Quadrophenia,(Frank Roddam 1979), set in 1965, depicts a representation of British youth after the second world war, when subcultures played a key role in forming youth identity. Contrast to this, Harry Brown (Daniel Barber 2009) reflects the attitudes in modern day society towards youth in Britain. However, similar themes and representations can be identified within the two texts.
Cohen's theory of moral panic can be applied to both Quadrophenia and Harry Brown. This theory suggests that a single group or person emerges out of the media to become defined as a threat to society and this creates moral panic. In the case of both these films, the youth have been defined as the threat to society as they are seen as engaging in acts of violence and threatening behaviour.
The theme of violence is heavily integrated within the two texts. In Quadrophenia, we see violence between the mods, rockers and the police. The riot scene gives a negative representation of the youth in Quadrophenia as they are portrayed as aggressive and rebellious. This theme of violence coincides with McRobbie's theory of symbolic violence which says that the middle class make sure the lower class are symbolised with violence in every media text which causes a boundary between the two classes and depicts the middle class as better. In Harry Brown, the youth also engage in aggressive and violent acts such as rioting  whereas the police fall victim to these attacks, and therefore middle class is portrayed as better than lower class. Gerbner's cultivation theory , could also be applied, as it states the more violence we watch, the more we become used to it. In the case of Harry Brown, what Harry does in terms of going out and killing youths is accepted by us as we are used to the violence and therefore not shocked by it.
Class is an important theme that runs through out both texts. Strong binary oppositions between working class and middle class are present. In both films, the working class are represented as inferior whilst middle class is seen as superior. This complies to Gramsci's theory of cultural hegemony, as the middle class are trying to dominate society by making their way of life seem natural. This is exemplified in Harry Brown, where Harry is portrayed as being a "normal" elderly man, therefore depicting his way of life as the social norm and making the youth seem as though they are wrong as they don't follow the social norms that Harry does. Acland's Ideology of Protection, which states that middle and upper class  believe society should be a certain way, could also be applied as Harry decides to take control of what he believes society should be like. In quadrophenia, it is the police who use their power of authority to try to control the youths and make them conform to societies norms.
There are similarities in the importance of gang ideologies in the two films. Although two seperate sub-cultures can be identified in both films, mods and rockers in Quadrophenia and chavs in Harry Brown, both films show the importance of subcultures to young people. Rebellion is a shared ideology in both youth subcultures in the two films. The 'mods' in Quadrophenia and the 'chavs' in Harry Brown like to rebel against society and any authority such as the police. Clothing , hoodies in Harry Brown, suits and thin ties, in Quadrophenia, is a  key ideology of the two gang cultures and this shared sense in fashion is something that allows them to identify with eachother.
Identity and subcultures have a strong relationship in both films. In Quadrophenia, Jimmy only feels happy and accepted when with his 'mod' clique and this shows how the subculture has helped shape his identity. When his friends move on from the mod culture, Jimmy feels a loss of identity, not knowing where he belongs. Similar to this, the 'chav' youths seen in Harry Brown stay in a pack at all time, conveying that they identify with eachother and can't stand alone outside their subculture.
There is a difference within the role of parents in Harry Brown and Quadrophenia. In Harry Brown, it is clear that the character Noel has inherited his attitudes towards society from his parents, in particular his father who also spent time in prison. He has been inspired by his parents to rebel against authority whereas in Quadrophenia, Jimmy's hate for his parents has led him to join the mods and become rebellious. However in both cases, parents could be blamed for the way in which Jimmy and Noel turned out.
In conclusion, there are many similarities between the representation of youths in Quadrophenia and Harry Brown. Youths are depicted as trouble- makers who want to rebel against any kind of authority and overall they are represented negatively in both films.




Jack's Comments: A good essay here Sian Louisa Martin. Overall I think you have explained the points well, with using some relevant theory when needed.

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