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1.    What is your view of how masculinity is defined in the film?

    I think that masculinity is a very important theme in the film. Both the men and women are very masculine. This is shown by the drug and alcohol use in the film, which is divided equally between the male and female characters. This made them look like they were older than they actually were and much more hostile.

     It is also shown by the hair styles, the men have short, shaven heads, which is a typical skinhead style that makes them look tough. The women also have this sort of hair style, with a fringe at the front in some cases, which could suggest that they feel they are equal to the men in their status and that, they too, have the same values and opinions as the men.  

      finally, the body language of the characters was very 'manly'! The way they stood and walked was at times very threatening and the way they always stood in a gang made them look more dangerous than they would have done standing on their own.  

2.    Discuss the theme of loss-of-innocence/coming-of-age in the film.

The film is centered around a young young boy, who
changes profoundly through out the course of the film. He starts off as a young boy who is lost and very alone. His dad has recently died and he is being bullied at school. He comes across as a fairly innocent child, who has an angry side to him. Further into the film, after he has joined the group of skinheads, we see him change into a very unpleasant and aggressive young man who has formed very strong views, mainly influenced by the people directly around him. As an audience member, it felt quite sad for me that this young boy, who just needed some guidance in life, had had his innocence and childhood  taken away from him so early, without a chance to form his own opinions and views on things.