ‘Matt’ is wearing a knitted styled jumper which shows that he supposed to be a innocent character who wouldn’t do anything wrong. However it is the same colour as ‘Pete’s’ coat was in the opposing scene which Lexi Alexander has done to show similarities between the two characters however they are different at the same time. 

Next the audience see ‘Matt’s’ roommate on the phone with his back to the television while it plays American football and soccer. This is significant because it shows the huge contrast in the characters because in England the football hooligans would be willing to fight or even die like it is quoted in the song for football however in America they wouldn’t even dream of having a huge care in football let alone be willing to die for it. This represents the huge difference in the two cultures.

When Matt enters the scene an envelope of cash is placed on his belongings while he is packing, this could have huge meaning and significance. For example the envelope of money could be his only way out of his current situation, furthermore for the character who is giving away the money this is his only way of keeping his family name and their big reputation clean, the audience knows this because he uses the diegetic ‘ I have my families reputation to protect’. This again supports the idea of the two contrasting cultures because the American characters are paying to keep their good reputation with the envelope of money, however back in England they are willing to stand and fight for their pride and reputation even if they do ‘die’.

Lastly we see ‘Matt’ using the money out of the envelope to pay for a flight, which again represents how he is buying his way out of trouble using the ‘dirty’ money. This also shows how he is condemning the actions of his old roommate by spending the money and hasn’t got any backbone because he won’t go through with any of his diegetic or actions. This again juxtaposes with the English characters because they aren’t worried about the consequences of standing up for themselves againt’s bigger opponents. For example in the train scene the West ham Hooligans are mocked for their club being in the second division however even though they are a so called smaller club they still stand up for themselves and what they believe in which juxtaposes with ‘Matt’ the American character because he just takes the money and simply walks away.

The mise-en-scene of the money in an envelope is a significant aspect of this clip; it connects very well with many different films. For example in Alfred Hitchcock’s film Psycho (1960) an envelope full of money was again used throughout the film to portray a secret message and this was a theme which continued throughout the film. This shows how significant successful mise-en-scene can be to a film and helps creates question which the audience asks however they may become answered in the future.

In conclusion I feel the micro features which I chose to analyse of sound and mise-en-scene helps create a deep meaning throughout the scene of Lexi Alexanders film Green Street Hooligans (2005). I feel they both help produce specific meaning throughout the clip. For example sound highlights different ideas such as the ‘die’ for football situation, as well as this mise-en-scene also helps creates specific meanings throughout the clip. For example the idea of props and locations creates a huge contrast between the different characters. However the specific colours which the main characters are wearing represent a connection between the two which has meaning which again is displayed to the audience further on in the film.