THIS IS ENGLAND

Intro

It is surprising how few movies have been made on the subject of racism, especially seeing as how it's such a powerful topic. Before This Is England, the only films worth mentioning on racism are Mississippi Burning and American History X, two very noteworthy films, but ones that only really relate to the racism problems in the deep south of America and the Ku Klux Klan, none which were really relevant to the growing problem in Britain.

This Is England is based on director Shane Meadows' own experiences growing up as a teenager under Maggie Thatcher's ministerial reign, when England was at war in the Falklands, and there was growing pressure from far-right parties and skinheads against the large number of Muslim immigrants entering the country. Seeing as how the country seems to slipping a similar way nowadays, with the rise of racist/borderline racist parties like the BNP and UKIP, I think This Is England is particularly relevant, and a must see.

Plot

It's 1983, and 12 year old Shaun gets into a fight at school after someone made a comment about his dad, who had recently died in the Falklands. On his way home, in a pretty unhappy mood, Shaun runs into a group of (non-political) skinheads led by a friendly guy named Woody, who taking pity on Shaun, accepts him as a member of the group, despite him being many years younger than everyone else. Shaun begins to develop friendships, and even a romance with one of the girls, a new wave punk named 'Smell'.

Things are going great for Shaun, and he starts to dress like the skinheads, shaving his head, buying Ben Sherman shirts, and wearing Doc Martens boots. One night, an older skinhead by the name of Combo returns to the group after having served a prison sentence, bringing with him a tough ex-con and fellow skinhead 'Banjo'. The group are happy to see him at first, but before long he starts preaching racism in his uniquely psychotic, militant way, and the band of skinheads splits down the middle.

Woody, and the only non-white skinhead, a black man of Jamaican descent named Milky, immediately leave Combo, not wanting to be any part of the racism. A couple of other members take this stance. But some see sense in Combo's words, and decide to join him on his quest of hatred. Shaun, spurred on by Combo's fatherly behavior towards him, also decides to join, and the new group of skinheads sets about on their mission of ethnic cleansing.

Acting

Thomas Turgoose, in the title role of Shaun, wasn't even an actor, or remotely interested in acting, before This Is England. In fact, he had even been banned from his school play for bad behavior. However, when Shane Meadows invited him along to audition for the role he decided to give it a shot, although he did demand £5 for his appearance.

The film is shot in almost documentative style, which means Thomas could do exactly what Shane Meadows wanted him to, just relax and be a normal boy in his early teens, and he excels. He was awarded the 'Best Newcomer' award at the British Film Festival, and this is simply down to his ability to do the simple things well. Without trying too hard, he delivers a tough, gritty performance, and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw more of him in the future.

However, the most impressive performance of the film by far is from Stephen Graham, who plays Combo. This vicious, psychotic man, who doesn't seem to be at ease with himself, let alone anyone else, is beautifully portrayed by Graham, who also looks set to have a bright future. His talent seems to have been already spotted, as he has recently had a pretty big role alongside Johnny Depp and Christian Bale in Public Enemies.

When you see the character of a racist skinhead, it's so easy to think of just any old thug, who hates Muslims and black people without a sense of reasoning. However, Stephen Graham brings so much more to the role, showing us how Combo isn't a full on racist like Banjo, merely a confused, angry, bitter man, almost schizophrenic with his ever changing personality. He didn't actually win any awards for his performance, which I think is a great surprise, because in my opinion, had he been nominated for Best Supporting Role in the Oscars, I think he would have had a very good chance.

There are few other performances that stand out, although in a cast consisting primarily of newcomers and not well known actors, there are some good performances that show promise. Andrew Shim is good as Milky, Joseph Gilgun (Eli Dingle off Emmerdale) is pretty strong as Woody, and many other members of the cast also show talent, including 'Skins' star Jack O'Connell, as one of the skinheads.

Writing and directing

As I mentioned, Shane Meadows based this film on his own experiences growing up, and the reality of the situation is prominently shown. The decision to film this almost as if it were a documentary also adds to the realism of it, which helps the audience relate more with the film, which is the reason we can become more emotionally attached with the characters, and understand their actions.

Assembling a cast made up of more or less unknown British actors was a bold move, but one that works brilliantly, as their strong regional accents and simple manners also makes this feel that this could be happening down the street, completely absorbing you in the world of the film.

It's also brilliantly written, clearly unafraid to leave out any of the expletives or racist terms that some writers seem to shy away from, which once again adds to the sense of realism. The script also moves effortlessly from emotion to emotion, with some almost humorous moments cleverly intertwined with the aggression, anger, and at times, heavy emotion. Channel 4 has announced that a spin-off TV series of This Is England will replace the axed Big Brother, and if the writing is even half as good as it were in the film, it will be a success.

Another thing worth mentioning is this film's terrific soundtrack. The main theme of the movie is 'Fuori dal mondo' by Ludovico Einaudi, which is an orchestral piece that fits in perfectly with the film. There is also some brilliant piano music (in particular Dietro Casa, also by Einaudi), as well as many songs from the 80s to help establish the time period, and the overall score is brilliant.

Conclusion

The good points

--> Deals with the subject of racism outstandingly, helping us see into the mind of a white supremacist whilst also showing just how wrong he is. An important film, which should be shown to all teenagers
--> Brilliantly written
--> Superb acting all round, especially from Stephen Graham
--> Terrific soundtrack
--> The second last scene of the film - wraps it up outstandingly

The bad points

--> Scenes with Shaun and Smell were just downright strange, and not really necessary to the plot
--> Excessive swearing, violence, and racist terminology may offend some viewers
--> Unlikeliness of a gang of skinheads befriending a 12 year old slightly destroys the realism effect

Product details

Price - £3.98 off Amazon <--- BARGAIN
Running time - 98 minutes
Classification - UK 18 / USA unrated
Release date - 2006
DVD extras - None with £3.98 version, but with the 2-disc £6.98 version you get director's commentary, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage, and much more