In media studies, we quickly learn that every media product exists to make money. However, clearly a film about a middle-aged, disabled, working class man with a strong Geordie accent trying and failing to tackle to injustices of the UK benefits system is not going to have mainstream appeal. In fact, it doesn't sound like a very good way of making money at all. Why does it not include any fight sequences?
The function of I, Daniel Blake, and all social realist cinema, is to spread awareness of particular issues.
- The difficulty of accessing the benefits systems
- The uneven distribution of technology in our society
- Poverty exists, and being poor makes absolutely difficult
- The existence of food banks to fill in the gaps of the failures of the befits system
- The shame which exists with desperate poverty, and the difficulty in living a proud life
- Criticism of the conservative government, limits the film's financial potential
Advertising and promoting independent cinema
Traditionally, mainstream cinema is promoted in part through actors and directors etc appearing on talk shows and news broadcasts around the world to promote the film. However, to promote I Daniel Blake, Loach went on to Channel 4 news, and engaged in an argument with conservative MP Kwasi Kwateng
Chadwick Boseman gives an interview at a promotional event
Ken Loach criticises Kwasi Kwateng on a live Channel 4 news broadcast
Criticisms of I, Daniel Blake
While Blake certainly succeeds in promoting a clear political ideology, it arguably fails as a film. This is highly contentious, but the following are criticisms of this film:
- Dull, straightforward cinematography
- Unnecessarily long with lots of padding
- It doesn't suggest any meaningful changes, but instead is constant misery throughout
- Blunt, unappealing dialogue
- Some scenes are played out far too long
- A number of subplots just don't go anywhere, or feel forced
- Stereotypical caricatures of a feckless working class
- No shades of grey: every character is either completely good or completely bad
- Unrelenting misery throughout, which makes it hard to pick out individual scenes
- Poverty porn - where representations of deprivation, for example MES of council estates, graffiti and urban decay are used to appeal to predominantly middle class audiences. Top Boy is an excellent example of this!
Awards
Production and distribution
Blake was produced by many smaller production companies and supporting organisations, including
- Sundance Selects
- BBC Films
- Wild Bunch
- Sixteen Films
- eOne Films
- Why Not Productions
- Canal +
- Cine +
- BFI
- National Lottery
Marketing
eOne, the UK distributors of the film utilised a range of guerrilla marketing techniques, such as projecting quotes from the film on to buildings in Newcastle, and even projecting the name of the film on the houses of parliament. These marketing techniques occupy a legal grey area, and reinforces the radical political ideologies of the film. These marketing techniques reflect the themes presented in the film.
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- Twitter hashtags were used to raise issues online using a form of viral marketing
- Approached local newspapers with 'buy one get one free' offers, appealing to a working class audience. Also 'pay what you can screenings', often screened in places like function halls and village halls, and community centres, which allows access to working class audiences
- These methods work, as the film has a radical socialist political message. They clearly would not work for a mainstream big budget film
International distribution
