This Is England is a 2006 British drama film written and directed by Shane Meadows. The story centres on young skinheads in England in 1983. The film illustrates that skinhead subculture, whose 1960s roots include elements of black culture, especially ska, soul and reggae music, became adopted by white nationalists, which led to divisions within the skinhead scene.Two timeskippedSpin-OffMiniseries were produced for Channel Four. This is England '86 takes place three years later, with Shaun making amends and rejoining the skinheads, Lol's father returning and Combo's release. This is England '88 features Shaun in college and Lol raising a child.
The film contains examples of:
Almighty Mom: The scene where Shaun's mum storms into the cafe and tells off the skinheads for giving her son an Important Haircut without her permission.
Anguished Declaration of Love: Combo unexpectedly declares his love for Lol, giving her a present and telling her she was the only thing that got him through his three years in jail. He can barely get his words out at first, and begins to tremble uncontrollably when Lol coldly rejects him, barely holding back the tears.
Returns in '86 on better terms with Shaun, giving him his first job after he finished school. He also ends up in bed with Shaun's mum in the second episode.
Ax Crazy: An externally subdued form in Combo, but the guy definitely has issues. Violent ones.
Bald of Awesome: The entire original skinhead gang, basically a bunch of disaffected bald teenagers out to have fun.
Bald of Evil: Combo and Banjo, much older than the rest, fresh outta prison and armed with machetes.
Berserk Button: Any mention of the Falklands War sends 12 year old Shaun berserk with rage. He assaults Harvey and Combo (both fully grown men) with varying results.
Black Best Friend: Milky is Woody's oldest and best friend, and the only token black guy in the gang.
Broken Pedestal: Combo goes from headstrong father figure to shattered nervous wreck in a matter of minutes, leaving Shaun wholly disillusioned with his life at that point.
Butt Monkey: Gadget, who is relentlessly mocked for his weight problems.
Corruption of a Minor: Shaun is groomed by Combo into becoming a mini National Front member.
Although Shaun was hardly an angel before initially falling in with the skinheads - getting banned from Mr. Sandhu's shop, fighting with Harvey at school, openly swearing at Trudie in the shoe shop...
Crapsack World: Set in a depressed, shitty suburb of some nowhere city in outer England, amidst the Falklands War and crippling unemployment.
My God, What Have I Done?: After Combo lays the smackdown on Milky, Banjo, Meggy and Shaun in a blind rage, he collapses into a heap and starts crying over Milky's lifeless body.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Combo gets stoned with Milky and appears to bond with him, but subsequently undergoes a transformation when Milky begins talking about his amazing family life. Combo begins to verbally abuse him, which Milky reacts to with a wry smile. Combo blows his top and beats Milky to an unconscious pulp in a rather graphic and disturbing scene.
He becomes so consumed with violent rage that he then smashes a wine bottle over his best friend Banjo's head, almost impulsively.
Nothing But Hits: Say what you like about skinheads, they had some damn fine taste in music.
Smell:I guess cause it sounds a bit like Michelle... but not really.
Oop North: The setting is deliberately vague, but is implied to be somewhere around Yorkshire and the East Midlands. The movie was filmed in the suburbs of Nottingham and Grimsby, while the miniseries was filmed in Sheffield. Strong provincial accents abound - it is about as far away from Britain Is Only London as it can get.
Pet the Dog: Combo may be a violent racist, but he does have a sensitive side...
Power Walk: Done twice. The first time is very light-spirited, highlighting Shaun's acceptance into Woody's gang. The second time is much darker in tone, when Shaun joins Combo's gang of skinheads, who are much more violent and racist than Woody's.
Strawman Political: Averted - both Combo's and some of the National Front members' arguments for their beliefs are real nationalist beliefs, whether you take them or leave them.
Absentee Actor: Threee characters from the film are mysteriously missing from the miniseries - Pukey, Kes and Pob (Milky's girlfriend). No explanation is given for their absence, although possibly justified considering the series takes place three years later and friends can come and go in that time.
Pukey and Kes are effectively replaced by Harvey, who was a minor schoolyard bully in the film and not a member of the skinheads.
Ascended Extra: Harvey, who had a very brief appearance in the film as a bully at Shaun's school, is now a fully-fledged member of the gang.
Not only him but Flip, the hilarious leader of the biker gang, had a "blink-and-you-miss-it" moment in the film as the boy who mocked Shaun's trousers outside Mister Sandhu's shop.
0 reviews