Sing Street Study

Booklet

Junior Cycle English Studied Film

Name: ____________________________________________

Table of Contents
1
Introduction to Film Techniques/Vocabulary 3
Camera Shots and Angles 6
Details of the Film 8
Character List 8
Setting 12
Plot Summary 13
Music in the Film 15
Review of the Film 20
Key Moment 1: Opening Scene 24
Key Moment 2: Starting the Band 26
Key Moment 3: Conor and Raphina 28
Key Moment 4: Brother Baxter Attacks 29
Key Moment 5: Parents’ Split 31
Key Moment 6: Brendan’s Breakdown 32
Key Moment 7: Drive It Like You Stole It 33
Key Moment 8: The Dance 35
Key Moment 9: Ending Scene 36
Important Quotes

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Film

Techniques/Vocabulary:
Mise-en-scene:
● The arrangement of everything that appears in the framing – actors, lighting, décor,
props, costume – is called mise-en-scène, a French term that means “placing on
stage.”
● The frame and camerawork are also considered part of the mise-en-scène of a
movie.
● If it’s on the screen and if it’s a physical object recorded by the camera, then it’s part
of the mise-en-scène.

Narrative:
● This refers to the story or the plotline of the film.

Genre:

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 ● This refers to the type of film that is being studied, for example,
horror/romance/comedy/science fiction.

Representation:
● How does this film show people? Are they accurately represented? Are there any
stereotypes present and if so, why? Are they deliberate or unintentional?

Cinematography:
● This refers to the choice of camera angles and shots used in the film.

Editing:
● This refers to how the different shots and scenes of the film are put together. Editing
can have a drastic effect on the storyline and what gets emphasised in the film. It can
also affect pacing.

Special Effects:
● Special effects are illusions or visual tricks used in film to create imagined events in a
story or virtual world.

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Lighting:
The way that the scene is lit for the audience. Lighting can have an impact on the tone and
mood of a scene.

Production Design:
Production design is the creation and organization of the physical world surrounding a film
story. Anything that is included in the set should tell us something about the characters and
the world that they live in.

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Camera Shots and Angles:
SHOTS

1. Establishing Shot
● It normally shows an exterior, often the
outside of a building, or a landscape.
● There will be very little detail visible in the
shot, it's meant to give a general impression
rather than specific information.

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 2. Long Shot
● A shot which shows the image as
approximately "life" size. This
category includes the full shot
showing the entire human body,
with the head near the top of the
frame and the feet near the
bottom.
● While the focus is on characters,
plenty of background detail still
emerges. We can tell Harry and
Slughorn are in a classroom, most
probably potions because of all the jars.

3. Mid Shot
● Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for dialogue
scenes, or to show some detail
of action.
● The audience already know
where they are and now want
to focus on dialogue and
character interaction.

4. Close Up
● This shows very little background, and
concentrates on either a face, or a
specific detail of mise en scène.
● Everything else is just a blur in the
background. This shot magnifies the
object and shows the importance of
things, be it words written on paper, or
the expression on someone's face.
● The close-up takes us into the mind of a
character. A film-maker may use this to
make us feel extra comfortable or extremely uncomfortable about a character, and
usually uses a zoom lens in order to get the required framing.

ANGLES:

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 1. Bird’s Eye
View
● This shows a scene from directly overhead, a
very unnatural and strange angle. Familiar
objects viewed from this angle might seem
totally unrecognisable at first (umbrellas in a
crowd, dancers' legs).
● This shot does, however, put the audience in a
godlike position, looking down on the action.
People can be made to look insignificant, ant-like, part of a wider scheme of things.

2. Eye Level
● A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned
as though it is a human actually observing a
scene, so that actors' heads are on a level with
the focus.

3. Low Angle
● Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a
viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a
scene.
● The added height of the object may make it
inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer, who is
psychologically dominated by the figure on the
screen.

Details of
the Film:
Year Released: 2016

Rating: 12

Director: John Carney

Script: John Carney

Cast: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Aidan Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy and others.

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Characters and Cast:
1. Conor (Cosmo) Lawlor:
● Conor is the film’s protagonist or main character. He’s
15 years old.
● He is bullied and picked on in Synge Street and is
mocked for being posh.
● He forms the band in order to impress Raphina but
ends up enjoying being creative and making music.
● He is really close to his older brother Brendan and asks
him for advice about music and girls.
● He is determined and becomes more rebellious as the film goes on. He mocks Brother
Baxter at the school disco and eventually leaves school to go to England with Raphina.

2. Raphina
● Raphina is a 16 year old girl from a difficult family
background who is trying to make it as a model.
● She originally appears to be in the band’s music video for
The Riddle of the Model. She suggests ideas for makeup and
styling.
● She is supportive of the band’s music and willing to commit
for art. She jumps into the harbour when shooting one of
their videos because it will make the video better.
● She is in an on-and-off relationship with Eamon who is
much older and physically hits her.
● Her father is dead while her mother is in hospital due to
being a manic depressant.
● She dreams of escaping and going to London so that she can pursue her dream of being a
model.
● She gives Conor the nickname Cosmo. She realises that if he’s going to be in a band, he
needs a cooler alter ego.

3. Brendan Lawlor:
● Brendan is Conor’s older brother who at the start of the
film has already dropped out of college.
● He is passionate about music and often gives advice and
opinions to Conor about various bands. He also
frequently smokes marijuana.
● He encourages him to follow his dream of music and to
take something of himself.
● He finds it difficult to be considered a failure and a
dropout. He blames their parents for not showing him
much attention when he was younger.

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 ● He is the one who drives Conor and Raphina to Dalkey at the end of the film, supporting
their decision to leave Ireland.

4. Barry:
● Barry begins the film as the school bully. He targets
Conor almost immediately when Conor arrives in Synge
Street. He humiliates him by making him dance under
the threat of violence.
● He comes from a difficult family situation in which it is
clear that his parents are alcoholics.
● He joins the band as a roadie to escape his tough home
situation and to make something of himself.
● He is partially responsible for the band’s success at the
school dance.

5. Eamon:
● Eamon is the most musically talented out of the group in the band. Eamon can play multiple
instruments and helps Conor to write the music to
their songs.
● Eamon lives at home and it is clear that his mother
loves him. She often sits in or is involved in their
rehearsals.
● He can get embarrassed by her intruding but it is
clear that they get along overall.
● He also owns many rabbits as pets.

6. Darren:
● Darren is the first friend that Conor makes when
he arrives in Synge Street. Darren helps Conor
deal with Barry’s bullying.
● Darren is the person that Conor pretends is the
band’s manager to impress Raphina.
● He is the source of much comic relief in the film.

7. Penny Lawlor:

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 ● She is Conor’s mother. She, along with her
husband, make the decision to move Conor from a
Jesuit school in Dublin to Synge Street Secondary
School. We know that she is unhappy in her
marriage as she begins an affair with Tony, a man
from work.
● Conor’s mother is unhappy in her job as well and
rushes home from work to enjoy going out in the
sun.
● She moves out of the family home and in with her
new partner Tony.

8. Robert Lawlor:
● Conor’s father. He also makes the decision to
send Conor to Synge Street because of financial
issues.
● He gives his oldest son Brendan a hard time over
dropping out of college.
● Throughout the film, he spends much of his time
arguing with Conor’s mother.

Brother Baxter:
● Baxter is part of the Christian Brothers and is the
headmaster of Synge Street.
● He is strict and authoritative to both students and
to teachers.
● He immediately takes a dislike to Conor about the
fact that Conor is wearing the wrong colour
shoes. He embarrasses him by making him go
without.
● He is physically aggressive with Conor when
Conor refuses to take off the makeup that he’s
worn to school.
● It is clear that the rest of the school hate him also when they join in to the band’s song
“Brown Shoes” which mocks him.

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Setting:
● The film takes place in
Dublin during the 1980s.

● The locations where this film

were shot include Synge
Street CBS, St Catherine’s
Park and Coliemore Harbour
on Dalkey Island.

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 ● The grungy, dirty laneways and buildings seen in the film demonstrate
how the 1980s were a time of economic difficulty in Ireland. There was
high unemployment as well as high emigration. The problem of
emigration is mentioned throughout the film, with
Raphina constantly saying that she will have to get
out of Ireland to successfully become a model.

● The director of this film, John Carney, actually

attended Synge Street when he was a student. The
dark, old-fashioned classrooms represent how this
school is seen as repressive and restrictive for its
students with its many rules.

● The coastal settings are seen as a places of possibility. Out in Dun

Laoghaire is the first place where Conor and Raphina kiss after shooting
a music video. Dalkey is where they go to escape at the end of the film
when they decide to go to England together.

● The time and setting also influences

the character’s fashion choices,
slang words and accents.

Plot Summary:
● In south inner-city Dublin in 1985, the Lawlor parents announce that in order to save
money he is taking his youngest son Conor out of his expensive fee-paying school
and moving him to a Christian Brothers school, Synge Street CBS.
● Conor's older brother Brendan mocks him about the change as well as about the
state of the family unit.
● Conor appears in school on the first day in his new uniform, but without the
regulation black shoes. The school principal Br. Baxter, takes him to task for this
despite Conor’s pleas of being unable to afford new black shoes, eventually forcing

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 him to complete the day
shoeless. The shoe problem is
resolved by painting the shoes
black using paint from the art
room.
● An encounter with the school
bully, Barry introduces Conor to
Darren, an ally and budding
entrepreneur. When Conor tells
the beautiful aspiring model,
Raphina, in order to impress her,
that he needs a model for a music video his band is making, Darren agrees to
manage the band and introduces him to multi-instrumentalist Eamon.
● The band practices in Eamon's living room, playing a bunch of 1980s covers. Conor,
however, has a sibling-induced epiphany when Brendan encourages him to drop the
covers and develop the band's own style. He begins writing original songs with
Eamon, describing themselves as "futurists."
● The band film their first music video for their song "The Riddle of the Model",
wearing a motley assortment of comical costumes, with Raphina.
● Conor goes into school the
next day wearing make up,
he gets called into Baxter's
office and told to remove
the makeup. Conor refuses
and as he walks away
Baxter grabs him forcing
him into the bathroom and
forcibly removing the make
up by pushing his face into a sink.
● Raphina gives Conor his nickname "Cosmo", which she says is more in keeping with
his new band's image and the band continues to write and record new songs.
● After spending the day filming a music video for a new song, Conor and Raphina kiss.
Conor also manages to stand up to Barry by pointing out the insignificance of his life
as well as his own, which greatly upsets Barry.
● At home Conor’s parents’ marriage is falling apart, while Raphina and Conor's
relationship blossoms. Conor takes Raphina out to Dalkey Island in his granddad's
motor cruiser. Here they view the car ferry leaving Dun Laoghaire for Britain and
discuss Raphina's dream of leaving Ireland for London.
● Conor, Raphina, and the band then prepare to film a music video for their new song,
"Drive It Like You Stole It", but Conor is disheartened when Raphina fails to show up.
Later, she reveals that she was set to leave for London with her boyfriend that day,
but he abandoned her.
● Deeply hurt by her lack of disclosure and becoming even more offended by her
nonchalance, Conor breaks up with Raphina. Because of the break-up, along with his

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 family's problems, Conor finds difficulty in writing or playing music, but Brendan
urges Conor to carry on so that at least he can escape his small-town doldrums and
make a better future for himself.
● An opportunity arises for the band to play live at an end of year party at school.
Conor manages to strike a friendship with Barry, offering him the chance to be the
band's roadie and escape the physically and emotionally abusive relationship he has
with his alcoholic father, which he accepts.
● Conor prepares a new song, "Brown Shoes", mocking Baxter, which the band
perform as an encore while distributing homemade masks of Baxter’s face.
● Raphina arrives before the band finishes their song and reconciles with Conor, and
both of them leave the party and the school in uproar.
● After secretly saying his goodbyes to his family later that night, Conor and Raphina
persuade Brendan to drive them to Dalkey so they can escape in the motor cruiser
and head to London.
● Brendan agrees and drives them to the harbour, where Brendan and Conor exchange
an emotional embrace. Conor and Raphina sail out to sea, following the ferry across
the rough Irish Sea to a new life in London. Brendan watches them disappear into
the distance and cheers, overjoyed that his younger brother has left to go on to
greater things.

Music in
the Film:
● Music plays an important role in this film.

● The soundtrack is composed of popular

songs from the 1980s and also original
songs that have been written especially for this film.

Name of the Song in the Film: Original Artist:

Stay Clean Motorhead
The Riddle of the Model Sing Street Cast

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 Rio Duran Duran
Up Sing Street Cast
To Find You Sing Street Cast
A Town Called Malice The Jam
In Between Days The Cure
Maneater Hall and Oates
Drive It Like You Stole It Sing Street Cast
Girls Sing Street Cast
Brown Shoes Sing Street Cast

● The music that Conor and the band are listening to at the time, has an influence on
the band’s direction and how they dress.

● The original songs from the film tell us much about the characters and how they are
feeling in that scene. It also tells us what they have been influenced by.

● Conor starts off wearing old fashioned sixties inspired outfits showing that he is
unsure about what ‘look’ the band is going for. His fashion choice is then reminiscent
of the artist David Bowie, with his blonde highlights and makeup. His style then looks
similar to that of the band, The Cure with the backcombed hair and trench coats. For
the ‘Drive It Like You Stole It’ sequence, Conor imagines he is wearing a burgundy
suit, similar to that worn by Marty McFly in the popular Eighties film, “Back to the
Future.”

Drive It Like
You Stole It
Drive it like you stole it

You just can't stand the way that I

walked out from the wreckage

Can't understand the way that I turned myself around

I tried to terminate this war

With you

But you won't let it go

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You keep coming back for more

Freedom

I'm takin' it back

I'm outta here, no turnin' back

In a baby blue Cadillac

Just when I was stallin'

I heard an angel callin'

This is your life

You can go anywhere

You gotta grab the wheel and own it

And drive it like you stole it

Roll it

This is your life

You can be anything

You gotta learn to rock and roll it

You gotta put the pedal down

And drive it like you stole it

And drive it like you stole it

We get stuck in the dirt

And we can't see where we're going

We face all kinds of hurt

And the friction slows us down

But I won't be waiting here for the world to win me gold

And I'll leave your dust behind me

Stranded in the road

Freedom

I'm takin' it back

Attitude

I'm givin' it back

In a baby blue Cadillac

Just when I was stallin'

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I heard an angel callin'

This is your life

You can go anywhere

You gotta grab the wheel and own it

You gotta put the pedal down

And drive it like you stole it

This is your life

You can go anywhere

You gotta grab the wheel and own it

And drive it like you stole it

Roll it

This is your life

You can be anything

You gotta learn to rock and roll it

You gotta put the pedal down

And drive it like you stole it

(Hoo, hoo, hoo-ooh-ooh)

And drive it like you stole it

(Hoo, hoo, hoo-ooh-ooh)

And drive it like you stole it

Looking Closer at the

Song…
1. What does the dream music-video
sequence tell us about Conor? What is
it that he wants?

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 2. Why do you think the video has an American fifties theme rather than
being set in Ireland?

3. Are there any particular lines in this song that could relate to Conor’s
situation?

4. How would you describe the tone of this song?

5. What does this song tell us about being a young person? What does it
advise them to do?

Brown Shoes
Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?
You wear a dress and tell me not to wear brown
shoes
You think you're man enough to wash the makeup
off my face right now?
But don't you know the bigger that they are the
harder they fall?
And the boot's on the other foot now
Buckle up, we're taking you down
See, your curtain's falling, so take your bow
And who the hell is he to tell me who to be?

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If he wants me dancing, he can watch on MTV
You try to shut me up
I'll turn the volume up and drown you out
But don't you know the bigger that they are the harder they fall?
Yeah, the boot's on the other foot now
Buckle up, we're taking you down
See, your curtain's falling, so take your bow
'Cause you had your time in the sun
And it's no use banging your drum
Now the boot's on the other foot, take your bow
What's gonna define the rest of your life?
Start facing the truth
You're stuck with the lies
Sharp end of your knife is pointing at you
Your up will be down
Just hanging around in gravity boots
You're stuck in the past
I'm writing the future
Yeah, the boot's on the other foot now
Buckle up, we're taking you down
And your mask is slipping, so take your bow
Yeah, you had your time in the sun
Does it hurt when you're kicking someone?
'Cause the boot's on the other foot
Boot's on the other foot
Boot's on the other foot now
Yeah, take your bow

Looking closer at
the song…
1. What do you think will be the
consequences of Conor
performing this song?

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 2. What specific lines are aimed at Brother Baxter?

3. What is the main message of this song?

4. Which song do you prefer? This or “Drive It Like You Stole It”? Why?

Review of “Sing Street”

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/15/movies/review-sing-street-is-an-80s-love-affair-hair-
gel-required.html

If you were not a teenager in the 1980s, John Carney’s “Sing Street” is likely to
beguile you with the sweet, universal energy of youth. By the same token, if you were
a teenager in that much-maligned decade, the movie might make you feel old and a
little cranky. Don’t get me wrong. As a 21st-century moviegoer, I was touched by this
pop fable. But as a grizzled survivor of the age of Duran Duran, I found myself

21
picking nits about its musical choices (most of which are three or four years out of
sync with the plot) and occasionally resisting its winsome, cheeky, post-punk spirit.

That’s my problem, and it’s a

problem less with the film — an
autobiographical tribute to Dublin,
hair gel and the power of lip-syncing
— than with the passage of time and
the tiny schisms that open up within
a single generation’s experience. The
narcissism of small differences, you
might say. Envy and regret, you
might say. Heaven knows I’m
miserable now.

In any case, the charms of “Sing

Street” should not be
underestimated. Partly because its
manner is unassuming and its story
none too original — a young man’s
coming-of-age amid the chaos of
home, the rigidity of school and the
riot of stirring hormones and
budding ambition — it’s easy to
overlook Mr. Carney’s ingenuity and
sensitivity. A songwriter himself, he
specializes in movies about striving
tunesmiths who fuse dreams of glory
with the drive for love, connection
and authenticity.

In “Once,” his overachieving breakthrough feature, the musical idiom was sincere
and acoustic. “Sing Street,” in contrast, embraces the high artifice and self-conscious
irony of early and mid-80s mostly British pop, a music replete with cheesy keyboard
effects, cotton-candy harmonies and pouty posing. Its hero is not a striving
professional, but rather an ardent amateur, a 15-year-old boy who decides to start a
band because he wants to impress a girl.

His name is Cosmo, and he’s played with a perfect blend of diffidence, confidence
and sly charisma by Ferdia Walsh-Peelo. Cosmo lives with his brother and sister and
their bickering parents (Aidan Gillen and Maria Doyle Kennedy) whose financial
worries force Cosmo to change schools. He lands in an institution run by the
Christian Brothers. The school, on Synge Street — an address that lends its name to
both the film and Cosmo’s band — is a rougher scene than he’s used to. The bully
takes a special interest in him, and so does the autocratic, creepy headmaster.

Cosmo, meanwhile, is smitten with Raphina (Lucy Boynton), a slightly older girl who
lives in a nearby group home. She wants to run off to London to become a model, and
he offers her a starring role in a music video. This promise leads to a scramble: The

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young swain needs songs, and also musicians, musical instruments, a video camera,
and costumes.

All of that appears, if not quite by magic then by the kind of grace that operates in
movies like this one. A pipsqueak sidekick becomes Sing Street’s manager and helps
Cosmo recruit a songwriting partner with a houseful of equipment. Before long, a
quintet takes shape and the tunes — written by Mr. Carney, with an uncanny ear for
the styles of the era — start to flow.

Cosmo is tutored in music by his older brother, Brendan (Jack Reynor, looking like
an Irish Seth Rogen), a college dropout with an extensive LP collection and a surfeit
of rock ’n’ roll wisdom. The band cycles through a range of available influences — the
Jam, the Cure, Joe Jackson, Hall & Oates — and Cosmo’s style of dress changes
accordingly. The costume design, by Tiziana Corvisieri, is generally flawless. All those
puffy sleeves and acid-washed denim.

The sound mix may be a little too polished for a schoolboy combo cutting demos on a
push-button cassette recorder, but Sing Street’s videos and songs feel like the
plausible products of a precocious sensibility. For its part “Sing Street” is generally
up-tempo and sentimental, but its nostalgia is rarely cloying and its plot doesn’t feel
overly contrived. There is an undercurrent of darkness and frustration rippling under
the bright optimism. Around the edges of the story is a penumbra of real trouble:
alcoholism, domestic and sexual abuse, stalled careers and broken marriages.

Such trouble inspires Cosmo’s fantasy of escape, and also grounds the escapism of
“Sing Street” itself in a recognizable reality. The movie understands how
enchantment and disappointment go together, like the A and B sides of a single that
won’t leave the turntable.

1. What are some of the positives that the reviewer enjoyed about this
film?

2. What criticisms did he have about this film?

3. How much detail does this reviewer give about the plot?

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 4. How would you describe the language of this review?

5. In your English copy, write your own review of this film. Be sure to
include details of the plot, elements you enjoyed, elements of the film
you didn’t enjoy and a recommendation.

Key Moment 1 - Opening Scene of the

Film:

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 ● Black screen, guitar strumming. First shot is close up of protagonist, Conor, with his
guitar. Camera zooms out, we see that he is sitting on his bed in his room. We see a
poster on the wall behind him, exam papers lying beside him on the bed. We hear
muffled voices of adults having an argument. The protagonist slams his bedroom
door shut. The camera zooms in on the protagonist as he begins to use the insults he
hears as lyrics for an imaginary song.

● Cut to black screen with the words ‘Dublin 1984’ written on it and a voiceover of a
news anchor explaining the emigration of young Irish people for a better life in
London. Ireland is in the midst of a deep recession. Camera zooms out to reveal a
television screen and a half empty glass of wine on top of the TV set. Panning then
and our protagonist is sitting at the kitchen table. We see empty dinner plates, a
bottle of wine, a bottle of spirits, and everyone is wearing extra clothes.

● Conor’s older brother, Brendan, arrives and is the first to speak; ‘This meeting has
been called to order’. Conor’s father is sitting at the head of the table, smoking.
Close up of Dad as he explains Conor’s new school arrangements – the family are in
extreme financial distress and can no longer afford to send Conor to a private school.
He will start in the Christian Brothers, a local public school, founded on the motto,
Act Manly. Everyone leaves, Conor is alone at the table, looking miserable.

● Cut to school crest on the side of a building; ‘Singe Street’; it’s Conor’s first day at his
new school, dolly shot follows Conor as he makes his way in. There’s rock and roll
music, and the camera captures the business of the environment from Conor’s point
of view. There’s a lot of unruly activity including school yard fighting and the fast
paced music adds to the chaotic atmosphere with the lyrics ‘stay clean’. It’s hectic
and crowded. There is a low angle shot of Brother Baxter overseeing all that is going
on.

● Cut to a classroom, Conor is sitting at the top of the class, he obviously stands out as
the only student not misbehaving. We see everything from Conor’s point of view –
nobody is paying attention to the teacher who has his back to the class – students
are smoking etc. Brother Baxter enters the classroom and instantly there is order as
the students stand to greet him.

● Cut to film title on screen: ‘Sing Street’ in white letters on a black background. All of
this gives us vivid impressions of our protagonist in the opening scene of the film.

Questions about the Opening:

1. What kind of camera effect is used at the very beginning?

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2. What is the setting (time and place), what evidence did you find to suggest
this?
3. What are the viewers initial impressions of the protagonist from the opening
scene of this film?
4. Do we feel pity for the protagonist or do we admire him? Why?
5. What is the significance of the Low Angle Shot of Br. Baxter as Conor walks
into school?

Key Moment 2 – Starting the Band

● Conor quickly comes to the attention of headmaster Br. Baxter, with his incorrect
school uniform (brown shoes instead of black). He then encounters the school bully,

26
 Barry, during a disturbing homophobic and violent scene where Conor stands up for
himself.

● At home we see the positive relationship Conor has with older brother Brendan
through their shared love of music. We learn more about life at home for Conor as
his parents openly drink alcohol and there isn’t enough money to put the heating on.

● Tension grows in school over Conor’s shoes and we see close up shots of him
wearing just his socks as he has been forced to leave his shoes with the headmaster
while he is in school, song ‘I Fought the Law’ by punk rock group The Clash plays in
the background. There is another disturbing encounter with Barry then Conor meets
Darren and then, Raphina.

● To get Raphina’s phone number Conor pretends he’s in a band. This scene is shot
using low angles of her (powerful) and high angles of Conor (vulnerable). The Dolly
Shot of Conor returning to Darren captures his excitement before he states, ‘we
need to form a band’.

● Darren and Conor call to Eamonn’s house and recruit him with Conor exclaiming, ‘I’m
a futurist…no nostalgia, no looking backwards, just forward.’. Eamonn is clearly very
talented and we see his difficult home life situation – his father is a violent alcoholic
who is in rehab.

● The next member to be recruited is Nigig and we see elements of racism here as
Darren states ‘he’ll be able to play something, he’s black!’. Ariel shots of the boys
going to Nigig’s house show the setting as a run down block of flats in inner city
Dublin.

● The remaining members, bassist Larry and drummer Garry, are recruited when they
respond to a poster in school seeking musicians for a ‘Futurist band’. They all meet in
Eamonn’s backyard shed and the band ‘Sing Street’ is formed. Slow motion camera
shot used to show each member exiting the shed suggests power and the start of
good things for these boys.

● At their first practice session they play a cover song. However, advice from Brendan
inspires Conor to start writing his own songs. The band compose their first song that
will be used for a music video featuring Raphina, ‘Riddle of the Model’. They set up
to shoot the video in a back alley covered with graffiti. We see the that the boys

27
 have developed a relationship and are coming together as a team. Raphina arrives to
shoot the video.

Questions about Starting the Band:

1. What problems or difficulties have presented for our protagonist at this point in the film?
2. A key scene during this part of the film is where the band members are gathered together
in Eamonn’s back garden shed. What can we learn about each member of the group from
this scene?
3. What impression do we have of them as a group from this scene? Justify your answer by
referring to camera technique(s).
4. What is your opinion of the headmaster, Br. Baxer, by the end of this section of the film?
Why?
5. What is your opinion of the relationship between our protagonist and his brother? Explain
your answer by referring to the film.

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Key Moment 3 - Conor and Raphina
(39 minutes)
Conor has written a song called “She Lights Me
Up” which is clearly all about Raphina and how
much he loves her. The song is uplifting and
hopeful about a new relationship. The song’s
lyrics are as follows: “I think I'm back in the
dream/ I think I'm back on the ceiling/ It's such a
beautiful feeling/ Going up/She lights me up/She
breaks me up/She lifts me up.”
We see the band playing this song together and it cements the audience’s trust and belief in
the band. They are all able to play well and are performing the song with lots of energy and
enthusiasm.
We see Conor cycling to Raphina’s house to deliver the tapes of music through the
letterbox.
We then see Raphina listening to the music when she’s alone in her room. She has taken off
her make-up and appears younger, more vulnerable. She has stripped away all her bravado
and we see her as a young girl who has had her heartbroken before. She seems to really like
the song and appears to be flattered that they’ve written this piece about her. We see that
Raphina is nearly crying while listening to the song.

It then cuts to Eamon’s mother coming into the room with cups of tea for the boys. She
starts dancing along to the song, indicating to the audience that it must be good.

Questions about Conor and Raphina:

1. What does the song tell us about how Conor views Raphina?
2. How do you think Raphina feels about Conor?
3. What is the impression that you get of Raphina’s boyfriend?
4. How can we tell that the band has potential?
5. What is the difference between Eamon’s house and Conor’s house when it comes to
their families?

29
Key Moment 4 - Brother Baxter
Attacks (42 minutes)
Throughout the film, Conor and Brother Baxter have clashed with each other. When Conor
first begins in Synge Street, he is given out to for not wearing the correct shoes. Conor tries
to reason with him, saying that his family cannot afford to buy another pair of shoes for
school. Brother Baxter then insists that he takes off his brown shoes and until he gets
himself a pair of black shoes, he has to walk around all day wearing only his socks. It is clear
that Brother Baxter is a stringent, strict and intimidating character who most of the boys in
the school are afraid of.
Conor gets into trouble for wearing make-up into school. Brother Baxter tells him “You’re a
man. Men don’t wear make-up.” Conor reasons that lots of famous musicians wore
makeup, such as Mozart. Brother Baxter mocks Conor, scoffing at the suggestion that he is
anything like Mozart. He tells Conor to wash off the make-up before he goes back to class.
The scene takes a sinister direction when Baxter says to Conor “You’ve a fine face. Pretty
enough without make-up. Take it off. You can use my bathroom if you like.” There’s a
suggestion that Brother Baxter is making a sexual advance towards Conor at this moment.
Conor is clearly uncomfortable and so decides to leave.
While on his way back to class, Brother Baxter grabs him and drags him to the bathroom.
Using a bar of soap, he forcibly scrubs the makeup off Conor’s face and holds his head down
into the sink of cold water. Conor is shocked and horrified at the violence used. There is a
suggestion that Brother Baxter is particularly annoyed that Conor didn’t decide to use
Baxter’s own personal bathroom and left the office abruptly. Conor realises that he is quite
powerless in Synge Street and that he will be forced to fit in and be like everyone else so
long as he stays in this school.

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Questions about Brother Baxter:
1. What is your impression of Brother Baxter from the very first scene?
2. Why is he so determined that Conor remove the makeup?
3. Would it have been normal for a boy in the 1980s to get into trouble for wearing
makeup in school?
4. Why does Baxter react so violently?
5. Why is this scene important for Conor? What does it teach him and what
realisation does he make as a result?

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Key Moment 5 - Parents’ Split (1 hour
5 minutes)
Conor’s parents have been continually
fighting throughout the film. Brendan has
previously told Conor that he thinks that
their mother is having an affair with a man in
work. The family are all called down into the
kitchen to have a family meeting.
We see Brendan, Anne, Conor, his mother
and father all anxiously sitting at the table.
The atmosphere is tense and awkward. Conor initially thinks that he is in trouble about his
exam results and his mother reassures him that it’s not. “Your father and I are splitting up.”
Conor’s mother is blunt and delivers this news in a frank and abrupt manner. It’s clear that
Brendan is annoyed and reacts in a sarcastic manner “Thank you! Finally! I’ll go get the
bags.”
Conor’s mother has fallen in love with another man called Tony and she will move into his
home. The family house will be sold and Conor’s dad will get himself an apartment. The
children will live between these two places. The audience finds out that people in Ireland
during this time cannot get a divorce so the couple will just be separated. Conor is angry and
says plainly “This is bullshit.”

Questions about the Parents:

1. What impression do you get of Conor’s mother and father?
2. Who of the two parents do you think Conor and Brendan side with? Why?
3. Why does Brendan act relieved when the parents announce their separation?
4. What does this tell us about the type of society Ireland was in the 1980s when it
came to divorce?
5. Do you think Conor’s mam and dad have tried to be sensitive with this kind of news?
Why or why not?

32
Key Moment 6 – Brendan’s
Breakdown (1 hour 6 minutes)
Conor is upset about his parent’s
separation. He had hoped that they
would go see him play at the school
dance. Brendan criticises Conor’s
hopefulness saying that they’re still the
same people, only wrapped up in
themselves. He says they’ve more
things to do than go to Conor’s “stupid”
gig. Conor immediately gets defensive,
as Brendan had been his biggest
supporter when it came to music.

Brendan then says that he’s in withdrawal because he’s trying to give up smoking cannabis. He
wants to do something with his life, he doesn’t constantly want to fit the stereotype of a stoner
brother. He talks about how he was talented at music and how he had been physically fit. Brendan
talks about how he was alone with his parents for years before Conor came along. “You just moved
in my jet stream. People laugh at me, the stoner, the college dropout. But once, I was a fucking jet
engine!”

He then starts looking at the records on the shelf and begins throwing them on the ground,
smashing them all up. This is deeply upsetting for Conor seeing as though he knows how much
Brendan loves these records. Conor awkwardly leaves the room, clearly in shock. He goes to wash
his face in the sink and it’s clear that he has been crying. He’s trying to catch his breath from the
shock of everything.

Questions about Brendan’s

Breakdown:
1. Why does Brendan get so angry in this scene?
2. What point does he make about their parent’s marriage?
3. Why is Brendan trying to give up drugs?
4. Is he genuinely annoyed at Conor in this scene or is there another reason?
5. Why does his smashing of the records upset Conor so much?

33
Key Moment 7 - Drive It Like You
Stole It
This is the band’s most popular song.
Conor has imagined the music video in
his head and it’s inspired by the film
“Back to the Future.” He organises back-
ground dancers and is going to shoot the
video in the school hall. One of his
teachers is there to supervise. He invited
Raphina to be in the video but she
doesn’t turn up. This worries him and
he’s bitterly disappointed that she
doesn’t come to shoot the video. He tries
to teach the other young people how to
do “fifties dancing” but begins to realise
that they are not co-ordinated and wonders if this will look as good as he wants.

We then cut to a dream-like sequence where Conor tries to imagine what this video would
ideally look like. This tells us a lot about Conor’s character and what he really wants. The hall
is decorated with bright colours and everyone is wearing old-fashioned, 1950s style clothing.
The band is wearing smart suits and they are performing with the audience cheering and
dancing along. It feels very Americanised and joyful. Raphina enters the dance, looking
glamorous. It is clear from the way that she looks at Conor that she is impressed.
Brother Baxter also enters the dance by completely backflips. He is jovial and ready to
socialise. It is completely different from the Brother Baxter that we have met earlier on in
the film. As the song continues, Raphina’s boyfriend begins to hassle her. We see Brendan
arrive on motorbike to the dance, looking like James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause.” He
looks healthy, happy and has cut his hair. He sticks up for Raphina and himself and Raphina’s
boyfriend engage in a knife battle, similar to something out of “West Side Story.” The fight
gets resolved peacefully without any bloodshed.

Conor’s parents walk into the dance, hand in hand. They are smiling and happy, clearly in
love with each other. This is in sharp contrast to their previous fighting and arguing
throughout the film.
Everyone in the hall gets together for a choreographed dance sequence and it’s clear that
Sing Street are playing to an audience that loves them.

34
Conor then begins to snap out of his daydream and we realise that all that has happened on
screen for the past few moments has been simply just a fantasy. It tells us that Conor wants
Raphina to love him, for Brother Baxter to stop giving him a hard time, for Brendan to
succeed and do well and for his parents to reconcile.

Questions about Drive It Like You

Stole It:
1. What does this tell us about Conor’s character?
2. How does he imagine the dance? Describe the atmosphere and the setting.
3. What does this tell us about his relationship with his brother Brendan and their
parents?
4. Why do you think this scene is in the film?
5. What is the impact on the audience at the end of the scene? How does the audience
feel when we realise that this has all been a fantasy?
6. What films or types of films may have inspired this scene?

35
Key Moment 8 - The Dance
During the dance, the band has played well. They’ve
gotten the crowd on their side and despite being
mocked initially, the audience has reacted well. They
decide to play a slow song, a ballad, in the middle of
their set which causes a lot of the audience to clear
out, however they return for the final song.
Conor informs other members of the band to give out
masks with Brother Baxter’s face on it. They sing the
song “Brown Shoes” despite Brother Baxter’s
warnings that they will be expelled if they say anything negative. While playing, everyone
wears these masks and eventually Brother Baxter leaves in a furious rage. Conor knows that
he will probably be expelled from school for doing this, but he doesn’t care.

Raphina watches this final dance happen and she looks up at Conor admiringly. Herself and
Conor run out of the school hall, hand in hand when the final song is played.

Questions about the Dance:

1. Who is the target of Conor’s song “Brown Shoes”?
2. What is the title of the song in reference to?
3. What are the consequences of Conor singing this song?
4. What does this scene tell us about Sing Street as a band?
5. Is this the final dance that Conor imagined? Why or why not?

36
Key
Moment 9 - End Scene
The ending presents audiences once again with the main themes of the film; young love and
escapism. Conor has performed at the end of year disco with his band and is celebrating its
success. This is happening at the same time that his life at home continues to be difficult for
him. The concert and his music continues to offer him an escape from his sad reality.
Raphena comes to his concert and it is clear to audiences that she has fallen in love with
Conor.
The young couple decide that there is nothing left for them in Ireland. They are going to run
away together to London and try and forge a career as a model and a musician. This idea
presents audiences with a very romantic, almost fairy-tale version of young love. The music
used in the soundtrack at this point in the film is upbeat and exciting to match the action of
the characters on screen. Conor returns home to collect his stuff and say one final goodbye
to his mum, as he gets set to leave his old life behind. Conor’s older brother, Brendan gives
them a lift to the harbour. This part of the film is emotional, as Conor must say goodbye to
his brother, whom he loves dearly. The closing scene of the movie is symbolic of Brendan’s
comment of being a ‘jet stream’ – Conor and Raphena have decided to follow their dream,
they are unsure what their future holds, but are happy to be together, against all odds.

Questions about the End Scene:

1. Do you think that Conor and Raphina were right to head to London?
2. What dangers might face them as they travel to London?

37
 3. Are they leaving much behind in Ireland?
4. Do you think that Brendan is inspired by their actions?
5. How would you describe the tone of the ending? As an audience member, were you
happy with the ending?

Important Quotes:
“Rock and roll is a risk. You risk being ridiculed.” – Brendan to Conor

“But that’s what love is – happy-sad.” – Raphina to Conor

“You can never do things by half, do you understand that?” – Raphina to Conor

“You just moved in my jet stream. And people laugh at me, Conor. The stoner, the college
dropout. And they praise you, which is fine! But once, I was a fucking jet engine!” –
Brendan to Conor

“I think she's this amazing human being. Never seen anyone like her.” – Conor talking
about Raphina to Brendan.

“And you're gonna use somebody else's art to get her? Are you kidding?” – Brendan to
Conor

“Ok, so this is our last song. It's called Brown Shoes. And it's for every Christian Brother
and for every bully you ever knew.” – Conor to the crowd at the dance.

38
“The band will be fine. Just go to London and get a record deal, come back and get us out
of this shithole.” – Eamon to Conor

39