This is England (Shane Meadows, 2006)

‘This is England’ is a British film from 2006 that follows a young lad, Shaun, as he becomes friends with and joins a group of skinheads. The group is split into two when an old member of the gang, Combo, returns. Combo is an ex convict who is a very bad man and is racist and not good. Shaun gravitates towards Combo as a father figure, as his actual dad was killed in the Falklands War. This film clearly has an overall message about the dangers of extreme nationalism and how it can lead to violence, bigotry and racism.

The film was directed by Shane Meadows and has a tone that goes for realism. Many of Meadows’ films are based off of real-life experiences that he’s had in Uttoxeter, and it’s clear that this film is no different, with each character feeling fleshed-out and like a real person.

My first impressions of this film are very positive, and overall I didn’t really have any major issues with the film. I appreciated how gritty and real the environments and characters were portrayed, as it didn’t feel as if anything/ anyone was glorified for the big screen. Each performance was great with a particular standout being Stephen Graham as Combo. The cinematography gave off a very intimate feeling of actually being there with the characters, which I also really liked. The only minor issue that distracted me during the film was the editing in a few places. Occasionally, when the camera would cut to a different angle, the speed of the camera would be slightly different or the new placement felt unnatural. It happened very rarely but was distracting and took me out of the film a couple times, especially at the very end with Shaun on the beach. Regardless, I loved the film, and found its message to be incredibly profound and has left a considerable impact on me.