‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ 1985, directed by Stephen Frears and written by Hanif Kureishi is a comedy drama, set in the suburban areas of London under Thatcher’s administration. The film’s narrative follows protagonist Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a second-generation Pakistani in Britain, who must bring his uncle Nasser’s failing laundrette to profit amid familial tensions and an unconventional relationship with Johnny (Daniel Day Lewis), a white national and punk. The film deals with social issues such as racism, homosexuality, identity and the economic climate’s effect on Britain. Alternatively, ‘East is East’ set in early 70s Salford, sees the Pakistani Khan family struggle under the patriarch chippy-owning George (Om Puri), his English wife Ella (Linda Bassett) and their family of six sons and daughter.
From the very start of ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’, it is made evident that the film will deal with exclusion or belonging within a community. We are introduced to Johnny and his fellow punk friend squatting in a house. Their costumes signifies the pair as outsiders – they are instantly identifiable as punks with their shaven ‘Mohican’ hairstyles and dark, leathery attire. Though the 80s were notorious for a rise in punk culture and gang communes, punks were still outcasts of society and not socially well-perceived – particularly under the conservative gaze of Thatcher’s government. And perhaps rightly so, due to these groups anti-social and often extremist right-wing political agenda. The nature of their eviction from their illegal residence is symbolic of this as they are driven out rather violently by antagonist Salim’s men. The fact Salim exerts more power in this particular scene – over that of Johnny is indicative of their changing times of Britain – the rising importance of capitalist ‘rat race’ and a decline in the importance of the race of the ‘rats’ involved. We are then introduced to Omar, who nurses over his drunkard father in a dingy, council estate apartment. The death of his mother still hangs in the air – the roaring train tracks serving as a constant reminder outside, becoming a symbol of the destructive power of a husband upon his wife. It is a train Omar’s mum is killed with – and it is implied Tania, Nasser’s daughter, meets the very same end and willingly too. The train could be considered to be a phallic image and therefore it’s killing of the two women could represent female’s subjugation under the patriarchal society. As well as this, the train suggests a sense of modernisation in the 80s, the rushing, hustle and bustle of London’s metropolis and the need to take off – and leave behind one’s roots in pursuit for fortune. Omar’s ‘papa’ warns him that ‘(they) are under siege by the white man’ and that ‘education is power’. Omar’s father recognises that racial tension exists between the Asian and black communities alongside the dominant white in Britain. He is represented as a hypocritical figure – eager to reap the rewards of a democratic society whilst simultaneously holding xenophobic views. In contrast to this, Nasser, his brother seems to be embracing western culture and society. As a successful businessman, Nasser - when discussing Pakistan and Britain declares ‘that country's been sodomised by religion. It's beginning to interfere with the making of money. Compared with everywhere... it's a little heaven, here.’ -. It is with irony that Nasser appears to oppose the doctrines of religion, yet refers to Britain as a little ‘heaven’. Nasser shares similarities with ‘George’ from East is East’. Like Nasser, George appears to have one foot in his conservative Pakistani roots and the other firmly in Britain. He reminisces over the fact that when he first arrived in the country he came with ‘nothing’ and now he ‘has his own business’. Both Nasser and George recognise the commercial and retail freedom that can be gained from Britain – it is a place to make money. But, perhaps even more than this as George has chosen an English name to use – implying he is willing to fit in with British society and become part of it. He has also married an English wife, Ella. He even lives in the house that is under her name – thus it can be seen that George is not wholly conventional and may stray from traditional Muslim doctrines (such as marrying a fellow Muslim). The line ‘I’ll have a half cup’ is a recurring motif in the film and is the response George gives when Ella asks whether he wants a cup of tea. The reference of ‘half’ may be representative of the fact George is half Pakistani and half British. To conflict with this, he often displays old-fashioned ideas such as demanding the complete and unquestioning obedience of his wife and family and the idea of arranged marriage. Hypocritically, George has a traditional wife in Pakistan who he often uses as a tool to incite jealousy in his British wife Ella. Like ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ the ill treatment of women is also evident in George’s family. He aggressively beats Ella when she attempts to defend her innocent son 9whom he also beats) and then attempts to strangle or maim her after he humiliates him in front of the Shah’s. He repeatedly tells her and his family that ‘he knows what is best for them’ and that they must listen to him.
There are clear tensions between the Pakistani characters within ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ and the white punks who are friends with Johnny. In the end, the punks seek revenge on the family by beating up Salim and vandalising the laundrette. They feel threatened by Johnny’s switch in alliance and the fact he chooses to favour his relationship with Omar, rather than keep to them and their extremist ways. It is clear they feel a great amount of animosity toward the Asian community: ‘why are you working for them? Pakis.’ The Pakistani’s are referred to with this racist epithet for the duration of the movie. The subjugation of non-white races is presented by the fact Salim is smashed to the ground by vengeful punks and crawls shamefully away in fear. In ‘East is East’ the youngest Khan, Sajit befriends an English boy named Ernest. Ernest’s grandfather is a bigoted old racist, supporting the words of Enoch Powell and is a keen advocate for his repatriation programme – both are seen distributing leaflets at one point. Ernest is the opposite of his grandfather – he plays willingly with Sajit and appears intrigued and charmed by the Khan’s foreign ways. Ernest also indicates he fancies the Khan’s daughter Meena who is considerably older than him, and who treats him dismissively – she’s too busy playing football with other boys on the block. This coincidentally alludes to ‘Bend it Like Beckham ‘ (2002), in which the main character – a second generation Pakistani girl; Jessminder and her culturally-rebellious ambitions of becoming a footballer.
During the conservative era of Thatcher’s Britian, the hegemonic and social norm was to lead a heterosexual lifestyle. Omar opposes this by maintaining a homosexual relationship with Johnny. It is implied Omar’s father is aware of his son’s homosexuality or at least jokes about it ‘fix him up with a nice girl…I’m not sure his penis is in full working order.’ Likewise in ‘East is East’, the oldest son Nazir is disowned from the family by George – after he disgraces the family by not committing to the full ceremony of his wedding – jilting his bride-to-be at the crucial moment. It is later revealed Nazir is gay and has run off to start a successful fashion-design company with his male partner. His siblings indicate clear disapproval in his new lifestyle and partner –acting awkwardly when he arrives and staring in an almost revolted way at their surroundings. It is clear, even within the family – that the heterosexual hegemonic ways are dominant
To conclude, both ‘East is East and ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ deal with belonging and exclusion in society within the UK. ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ seems to be havier on the homophobic aspect of 80s Britain, as well as the tensions between races. In ‘East is East’ the homosexual agenda is more downplayed and though there are racial tensions, there seems to be more focus on the strained bonds of immediate family members.
