Racial and Class Discrimination in London - Movie Review Example

Zhu Liuting ENG106 Dr. Kurt Voss-Hoynes 11/19 Racial and Discrimination in London Racial and discrimination puts a wedge between therich White Anglo-Saxons Protestants (WASPS) and the other groups in London. As Philips and Bowling point out, “references to ‘race’ and ethnicity are commonplace in empirical criminology” (270). This situation is well-evidenced in Ritchie’s film Snatch, which shows how the various marginalized groups engage in various forms of criminal activity in order to make both ends meet against the odds. The film reveals that engagement in criminal activities is the only option left for the marginalized. In the film, the underprivileged is found to engage in a number of criminal activities ranging from arms and diamond dealership, dare devil robbery, violent murders, cunning blackmailing, dishonest gambling and unlicensed boxing. To illustrate, Boris (American) is an unscrupulous arms dealer while Doug “The Head” is a jewelry dealer in London who acts as a middleman for Cousin Avi, a diamond dealer based in New York. Similarly, there is bare-knuckles boxing and gambling as another avenue for survival for the underprivileged, especially the Pikies. For example, the film shows how the Pikie-Mickey O’Neil- gets into a bare-knuckle brawl with boxing champion “Gorgeous” George and badly injures him. This incident forces Mickey to enter boxing bouts to benefit bookies. In fact, it is not just getting a chance but he is forced into the same through necessity, coercion and blackmail, and the same is true in the lives of all marginalized people in London. The first element in the film that catches ones attention is the stereotyping and prejudice that make people look at others with disdain and doubt. For example, Tommy says about the Pikies, “These people don’t exist in society, you can’t find them, they live under their own laws and ignore everybody else’s” (Snatch). Similarly, there is the opinion that the Russians are as “bent” as the sickle and as “hard” as the hammer (Snatch). Thus, one can say that the entire society is marred by the evil of prejudice and stereotype and this makes them assign different roles to different people. A look into the story reveals that the entire film is a reaffirmation of this stereotype and nowhere has it tried to make the characters do anything that does not belong to the stereotypical role. To illustrate, the Irish Traveler (Pikie) Mickey O’Neil and his people are portrayed as caravan-dwelling, thick accented, and dim. They are dangerous bare-knuckle boxers. The film shows Mickey (the Pikie) manage to revenge the people who killed his mother and make a lot of money by resorting to violence, which, in fact, is the only way in front of him. As the film reveals, prejudice is an important element in making people view a specific ethnic group different from themselves. Hands says that the Russians are “Sneaky dogs” and Rose Bud says he “hates Russians” (Snatch). In total, it becomes evident that every character introduced by Ritchie is highly prejudiced against other marginalized groups, and this has a role in promoting violence. Jewesbury (41) points out that non-EU citizens in Britain find themselves in illegal and criminal engagements. In fact, the film reveals how and why these people are made to engage in robbery, thievery and other illegal activities for survival. For example, the Pikie, Mickey, is attracted by the fact that he would get a new caravan and becomes ready to fight as there is no other way for him to get one. Thus, it becomes evident that for the underprivileged in London, there is no legitimate way to make money to sustain their lives, and hence, is forced to engage in illegal activities to make money. In addition, one can see that once into criminal activities, these ethnic minorities do not get a chance to come out of the spiral of violence. To illustrate, Mickey’s dislike to obey Brick Top’s orders results in the death of his mother as Brick Top razes down the caravan belonging to Mickey while his mother is inside. Thus, one identifies two important elements attaching these people to crimes; the need for means of survival and pressure from various groups that exploit them. An interesting point here is that none of the characters manages to stay away from the spiral of violence. For example, the film shows how various crimes like robbery, blackmailing, unlicensed boxing, and killing are all interlinked. In addition, the film shows that engaging in one crime often takes one to other forms of crimes as well. For example, Franky “Four Fingers” is on his way to deliver a stolen 84-carat diamond to diamond-dealer Doug “The Head”. However, Franky ends up buying an illegal weapon from Boris and for that purpose, he is forced to place a bet at Brick Top’s bookies. Again, he meets his end at the hands of criminals. Similarly, Vinny and Sol are two small-time Black crooks hired by Boris to rob Franky. However, they end up kidnapping and killing Franky, and then go in search of the diamond to save their own lives. However, the most notable thing is that the end of the film shows Turkish and Tommy approaching Doug again to sell the diamond, giving the clear indication that the violence will continue for good. Thus, one gains the insight that for the underprivileged in London, it is not possible to carve out a living without illegal activities, and once in, they are unable to find a way out. Another notable thing is the nearly complete absence of law-enforcement agencies in the entire film. In the film, the law-enforcement agencies only arrive at the tail end of the criminal dealings. They are shocked to find two bodies in Vinny’s car. In addition, Vinny and his colleagues argue that it is unlikely for poor black men in an old car to be trailed by the police. As already noted, the way of life of the less dominant social groups in London is characterized by dangerous lifestyle that pushes them to live on the edge. As Fraser (31) points out, the privileged group rarely gets conscious even in “obvious aggression from their racial, ethnic, and religious rivals”. One can undoubtedly say that in the film Snatch, many of the underprivileged groups (for example, Pikies) live in their own world with their own laws. In other words, discriminatory and unequal policies drive the less dominant groups to the same corner from which they build structures that cannot be easily infiltrated by the police. This situation has two important implications; firstly, the number of crimes will continue to increase in London, and secondly, the WASPS will never get a chance to enjoy security and peace as their lives will always be at risk. In total, the film reveals two important things; firstly, the entire society possesses many prejudices about various marginalized groups, and these false beliefs seriously influence the way they treat each other. In addition, because of the prejudices, the marginalized do not get a chance to find legitimate ways to sustain their lives. This situation forces them to engage in criminal activities. Once in, they are unable to find ways to come out of the spiral of violence. Secondly, despite this horrible picture, the authorities and the mainstream society remain unaware and uninterested, leaving their own lives at risk. Works Cited Fraser, Andrew. The WASP Question: An Essay on the Bio cultural Evolution, Present Predicament, and Future Prospects of the Invisible. Australia: Arktos Media, 2011. Print. Jewesbury, Daniel. “The End of Tolerance: Racism in 21st Century Britain.”Variant 32 (2008): 39-42. Print. Phillips, Coretta, and Benjamin Bowling “Racism, ethnicity and criminology: developing minority perspectives.” British Journal of Criminology 43.2 (2003): 269-290. Print. Read More