“Attack the Block” The story of the heroes of the boys contained in the block (high-rise housing complex)

What does block mean?

The most important thing to remember about this work is that it is set in a block. A block in British English is a so-called "apartment complex," but it's not just a residential complex; most of the people who live there are said to be from the low-income group. And the street gang boys who become the heroes in this work are the same class of kids who live on the block.

High-rise residential buildings (blocks), like tower apartments in Japan, are often said to be metaphors for social hierarchy. The same goes for the Indonesian film " The Raid " (2011), which was released in the same year as this film, and both films are said to have been influenced by the novel " High Rise " by British author J.G. Ballard. There is.

Also, in ``The Raid,'' the enemies become stronger as you advance to the upper floors, similar to Bruce Lee's ` `Game of Death '' (1978). As in, those who gained their wealth illegally live on the top floor.

"Attack the Block" (c)Photofest / Getty Images

A block may be nothing more than a high-rise building to those who don't live there. Still, it is an important place for the people who live there. This work is also a story of heroes, where they protect their own places.

At the end of the film, there is a scene where the police look down on the boys who fought against the Alien, saying, ``They're just street gangs after all.'' But others, like Sam, who fought alongside the boys, realized that although they were street gangs, they were much more than that.

Despite being science fiction entertainment, I can't help but feel that the fact that I can get a glimpse of this kind of movement towards bridging the divide through this work is like a ray of hope.

Text: Anzureratto

Writes mainly for the magazine "Eiga Hiho" (Yosensha). His book ``Black Movie Guide'' (Small Publishing) is now on sale.

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(c) Photofest / Getty Images