Question One

I started off researching my hypothesis by looking into audience theories. Finding the meanings for these theories such as the hypodermic syringe theory and two step flow pointed me in the direction of the Culmination theory. The theory suggested that the extended viewing of violent media influences the viewer and desensitizes them, this linked in with films glamourising crime as it suggests that glamourising crime will influence the viewer to commit it.

I used the www.Google.co.uk search engine to look for results on the culmination theory. I think that Google is a very strong source for research, it is fast, accurate and easy to use.  916,000 results where shown the first of which led me to an article on the theory (www.northallatoncoll.org.uk/media/audiences.htm written by Steve Baker, Titled The Audience as Mass Accessed 06/11/08) which give me a more in depth view on the theory stating "No one media text will have any great effect on the viewer, years and years of watching violence may desensatise you to it". I then went searching for any articles or storys of events related to this theory. From my own knowledge I knew that the film "A Clockwork Orange" had incidents that related to the film. Using again the Google search engine I entered clockwork orange banned?" and 96,000 results where shown. This led to an article www.thefilmroom.org on some reasons the film was banned in 1973 stating that "throughout 72 and 73 police linked several cases to the film that had been committed by teenagers. one of the culprits in a particular case admitted to reading the book which was enough proof for the public to slate Kubricks work. I found out that it was actually the director himself who withdrew the film due to fear for his familys safety. I think the source for this information was very useful and reliable as the information was taken from Steve Baker who is well known in the media industry. The information was strong and useful.

I also attended a lecture (Lecturer:Kristaa Van Raalt Title:Media Audience:Media Effects Attended 28/11/08) about audience theories. This gave me alot of information and opened my eyes passive and active audiences.

It was then I decided to have a more in depth research into these crimes. I searched "crime related to clockwork orange" and I got 71,000 results and on the second results I found an newspaper article (www.theindependant.co.uk/news/uk/crime/clockwork-orange-gang-found-guilty-of-kiling-bar-manager-519576.html Title:"Clockwork Orange" gang found guilty of killing bar manager Author:Arifa Akbar Published:15/12/05 Acessed 11/11/08). I read this article and found out that in 2005 a group of teenager beat a bar manager to death on a "happy slapping" spree which they recorded on their mobile phone. It was the statement that the girl who was recording the beating asked the victim to smile to the camera" that reminded me most of the arrogant fashion in which the gang in the film committed violence. Even though this may not be a direct influence this a great example of a culmination theorists opinion on how the media effects people. I evaluated this source coming to the conclusion that although I believed it to be a reliable source, I know that at that time there where a lot of happy slapping cases that were happening and a few that just went way to far. So this mean that the gang where in know way influenced by violence in film but however influenced by what was happening at the time with happy slapping being the latest "craze". 

The strengths of this source was that the writer of the articles main area of focus was arts, which includes film, books and magazine so is a lot more reliable than any old journalist writing the report as they have an understanding of the film. Therefor for them to link that to CWO must have some purpose. The weaknesses however of this report are that the information could be exaggerated slightly to exploit the ever concerning factor of teenage violence. Also some of the opinions in the report may have been fueled by hate and disgust. This crime again intrigued me to dig deeper. On the second page of the search i found a sight titled "The Clockwork Orange Files" (www.tabula-rasa.info/horror/clockworkorangefiles.html Author:David Carrol Accessed: 12/11/08) 

This lead me to an article about a boy of the age 16 who beat a tramp to death. This intrigued me as there is a scene almost identical to this crime in the film. The boy openly admitted to the murder and told the court that his friends had told him about the film "and the beating up of an old boy like this one". It is stated in the article that "The link between the crime and sensational literature, particularly A Clockwork Orange, is established between reasonable doubt. It is very hard to see how it was not the film that has influenced the boy to commit this crime. And it was at this point that i thought that the explanation of this crime could not have been purely the culmination theory so I decided to look at other reasons that people may have been committing these crimes. The boy may have had a history of violence that was not stated in the article or he may have just been trying to gain sympathy and trying to say it wasnt all his fault. And it was when I started to research the theory of past events and sympathy votes I found another article of a boy that strangled and stabbed his best friend to death on the same site. He told the court that the whole reason he did was because of extended viewing of the film. The media may be emphasizing this for something to blame. I think the strengths of this source are that the crimes are directly linked to the film in many ways. However they are still articles and are open to the writers emphasis. Another weaknesses is that the articles are quite out dated. It was at this point in my research i felt like i was straying off from my focus task which was crime. It was then that i started to look into Guy Ritchies work as my films that im researching are all Ritchies work.

I searched Guy Ritchie glamourising crime into google and found a newspaper article about Lord Attenbrough commenting on Ritchies work (www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1371292/lord-attenborough-hits-out-at-films-glamourising-violence.html). Attenbrough is slating Ritchies work saying he has "Succumbed to the pornography of violence." Many of Lord Attenbroughs comments where backed up by the chief of metropolitan police. Both arguing that violence is effecting people especially that of the younger generation. It was here i started to question the reasons it would be influencing them as it could not possibly just the viewing of the text its self. I got an idea that it may be something to do with the actors playing the characters or the role certain characters play in the film, something along them lines. The main reason for this was the character in "Snatch" Mickey the one punch machine gun. The gypsy bare knuckle boxing champion. The main reason i began to think of this was because the first time i watched the scene in which Mickey knocks out the big brut Gorgeous George i was wowed. So my next point of interest was "Is the way organised crime is portrayed in these films influencing people to commit them?"

After evaluating the Attenbrough source, i began to investigate my next hypothesis. I found an article in (Media Magazine named "Cencorship. How strict should it be?" Author:Stephen Hill Published:04/08 Accessed:25/11/08). It was hear I gained some views from specialists in the media industry that would change my investigation. It was at this point, reading this article that my focus of influence moved from the text to the person viewing it. The writer of the article stated " Graphic depictions of brutal crimes that invite the audience to confront their own humanity; neither Stone nor Kubrick is celebrating these atrocities, but asking the reader to question their own response" I had never thought about this. He is basically saying that it is not the director trying to portray this behaviour as ok, but asking the viewer to see what they think. This links into the information picked up from the lecture on passive and active audience. Both would take in different things from watching these scenes. The passive audience are likely to just sit and absorb the violence not taking any real interest in what is happening where as the active audience will question what they are seeing, is this right? etc. The average joe would think that most of these scenes where terrible etc. This statement linked in with a statement talking about how the Director can never have full controlon how the audience will perceive their work. Later on in the article there is a small section on how violence is portrayed and wether this has an effect. The fact that crime and violence are "highly stylised" and in some cases surrounded may have an effect on how people are perceiving it. This is what i decided to look into next. The example they used in the article was the scene from a Tarantino (whos often critisised for glamourising crime and violence with comedy) production pulp fiction where a man gets his head blown off in the back of a car and at the time it seems funny due to how the scene is directed etc. I found this very interesting as many of Ritchies films are often like this. This is why i went on to research a new idea. "Is violence that is surrounded by humor easier to watch?" I planned to do this through primary research in which I would get a focus group to watch 2 different scenes containing strong violence. The first without any humor elements and the second with elements of humor, I would then the group to fill out a questionnaire on which the thought was stronger.

Before I done this I tried to come up with some ideas on why the scenes seem funny. This is due to the fact that many of the scenes are made funny not by the directors ideas but how the actor portrays his or her character. It was here that I began to look into a common factor of Ritchies gangster films, the "lovable rogue". Straight away i found articles concerning the matter (www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/reviews.php?film_id=14630 RocknRolla Author:Val Kermode Accessed:02/12/08). With these criminals being quick witted, and handsome most of the time sporting humorous nick names they are very appealing especially to the younger generation. Especially with actors such as Brad Pitt playing the roles. However the director cleverly involves scenes of great despair for these characters which even though they are fighting, theiving, conn artists makes you sympathise with them. Everyone of Ritchies Gangster films has one, Snatch: Micky, Lock Stock: Soap, Bacon, Tom, RocknRolla: OneTwo, Mumbles etc. After doing some textual analysis I realised that it is not only the character and story line that makes the audience empathise with the rogues but the camera work and cinematics too. For example on RocknRolla when OneTwo is being chased by the Russian war criminals its all in slow motion and emphasising his distress.

I also looked into the Catharsis theory at the same time as this (www.bookrags.com/research/catharsis-theory-and-media-effects-eci-01 Catharsis theory and media effects Accessed:10/12/08) as an interesting point was raised by a teacher in my college. After looking into this further i discovered and concluded that the Catharsis theory in terms of Media is false. It is a highly plausible in other areas such as sport etc, but I do not agree that watching violent media acts as a release for negative, aggressive feelings. Which will benefit the conclusion of my hypothesis.