How are representations of youth culture constructed in “Suburbia?”

How are representations of youth culture constructed in “Suburbia?”

At the start of the film we see a girl hitchhiking this follows closely to eisenstadts theory that youth culture is the transition to adulthood, the act of hitchhiking is her passage of right to adulthood, as she has escaped the shackles of her parents and is becoming independent. We see a women pull over to help her, presumably offer her a ride, as she does this her baby is attacked by a pack of rabid dogs who quickly steal the baby from the car before killing it. The dogs themselves are a symbol of youths, specifically youths who have been abandoned such as this girl, fending for themselves. Again playing off Eisenstadts right of passage theory.

After the credit sequence we see a shot of a little boy riding around in circles on a tricycle on a street in surburbia. Firstly the tricycle is a symbol of childhood, the act of riding around in circles demonstrates literally the prison like nature and no escape from surburbia. A primary plot device that effects the youth culture in the film. We are the introduced to the main character, Evan. He is watching tv and playing video games. During this scene we are introduced to Evans crazy mother whom appears to be an alcoholic. She gets into an argument with Evan and throws a bottle at him, this act is the culmination of many arguments, thus Evan decides to leave.

Evan heads to a punk club, this introduces us to the punk sub culture via bricolage. We see their clothing choices, characteristics and even accents. This educates us firmly and allows the audience to determine and classify the punk sub culture. The theorist Dick Hebdige argues style such in the case of punks is a form or resistance to the hegemony of the masses. We see other theorists work come into play here, Laura Mulvey states women are objectified in the public gaze and we see that in action here as the punks strip a women naked for fun. This contradicts the punk ethos in a way as it takes ideas from misogynistic patriarchal hegemony the punks are rebelling against and indeed most youth subcultures are dominated by men. This helps show the link between youth and adulthood.

Evan heads back to the punks house, it is wrecked and used in the film as liminal space. A space which resides between the safe areas of childhood and adulthood. It has been tagged by the gang, making It a space in which this particular youth sub group feels safe. As the primary goal of such a group is to win space, perhaps as a way of rebelling against hegemony? we see this throughout the film.

We discover the group are called “the Rejected” this helps the viewer understand the groups purpose and tells us why these youths are exactly like this, whilst giving members of the group a sense of purpose and community which the lack whilst passing between childhood and adulthood.

As the film progresses we see the group clash with adults and authority, this shows the rift between the youth subculture and hegemony, again this clashes are about winning turf. However we see another contradiction as one of the group “Shelia” acts as a mother figure to the younger members of the group, by reading them bed time stories etc. These acts mimic the acts of the mainstream who “the rejected” are rebelling against. Perhaps this is due to the members of the group’s lack of a nurturing mother which is why the became part of the subculture in the first place. It could also be again the group looking for a sense of community and person.

Interestingly the only adult who sympathizes with the group is a black police man. This shows the juxtaposition of a minority like the youth subcultures with someone who is part of the hegemony. This could be seen as his motive for helping the group and also due to him being one of the groups step father.

Towards the end of the film, we see the groups primary enemy ( a adult male group, whom are part of the hegemony) plotting the downfall of “the rejected”. However as they speak of the groups sins they themselves are sitting in a strip club, this highlights the hypocritical nature of the hegemony society. The film ends with the youngest member of “the rejected” being killed, the film comes full circle as a baby was killed at the start, the last shot is of Evan cradling the boy (his brother) unlike other films of this type (rebel without a cause, the Hannah Montana story) the protagonist does not complete his right of passage into adulthood. This leaves his fate ambiguous.