Task Seven

Watch a UK-Based Drama and consider how young people are represented?

The programme ‘Common’ is about a young teen getting caught into a murder that he didn’t commit. The character Johnjo gets asked by three mates if he will drive them to the pizza shop, where the fatal murder of Tommy takes place. Johnjo unknowingly took place in the murder under the ‘law of joint enterprise’. The programme explores the contentious issues brought by ‘joint enterprise’.

· Use of costume;
The four main characters are wearing quite simple clothes, showing that they are just normal person. They aren’t really rich and wear designer clothes. Also the parents and friends are also wearing common clothes, showing that they are just an average family and they are just like everyone else. I think this is very effective because it shows that something like this could happen to anyone that it doesn’t just happen to certain people. That it an effect everyone it could be someone you walk past or someone that lives down your street.

· Use of actor;
The four main characters are played by young actors, they use language and act in the way for ‘typical’ teenage lads would act. When they find out the trouble that they could get into they all start to blame one another and bicker about who needs to take the blame. By using a young actor it helps the audience connect with the feelings that he would be going through, the actor that plays Johnjo takes on the role well and shows the real emotion that a young teenager would go through, making a good connection with the audience.

·  The character’s actions;
The main character Johnjo gets caught in a murder he didn’t commit, he drives the getaway car and doesn’t understand that one of his friends has killed another boy ‘Tommy’. After the murder has been committed the boy that committed the murder threated Johnjo to not be ‘grass’. But after Johnjo’s parents find out his position in this murder case, Johnjo walks to the police station and hands himself in. Telling the truth hoping that they would see that he isn’t guilty of murder, he only gives the name of one of other boys involved he never revels the rest, he only thinks that they need the killer to sort the case out. But with the new law all the boys need to be named because they were all involved.

After he has been sent to jail Johnjo writes a letter to Tommy’s mother Margaret explaining that he never wanted Tommy to be hurt. That he hopes he can forgive her for what has been done, he then explains that he understands that he is guilty for what had taken place. The two mothers then embrace and that gives people the understanding of both sides of the ‘joint enterprise’ and how they cope with it.