MovieChat Forums > Eden Lake (2008) Discussion > Is this movie fair to the UK/ working cl...

Is this movie fair to the UK/ working classes?

posted 9 years ago by TheSouthernDandy
6 replies | jump to latest

I'm from the US, so I'm clueless about UK social classes, but there were strong social distinctions between the main characters and the teens obvious even to me. Putting aside the horror aspects of the film, it seems like class differences were a big subtext in this movie. All of the bad guys were decked out in English regalia and flags, for instance. So I don't know exactly what social class the movie was trying to depict, but I wonder if it was an accurate representation of them or a smear job? Is it fair to England in general because I have to say that this movie didn't do anything good for my opinion of that country? Again I'm not talking about the sadism and psychopathic villains so much as the restaurant and home scenes and other everyday scenes and people that the movie goes out of its way to depict.

[–] Superkickass77 9 years ago

Sadly it is a fairly accurate depiction of a certain type of person, but I don't think it represents the nation or a particular area.

[–] galluslass 9 years ago

You have the underclass or working class ( obviously they are not all like the folk depicted here) and the professional educated middle classes. Both groups (as in the movie) would usually be quite seperate and the differences obvious.

I'm sure the U.S. has just the same.

[–] Norma_Snockers 9 years ago

You have the underclass or working class

Hi - I don't mean to be picky but the way you worded that seemed to indicate that the working class are the same as the underclass - when the underclass is something from no class at all.

BTW - I've not seen this film - I've considered watching it (word of mouth reviews have indicated it is very good - but the comments here on IMDb would seem to claim something else altogether.

Time flies like the wind - and fruit flies like bananas! 

[–] mezomorph 9 years ago

It's the same. Yours are rednecks and theirs are bloody-rednecks.

[–] marlarkey 9 years ago

When watching this film, I couldn't stop myself thinking of the film deliverance.

That depicts a similar clash of classes, with similar results.

[–] kerm1t 8 years ago

Yes and no. There is a class division (although it's blury, because you'll find lots of people who are some are somewhere in between the two), but it did seem as if this movie was pandering to middle class stereotypes of the working class being something to be scared of.

To redress the balance I'd like to see a sequel in which a working class couple go on holiday to Richmond on Thames. The plot is as follows:

1) They go to the beach. A group of teenagers nearby tut at them for drinking lager.
2) When they get back to their car they find a note on the windscreen, 'kindly refrain from parking here'.
3) They go to a cafe. People at the next table tut at the man for not wearing a tie.
4) Back in the woods, the man leaves a cigarette end on the ground. The teenagers are too polite to say anything, but making tutting sounds.
5) The leader of the group of teens encourages his friends to tut at the couple. Some of the younger ones are reluctant because they 'don't want to make a scene'.
6) The couple flee, with the teens in hot persuit on their segways, tutting all the time and taunting them with comments such as 'that sort of thing isn't on, old chap' and 'I think you should leave now please'

The end.