Social Realism

American Honey. Dir. Andrea Arnold. 2016.

American Honey. Dir. Andrea Arnold. 2016. 150 150 Ellie Parkinson

Andrea Arnold’s films are renowned for their nuanced focus upon human behaviour. However, as Michael Lawrence recognises in his analysis of her 2011 adaptation of Wuthering Heights, Arnold ‘privileges the…

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Ernest and Celestine. Dir. Benjamin Renner. StudioCanal. 2012.

Ernest and Celestine. Dir. Benjamin Renner. StudioCanal. 2012. 150 150 Maya Thomas

The animated film Ernest and Celestine[1] (2012) uses animals to offer a socio-political examination of French society. A predator-prey construct is conveyed through the division of social classes in the species contrast between…

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Mon Oncle . Dir. Jacques Tati. Gaumont (France), Continental Distributing (USA). 1958.

Mon Oncle . Dir. Jacques Tati. Gaumont (France), Continental Distributing (USA). 1958. 150 150 Esme Brett

The release of Mon Oncle (Gaumont, France) in 1958 saw the return of Monsieur Hulot to cinema screens, following the successful Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot five years previously. The…

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White God. Dir. Kornél Mundruczó. InterCom Zrt. 2014.

White God. Dir. Kornél Mundruczó. InterCom Zrt. 2014. 150 150 Emily Hunnybun

White God (dir. Kornél Mundruczó, 2014) depicts the story of Hagen [Bodie and Luke], a mixed-breed dog, and his relationship with Lili [Zsófia Psotta], a young girl who is sent to…

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Of Mice And Men. Dir. Gary Sinise. MGM. 1992.

Of Mice And Men. Dir. Gary Sinise. MGM. 1992. 150 150 Amy Clarke

‘Of Mice and Men’ (1992) is a film adaptation of the novel by John Steinbeck, which is set in 1930s America during the Great Depression. The film follows the lives…

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Of Horses and Men (Hross í oss). Dir. Benedikt Erlingsson. Film Europe. 2013.

Of Horses and Men (Hross í oss). Dir. Benedikt Erlingsson. Film Europe. 2013. 150 150 Eloise Malhotra

Benedikt Erlingsson’s directorial debut Of Horses and Men (2013) is best described as a series of interlocking fables, focusing on six sets of neighbours living in an isolated Icelandic valley.…

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Twelve Monkeys. Dir. Terry Gilliam. Universal Pictures . 1996.

Twelve Monkeys. Dir. Terry Gilliam. Universal Pictures . 1996. 150 150 Alice Connolly

Twelve Monkeys begins: human beings whoop and rattle in cages, buried deep underground. Wild animals roam free in the streets; in the churches, on top of this underground prison. But who…

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Mon Oncle. Dir. Jacques Tati. Gaumont (France), Continental Distributing (USA). 1958.

Mon Oncle. Dir. Jacques Tati. Gaumont (France), Continental Distributing (USA). 1958. 150 150 Esme Brett

Mon Oncle (1958), as many of Jacques Tati’s films, focuses on the character of Monsieur Hulot, a bumbling but lovable man who fights a constant battle against the modern architecture…

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La Haine. Dir. Mathieu Kassovitz. Canal+. 1995.

La Haine. Dir. Mathieu Kassovitz. Canal+. 1995. 150 150 Samuel Ross

One of the most enigmatic scenes in Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine, an exploration of social tensions and police brutality in the banlieues (council estates) of Paris in the 1990s, occurs…

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Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. Dir. Rupert Wyatt. 20th Century Fox . 2011.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. Dir. Rupert Wyatt. 20th Century Fox . 2011. 150 150 Amy Clarke

The scene which I believe most questions anthropocentric notions of human superiority in ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ is the moment when Caesar verbally expresses his frustrations, in…

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