The Film Absolute Beginners

The film “Absolute Beginners” starts out as a fresh breath of air in comparison to “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner” and the other male figures we have seen in the past readings. The use of color and music make the film an upbeat story, even though the actual plot is dark. The film ultimately expresses the rising conflict of racial tensions and the tensions between the different subgroups of youth in London. 

The main character Colin is a photographer who is infatuated with Suzette. While he is “poor” he is happy, and finds this happiness in his exciting nightlife and his ability to capture the youth culture with his camera. It is only when Suzette displays an interest in being with a successful and wealthy man that Colin begins to see that he must take his life more seriously if he wants to win her back. Colin goes to work for the recording company, helping to promote pop artists through his photos. 

He then begins to work with Vendice, played by Bowie, and joins the ever-growing group of people who are giving in to the rise of commercialism. It is only after he sees how this is affecting his own neighborhood that he realizes that it is not essentially good for society, and witnesses how it adds to the racial tension by pitting one group against another. 

This film was particularly interesting when considering the depiction of subculture groups. The depiction of the Mods and the Teddy Boys helped me to understand the principles of each group better than “Subculture and the Meaning of Style” did. It was easier for me to understand what made each group significantly different from one another by seeing the groups depicted in the movie with their subculture specific garb and attitudes.