Pressure - Questions

    what event occured in the 70s and 80s that represent the presence of racial tensions?

Civil Rights Movement - Contrasted with idea's of Black Power had started to create this Black British identity that the older generations were not ready to accept - stereotypes, racism still existed

Why do you think Pressure was made?

I think Pressure was made to highlight the pressures coming from the older generations onto the younger generations. It's a film that allowed its audience to understand that Black stereotypes such as crime and rebellion is not actually for everyone and that it is the influences from those that have not made the transition from their own country to being Black British.
It is also to highlight that the younger generations, black and white, don't hold the same racism and blatant disrespect their elders do. For this reason, it shows that although black people are expected to do something wrong, it is the way the older white British generation boxes them into this stereotype and makes them feel as if they should be shied away from that inevitable leads to them fulfilling this stereotype. 

It is also to show that if the older generations on both sides cannot mix in the same way these white and black British young characters have been (going to the same youth clubs only to be not allowed into his girlfriends room because of her racist landlord)

What examples of racism are shown in Pressure?

• Landlord not allowing Tony into her house
• Tony not getting the job
• Tony and his white girlfriend stared at for being seen together 

How does the theme of collective identity come across in Pressure?

Although Tony starts off to be different from his family - buying fish and chips and not eating with his hands - he eventually becomes the same as the other Black people in his life - because of the racism he faces. Towards the end, after he has gone to his brother's meetings, Tony starts to eat the traditional Black food and eat it with his hands. The black people in the film, are all at one point made out to be quite animalistic - like Britains idea of 'civilising' these nations and new immigrants has not worked on any of them. His mum is animalistic in the beginning when she screams after her son, brother is animalistic in the way he eats, Tony at the end stabs the pig to death. They are all grouped together in these ways. To contrast, in many ways it breaks the idea of gourping all of these people together and shows that it is not in the person's nature that they fulfil these terrible stereotypes but in what is expected of them and the surrounding people and situations.

How do you think Pressure differs from mainstream representations of Black Britain? 

Pressure shows a side where the way these black people are is not their fault. The brother in particular talks about traditional Trinidad views and the mother agrees. This shows that the way they behave is a cultural norm to them - other than representing them as unjust criminals we are given an insight into the background of why they act the way they do. It is also putting the older, white British generation in a bad light - it is their pressure and horribly low expectations of the Black British youth combined with their families traditions that has left them with no choice but to act out. In these ways, this film whilst not portraying Black British citizens in the best light, does show the justification for why they act the way they do and for once, pins some blame on the White British.