Background"Teenage" is a non-traditional historic documentary released in 2013. The movie's conception is based on the historic advancement of the concept of teenage years and its effects on societal characteristics. Tracing the conception of youth culture from the late 19th to mid 20th centuries, the movie portrays the birth and evolution of the teenage phenomenon. The stories draw mainly from Jon Savage's book "Teenage: The Creation of Youth Culture". The documentary's development is a joint task involving the efforts of Matt Wolf, the director, and Jon Savage, the author.
Plot SynopsisThe story is thoroughly structured with the use of classic video footage, journal entries, and shot portraits directed through the voices of four fictional teens. The feature-length film encapsulates the origins of the teenage period across America, England, and Germany through these 4 characters based in the aforementioned places.
The movie begins at the dusk of the 19th century, a duration where kid labor was frequent and there was no middle ground in between youth and adulthood. The story moves into the early 20th century where kid labor laws were presented, resulting in the beginning of a new age group - teens.
The film offers insight into the various ways society tried to mold and reduce this new teen energy, through youth companies like the Boy Scouts, Hitler Youth, and Swing Kids. They illustrate the increase of youth culture and how teens attempted to rebel versus guidelines put upon them. As societal structures such as adult authoritarian rules and World War II conscription attempted to bound teenagers, they found ways to withstand by developing their own culture, highlighting their defiant nature and desire for liberty.
Artistic ApproachThrough a combined media-oriented method that incorporates newsreels, archival films, diary entries, and recreated scenes, the film achieves a dreamy visual quality. The filmmakers use this aesthetic dimension to bring out the psychological intensity linked with maturing, making the experience, struggles, and yearnings of these youths palpable. However, rather of traditional voiceover story, the movie uses actors' voices to indicate reflections of the fictional youth characters.
Styles and Reception"Teenage" sticks out both as an expedition of the roots of youth culture and an abstract representation of the essence of teenage years. Styles in the movie involve rebellion, vibrant exploration, and the establishment of identity. It tells how the world's understanding of youth has actually frequently been at chances with how teenagers view themselves and their location in society.
The movie received blended evaluations from critics. While some admired its innovative storytelling format, others criticized its lack of a clear, coherent story. In spite of the blended evaluations, "Teenage" is valued for introducing a different viewpoint on the principle of adolescence, stressing the socio-historical aspect of being a teenager instead of just the typical struggles connected with this important stage of life.
SummaryThe film "Teenage" is an expedition of the evolution and impact of the concept of adolescence from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. It focuses on how social structures and traditions added to the building and construction of youth culture. Oscillating between classical documentary storytelling and ingenious narrative techniques, "Teenage" uses both an insight into distinct historical durations and an emotive representation of the universal experience of adolescence.
Top Cast
