Pound

Genre Conventions Research: Pound

As the film Pound begins, we see that the title of the film has been presented to us in the form of graffiti which has been spray painted on the floor. This, possibly, innovative style of displaying the title of the film helps to stay in keeping with the subject matter, style and tone of the film, and helps to give off a very laidback and ‘cool,’ feel.

The film begins with the camera tracking alongside a young man dressed in a green stripped shirt and jeans. This young man is Mike. The filmmakers decision to dress Mike in such a way maybe to connote an urban feel about him, and that he is in an urban area, and has had an upbringing very much of the City. Also, the decision to open the film with a tracking shot of him may be to infer that he is the main character of the piece, and that the events shown in the film are going to be told from his perspective.

In addition to Mike’s urban attire, the filmmakers have also added a repetitive hip-hop beat, which is playing very clearly in the background and is playing at a constant and consistent level. The use of the beat helps to further establish the urban scene, mood and character of the piece. The beat sounds very new and modern, and as such, it helps to create verisimilitude in that this music is not dissimilar to the type of music most youths listen to in this day and age.

The filmmakers then show our two leading characters, Mike and Dante, meeting outside an urban coffee shop. In addition to Mike’s aforementioned urban attire, Dante is presented by the filmmakers as being dressed in a blue tracksuit and baseball cap. This, again, is a very urban way of dressing, and it is also very ‘cool,’ and stylish. Therefore, the decision to dress Dante in this way may have been utilised by the filmmakers to not only further establish the sense of urban mood and character, but also possibly to perpetuate a stereotype amongst today’s youth as wanting to be dressed in the very best of clothes.

There then follows an exchange of dialogue, with the two characters greeting each other, both addressing each other with 'What’s up, man?' This is a very informal way of two friends greeting with one another, and this may have been utilised to, again, help to reinforce a sense of urban verisimilitude.

Following this is an uninterrupted take of their greeting. They are both positioned in the centre of the screen (possibly to imply that these characters and their actions which we are now seeing are central to the overall effect of the piece). The uninterrupted take lends to the endless feel of their greeting. It incorporates such moves as fist and elbow bumps, high fives, feet stomps, etc, which all come across as highly choreograph and balletic; almost a dance in and of itself. This greeting adds to the urban feel of the piece, though it is heightened and exaggerated (and perhaps intentionally so, possibly wanting to become a parody of urban life/youth). Also, the idea of both characters swapping hats during the greeting helps to add a sense of camaraderie and friendship between them.

The two characters exchange dialogue, which is presented by the filmmakers under strict adherence of the 180 degree rule; “What’s up, man?” “Nuthin’, what’s up with you, man?” “Nothin’” “A’ite...” Following the dialogue break, the two characters then descend back into their greeting, which is now a farewell, complete with the same moves as before. This adds to the humour of the piece, and is once again an interrupted, seemingly endless take.

The two characters take leave of one another, and the camera tracks alongside Mike once again, and as he turns a corner into another street, which is presented as a match on action, he spots another friend, called Dean, dressed in all black urban attire, leaning up against a car, reading a magazine. When Mike turns the corner, they spot each other and call out each other’s names. This establishes repetition, as the use of shots and dialogue is very similar to what we have just been shown between Mike and Dante.

The filmmakers then present Mike and Dean meeting in the centre of the screen, and as they are about to go into their routine, there is a cut to credits, though we do hear the sounds of their greeting, especially the sound of the high fives and the feet stomps, which are superimposed over the credits, therefore giving us no doubt that what we have just seen between Mike and Dante is happening once again.

I enjoyed this film. I thought it was very humorous, light-hearted and good-natured, and though it did not have a serious point to make, it was highly effective as a parody of urban life.