BRICK LANE and REPRESENTATION OF BRITISH ASIAN IDENTITY
In the opening scene of Brick Lane, we see Nazneen Ahmeds childhood in Bangladesh. Here Bangladesh is portrayed as a place of freedom and prosperity. The scenes of the girls running through long, lush, green fields and the close ups of bright red lady bugs are all key features in portraying Bangladesh and Nazeens childhoods as being one that is free from restriction.
Nazeen, at 17, is set up in an arranged marriage with Ahmed, who is twice her age. She is sent of to Brick Land in London, the centre of the British Bangladeshi community. The scene of her leaving is significant as it portrays the life she is leaving behind in Bangladesh. The sunlit lighting, the still clear water, and the rich colours of the sky suggest a life of freedom and unrestraint that she is now leaving. This beautiful scene is quickly contrasted with the cutaway shot of Brick Lane. There is an establishing shot of Brick Lane which is used as a comparative shot in order to show a lifestyle that is very different to the one Nazeen was used to living in Bangladesh. The harsh, structured, prison like building of Brick Lane suggests order, form and regulation.
Typically, we find that in an arranged marriage, the husband is usually the one to support the family. The woman are seen as the passive characters and are in charge of staying home and keeping the house in order. In Brick Lane, Nazeen, who is once portrayed as a passive and typical housewife, is quickly transformed into a independent and self-sufficient woman as she starts her own 'home company' sewing clothes and fabrics. This shows her indifference to the rules and regulations that are expected of her.
Nazeen, at 17, is set up in an arranged marriage with Ahmed, who is twice her age. She is sent of to Brick Land in London, the centre of the British Bangladeshi community. The scene of her leaving is significant as it portrays the life she is leaving behind in Bangladesh. The sunlit lighting, the still clear water, and the rich colours of the sky suggest a life of freedom and unrestraint that she is now leaving. This beautiful scene is quickly contrasted with the cutaway shot of Brick Lane. There is an establishing shot of Brick Lane which is used as a comparative shot in order to show a lifestyle that is very different to the one Nazeen was used to living in Bangladesh. The harsh, structured, prison like building of Brick Lane suggests order, form and regulation.
Typically, we find that in an arranged marriage, the husband is usually the one to support the family. The woman are seen as the passive characters and are in charge of staying home and keeping the house in order. In Brick Lane, Nazeen, who is once portrayed as a passive and typical housewife, is quickly transformed into a independent and self-sufficient woman as she starts her own 'home company' sewing clothes and fabrics. This shows her indifference to the rules and regulations that are expected of her.
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