SWEET SIXTEEN

UK, 2002, 106 minutes, Colour.
Martin Compston, William Ruane, Annmarie Fulton, Michelle Coulter, Gary Mc Cormack, Martin Mc Cardie.
Directed by Ken Loach.

Ken Loach and his writer, Paul Laverty, have been in Scotland before for My Name is Joe. This time, their focus is on teenagers on the verge of sixteen. The romantic songs and the phrase 'Sweet sixteen and never been kissed' belong to another era. These youngsters are worldlywise and streetwise, especially Liam (Martin Compston). They know unemployment. And they know drugs. The demands on them in family, in crime, are more than enough for adults. Loach brings his customary seriousmindedness and emotional toughness to a story that leads to a sense of despair rather than hope as it ends on Martin's sixteenth birthday.

1.The work of Ken Loach? Human interest? Social concern? Problems? His writer Paul Laverty and his knowledge of Scotland? Their collaboration on many films? The beginning of the 21st century?

2.The Scottish settings and atmosphere, the city of Glasgow, the village, the coast, the Clyde River? The use of the locations? Homes, caravans, pubs? The importance of the range of songs, their forming part of the screenplay? The musical score?

3.The title, the focus on Liam, Liam at fifteen, the film ending on his sixteenth birthday? What had happened to him during his sixteenth year? Where was he going?

4.The prologue, gazing at the stars? The cash? The cigarettes, the crash, the helmet?

5.The character of Liam? The amateur actor, football player, convincing in this role? His situation? His being in the homes, the way that he was treated in the homes? His standing up for his rights? His love for his mother, her being in prison, her being in prison because of her boyfriend, serving time for him? The lack of home life? His going to his sister, Chantelle? His being best friends with Pinball? Their mateship? The clashes with Stan? His harsh grandfather? The car and prison? Coffee and the kiss? The refusal, the bashing?

6.His time with Pinball, with Suzanne? Hanging out? His dream about the caravan, Green Rock? His hopes, love for his mother, wanting a happy future for her, getting away from Stan? His dreams about raising the money?

7.His watching Stan, the interactions with Stan, the Scots dialogue and the forcefulness? Stealing, selling the drugs taken from Stan? His being bashed and bashing? The various dealers, the boss? The mo-peds and the pizzas? The deals, the money, the splash? Pinball and the car and the crash?

8.The test for Liam, the gangland boss, wanting Liam to kill? The offer for the deal? Wanting to get the caravan for his mother? The punishment? Pinball and his going, his face, the truth about the caravan?

9.Liam and his relationship with Chantelle? Talking with her? Chantelle wanting to have nothing to do with her mother? Her warnings to Liam, his asking her to give his mother a second chance? Her looking after him, his wounds? His relationship with his grandfather, tough, harsh? The background of the soccer, the ride, the caravan, the picnic and the burning?

10.The portrait of his mother, in jail, the visits, her coming out, his plan? Waiting, the flat, the party? Leaving and his anger? The pizzas? Attempting to raise money with the black market cigarettes, the pubs? His birthday, Stan and the stabbing? Finally on the beach?

11.The background of criminal activity in Glasgow, in the Scottish countryside, drugs and dealers, their brutality? The law, the prison system?

12.Liam on his birthday, his potential, the waste? His values, being a survivor? His background,