A WAY OF LIFE
UK, 2004, 93 minutes, Colour.
Stephanie James, Brenda Blethyn, Oliver Haden, Gareth Gethyn Evans, Sara Gregory, Matthew Jenkins, Nathan Jones.
Directed by Amma Assante.
A Way of Life is the first film of actress-turned director, Amma Assante. She won a number of awards in the UK for this first film and creative talent. She also won a SIGNIS commendation at the San Sebastian festival.
This is a slice of life in Wales. It is quite grim in its perspective and in its exploration of British prejudices and violence.
The focus is on a young girl, Leigh- Anne Williams (Stephanie James who won a number of best actress awards) who has a young baby, Rebecca. She tries to manage by herself. The father is absent. His mother, played by Brenda Blethyn, is good-natured but Leigh- Anne feels she is continually interfering. There are a number of young men who hang around, one who has ambitions to work in an old people’s home and loves her. Across the street is a Turkish man who has lived with his family for thirty years in Wales. He is the target of their anger and bigotry. Ultimately, he is killed – a scene which opens the film and which is brought back again at the end. His daughter, white, is the object of the love of one of the boys.
The screenplay is strong, expressing the feelings and the insecurities of the young people, their lack of self-esteem, their ingrained prejudices against anybody coming to the country, the violence that brims over – fatally in this case, especially with Leigh- Anne losing the custody of her child.
The film is not a story for answers, rather a vivid presentation of actuality, challenging the audience about their attitudes and what should be done about these characters.
1.The impact of the film? A first film? A woman’s perspective?
2.The Welsh coastal setting, the town, homes, streets? The ordinariness? Very British? Welsh? The musical score, the songs?
3.The opening violence, its recurring at the end? The vicious attack on the Turkish man, his death? Seeing the attack for the second time and knowing the characters?
4.The focus on Leigh- Anne, her baby, love for the baby? Her age, young, inexperienced, naïve, the vicious streak in her? Her protectiveness of the baby? Pimping Helen to the stranger to get money to buy clothes for the baby? Julie later taunting her about this? Annette and her visits, her clashes with Annette, the bitterness about the child’s father? Her friendship with Stephen, his love for her? Evin, Daryn, Robert? Their in and out of the household, the drugs, unemployed? Their age and inexperience? Their British prejudices against outsiders? Expressing this, violence?
5.The characters of the boys, Steve with his father, the job application, the potential? All destroyed? The boy and his love for Julie, the conflict and the attacks on him because she was from a Turkish family? The ignorance and the Turks being called Pakis? Robert and his looking after the baby? Their potential – all destroyed?
6.Annette, her character, love for the baby, interventions?
7.The social security officers, their visits, discussions with Leigh-Anne? The housing officer? The getting of the fridge and its inspection?
8.Leigh- Anne, her way of life, her love for her baby yet her self-centredness, going off and leaving the baby? Not knowing how to care for its health? Taking it to the hospital, its infection?
9.Hassan Osman, the neighbour, the conflict, the taunts from the young people? His protectiveness for his daughter? The street sequences, the confrontations? The library, the pursuit? His being the victim of the vicious attack? His daughter and her grief and dismay? Looking at her boyfriend?
10.The arrests, Leigh- Anne and the interrogations, screaming about her baby? The challenge to her about the consequences of what she was doing? Her inability to understand consequences?
11.What was the future of these young people?
12.How typical of British attitudes at the beginning of the 21st century? The lout culture? Drugs and drink? Sexual promiscuity? Racial prejudice and bigotry? Ignorance?
