children: children are presented as innocent venerable and malipuitive (think of Shaun at the start of the movie) it shows the fact that they need someone to look up to like how shaun worships combo as he docent have a dad

older people: in this is England older people are presented as protective and loving. we see this when Shaun’s mother gets angry at the skinheads for shaving his head but thanks woody for protecting him from bullies.

working class people: in this is England we see working class people as

English people: in this is England English people are presented as patriotic and are stereotyped. we see this as the activities the skinheads do is play football and go hunting.

black people:

Asian people:

men:

women:

sound: in this is England during the montage where Shaun is being taught by combo how to be racist there is minor piano music which makes the scene and shows the downfall of how Shaun has been turned from an innocent little kid to a horrible racist

editing: there are clips at the beginning that show the good and bad parts of England and what time the film is taking place.

mise en scene: in the scene where combo is giving his speech we see this take place in a dingy dirty flat. this shows us that the film is taking place of a rundown place of England and that combo lives a rough lifestyle (eg the mattress on the floor)

cinematography: Here we see a pov shot of combos as he is attacking milky. he is close up to the camera so we can see his facial expressions are full of rage and the high angle shot shows he has all the power

i think the film was decent, however not without flaws, id given it a 7/10.

the most memorable scene for me was when combo attacked Milky, because it was sudden and unexpected. And also a very emotional scene

Shane meadows utilises cinematography, in particular extreme closeups, in the moving ending of the film. This not only connects the audience with Shaun as he loses all pride with England and feels hopeless, but also raises the question, to young boys like Shaun, over the wrong influence and how dangerous it can become.

This is England is rich in different aspects of Mise-en-scene to ensure the verisimilitude of the movie. The scene where Shaun first presents his skin-head to his mum uses symmetry in a way that sculpts the scene as detrimental to the story of Shaun’s early life. This visually pleasing composition tells the spectator that this scene holds a higher importance and significance than a scene that uses a more inversive shot distance/ angle.

Shane meadows uses sound in This is England to set the atmosphere for the movie, in the opening scene Shane uses the song ‘Toots and Maytals’ during a well thought out montage to thoroughly immerse the spectator in various events in the 80’s in England.

Shane meadows uses editing to tell the story of Shaun’s gradual descent into the skin-head culture. There are three main montages in the film, one alone and isolates, one happy with woody’s gang, and one of Shaun being ‘trained’ by Combo. By categorizing the movie into three montages, the spectator is forced to depict Shaun’s life as someone mourning the loss of his father who is fortunate to find friends, who are possibly the wrong influence, and how this leads to Shaun being corrupted by Combo and put in danger.

Young people:

Through the character of Shawn. Young people are portrayed as vulnerable being easily manipulated by the wrong people. As he went from an innocent boy to a racist by Combo using his dead dad to convince him.

Older people:

Older people in This is England are presented as parental figures to the character Shawn however this is shown in different ways. example his mother being the stereotypical parent while Woody and Combo are a lot more harsh and manly supporting Shawn in other parts of his life filling in for his missing father.

English people:

English people within the film are seen as divided socially and politically. This can be seen through the first film where Shawn’s first interactions with English people is him being mocked for his trousers. As well as the scene in the car where Combo gets angry at one of the passengers when he disagrees with his political beliefs.

Asian/black people:

Minorities are portrayed as unfairly treated within the film. This can be shown by the scene where a group of Indians are threatened with a dagger for just playing football. as well as when Combo and Milky bond over music showing that the racism is unnecessary and un deserved.

Men:

Men are portrayed stereotypically in this film being overly aggressive and tough. However the film makes effort to show how they are pressured to be this way when Combo tells Shawn that “real men don’t cry” presenting a problem with toxic masculinity.

Women:

Women in this movie are side-lined not getting as much development as the male characters. This could be intentional however as young boys are more likely to join theses types of groups than young girls being a movie more addressed to a male audience and their issues.

Sound- Margaret Thatcher’s radio broadcasts are frequently used in the film to remind the spectator about the Falklands war during the 1980s, bringing verisimilitude to the table. this non-diegetic sound of war is going on in the background of each characters minds, which is then also replicated through the horrible situations all of the skinheads have brought upon themselves and those who surround them. This enhances the agony and pain from Shaun’s mind. Reggae and Jamaican genre called ‘Ska’ is also included to show the confusion and corrupt ideology and beliefs from the skinhead community as back in the 60’s, black people and Jamaican culture was incooperated and interlinked with no hatred or racism. However, in the 80’s, Combo has no filter in demonstrating his racist beliefs. Yet the younger gang such as Woody and Shaun see no problem in skin colour which demonstrates that this culture is made of far right and left wing politics.

Editing- Many montages depict Shaun’s story and his upbringing as we are taken along with him, also second handly experiencing his feelings. It encourages his story into a journey as there are unique stages that we see through the use of montages. This allows the spectator to adjust to Shaun’s character development and sympathise much personally.

Mise en Scene- The costume, hair and makeup and set design spring to mind when Mise en Scene is considered as there was a great effort in bringing back the verisimilitude of the 80’s in the United Kingdom. The shaved heads help our understanding of the Skinhead culture, along with the lack of education when the gang spray paint National as “Nashnil” to represent their racism and lack of inclusivity in England.

Cinematography- Many POV shots are used from Milky’s perspective to emphasise the hurtful and incredibly harsh racism that is experienced, which appears very raw to the spectators to apply knowledge of how horrible this skinhead community can be including the Far Right movement. Handheld camera shots also bring verisimilitude and spring alertness to the characters when concerning or on edge scenes are shot whereas a static shot wouldn’t bring the same emotion.

Sound – Music from the 80s is heavily used throughout the film to establish the time setting of the film, which takes place in 1983.

Editing – The film uses montages throughout to symbolise different parts of Shaun’s life, the first showing him alone and isolated, the second with him enjoying life with Woody and his friends, and the third once he joins Combo’s racist gang.

Mise-En-Scene – In the scene where Combo’s gang stands in front of the church, graffiti with the phrase “Maggie is a twat” is used to convey the idea Shaun lives in an area that is very much against Margaret Thatcher and her ideologies, as she was Prime Minister during the time period that This Is England is set in.

Cinematography – Big Close Ups are used, specifically in the scene where Combo and Shaun have a conversation in the car, to show the characters growing closer together.

mise en scene:

When Shawn joins Combos side. This scene uses a darkly lit dirty alleyway which portrays the dark turn of the movie and the seriousness of what Shawn has gotten into.

Cinematography:

In the ending scene CU shots of Shawn are used to show how he feels betrayed and is used to connect to the viewer to send a message about how harmful racism can be.

Sound:

Sound is used in many ways to set the tone of the movie. Firstly needle drops of iconic English songs are used to immerse the audience in the setting. As well as a piano track that plays during the football and ending scene which gives a sad tone furthering the serious message to the viewer.

Editing:

In the beginning of the film. A montage is used to introduce the time period and place showing both the good and bad sides of England setting up the political conflict that has a big role in the film.

Use of sound: Shane Meadows use of sound is used to invoke emotion within the viewer. We see this through the use of his score composed by Ludovico Einaudi which play’s to show the negative effects that Combo has on Shaun.

Use of editing: The main way editing is used in the movie is through the various montages. The main one is when Combo and his friends go around and commit crimes against minorities. This immediately shows us the type of man Combo is and the extent he will go to.

Use of Cinematography: A lot of the camera shots in this movie are either close ups or handheld camera shots. This creates a sense of realism within the world and immerses the watcher.

Use of lighting: The lighting in the film is predominately dark and gloomy so reflect the area and tone of the movie. This becomes more prevalent when Combo is introduced and we see in his montage going throughout the grimy areas and committing racist acts.

Set design: The set design uses a lot of old and worn down looking props and areas to accurately display the working class areas of England in the 1980’s. The significance of the run down town is important to understanding why the character feel the way they do.

Costumes: All the costumes the character wear have significance to the plot. For example, the skinheads