Harry Brown Key Theories

Harry Brown explores the ideology of wider society throughout. The ideas conveyed within the film are portrayed by the media and by those in power to create a power status and allow the teenage community to be oppressed. Althusser's theory investigates the ISA and Interpellation. Throughout the media we see in the news, TV, radio etc we are given a one sided, or the dominant sided ideology of what teenagers actually are. We are forced to convey to these opinions that a higher status have of teenagers because the majority of the press young adults get is bad, the media becomes a mediator for this vision to get across. The dominant ideology is that teenagers should be fear, that they cause the mass destruction of society and that they need to be kept under control by the authorities such as the police. The police are reported in a controlled way to maintain order, but fail to do so, which is something we feel it is accurate in real life society today.  Harry represents the dominant ideology in several sequences through the camera angles such as when he is looking out of his apartment to the under passage, we are shown through his eyes, and the camera moves as he would move his eyes to allow the audience to side with him and become allied with him instead of the teens.

Adorno's theory of Realism and Sameness is also explore vastly. The materialistic imagery we have within the film stays the same and stays attached to the young adults throughout, we never switch from a well dressed teen to then comparing with a hooded teen, this is where the negative stereotypes are portrayed, as we are shown that young adults cannot dress in a sophisticated manner or can not even conform to a well dressed idea. The infamous hoodie is also seen throughout the film, acting as a weapon of disguise for the teens that do not want to be identified.