After watching the film 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' I immediatly was given a strong impression of how male identity was portrayed in the 1990's. Simply through proving a small point in a harsh amount of violence, a sexual nature, or through drug abuse.
Violence is one of the main themes shown in and throughout the film, although we don't always see the consequences and how badly beaten they are left to be, the males are the protagonsists and violence is almost seen as the 'fun' in their lives, along with the amount of money they have to show their power. whether it is seriously hurting somebody to get it, or purchasing drugs.The director Guy Ritchie was said to have been influenced by Quinton Tarantino.Critics such as Ray Greene from the Box office Magazine 2000 said that 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a film with absolutely nothing to say.' Although other opinions came from the San Fransico Examiner, Jane Gahnal, she called the film as a 'rockin' good time'. The cycle of gangster films (1997 - 2001) was paralleled by a stream of memoirs from real-life villains and the deaths of all three Kray brothers, and the return of Ronnie Biggs from Brazil. Reginald "Reggie" Kray (24 October 1933 – 1 October 2000) and his twin brother Ronald "Ronnie" Kray (24 October 1933 – 17 March 1995) were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in Londons East End during the 1950s and 1960s. As West End nightclub owners, they mixed with prominent entertainers. The Krays were highly feared within their social environment as are many of the characters in Lock Stock, they all carry around weapons as they never know when something violent may come around the corner!
The Kray bothers relate to Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels as they are the stereotypical 'gangster lad' that we see in the film, always up to something that will eventually involve everyone, in a bad way! This links to how male identity was portrayed in the 1990s as it is a real life situation that eventually ended in 2000.
David Gauntlett has said that 'studies around the media are too simple', stated in his media effects theories as an audience we never know if the film is affecting our personality which may happen after watching the film 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'. Gauntletts theory, which leads to testing on audiences may have a perminent affect on them, this is a disadvantage as it could cause serious psycological problems, linking back to how male identity can be affected. Young children may also be affected by the film as the violence is rated. In society, violence in video games and flms can cause a harsh affect on children and even adults. Football hooligans are influenced by these types of gangster films which are seen to be the main cause of their violent and 'lairy' attitudes.
The film to me was also seen as a gangster light film, the violence is made humorous as we don't see it throughout the film, it is also things we don't see everyday so we almost get a 'fake' view of it. The violence in the film is exaggerated, unbelievable and unrealistic and as an audience we know that it is not real violence, the mise- en - scene editing draws attention to the males in the film, making them seem more violent than they actually are.
Laura Mulvey's theory of the 'male gaze' 1950's -60's is represented in the film 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' in attempting to explain male identity and the influence of film. Mulvey's theory was that women are placed in Hollywood only for the pleasure of men, assuming that the audience of the film will be only men. There is no doubt that this film was written and produced with the male audience in mind. Three women are shown in the film, but all in different ways. One lady is purely to look at, placed in 'Harrys Sex Shop' she is made to dance naked in the background of the scene showing that she is there for men to look at, supporting Mulveys theory. Another woman is shown in a completely different way, she is 'head' of the poker game between a few of the males in the film and puts the message across clearly that she isn't to be messed about. The other woman in the film is shown through violence, she doesnt have a big role througouht the film and is only shown almost blowing the other characters heads off. Although she reacts in a violent way, she is used for comedy effect, and she is punched in the face immediately after she fires the gun. Women do not play any important roles in the lives of these characters, it's a man's world with men's rules and the women are almost set to follow these.
Two other theorys that I thought about whilst watching 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' are Theodor Adorno 1991 and John Fiske's 1989 theory, they are two commonly referenced theorists when discussing the power of the media over an audience. Adorno believed that the media had a massive impact on society, in a bad way. The audience was seen as being passive and that the consuption of the media on the audience was getting stronger and stronger. Adorno would therefore aregue that boys and men watching this film would become passive to this sort of 'gangster' behaviour and act as they do in the film. Whereas Fiske believes and would argue that the male audience watching the film would respond to it in different ways, not everyone would want to copy the males in the film but some would. The males influence eachother, from the film they all want to be involved in the violence, even the little boy, this then relates to real life of how once a trend is in, everybody more or less follows it.
One male in the film known as Big Chris, played by Vinnie Jones; who was known at the time as a hard, strong and powerful person, has a son called Little Chris. He is seen as a father type role, but also the violent thug side of him is shown in the film, this almost makes it quite comical.
Nature Vs Nurture is also a point to be made about Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Male identity can be affected in two ways from the film, after watching Big Chris and his son in the film, his son makes a major point that his father is the main man he looks up to in his life, this may affect the male audience by bringing out a more gentle side, whereas the film holds a lot of violence and brutal attitudes towards women and other men this could have the complete opposite affect.
Although British men do tend to have a reputation in foreign countries as being hooligans and beer swigging thugs, especially at football tournaments, i.e The World Cup where there are special provisions to keep fans apart and away from trouble. This type of trouble happens at home too where it is notorious to have football gangs that fight eachother and lots of these thugs are not young males but some are middle aged too and have been behaving like this for all of their lives because it has been instilled in them by their fathers and males and peers they look up to. They have been brought up thinking this is the right way.
In my opinion I think that the male identity in Britain in the 1990's has changed massively over the years, through different films and studying different theories mentioned above. There are not so many gangsters in London, and even if there is they aren't made to be obvious and portrayed as bad and violent as they are in the film 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'. In London today, security is a must, especially in places such as Canary Wharf and the more upper class parts, gangsters and gangs would stand out immediatly. After studying the theories of different people such as Laura Mulvey and David Gauntlett I have understood that male identity in the 1990s was portrayed through violence, harsh attitudes towards eachother, also sex and drug abuse.
