Anthony McNicholas Mr Ravenscroft

What effect has this is England’s British cultural content had on its reception in Britain and
overseas?

This is England is a film directed by Shane Meadows in 2005. The film follows a 12 year old boy
Shaun whose father died in the Falkland’s war after which he gets involved with a gang
consisting of such characters like Woody, Smell, Lol and milky. The film is set during the Skin
head era toward the end of the 1980’s. The skin head movement consisted of listening to bands
such as the pioneers and The Specials, the music era of the time was known as SKA which is a
mix of Rock and Early reggae.

Shane Meadows is said to have used his own life experiences whilst making this film. The social
realism in the film is captured by Meadows as gritty and realistic, internationally I believe that
this is England depicts the true essence of being British. American shows and sitcoms such as
“the Simpsons” and “Two and a half men” to name but a few depict the British people as upper
class tofts who drink warm beer and tea. This is England removes the cover of stereotypic
Britain and gives a much more realistic image of the British people. Shane Meadows has
seemingly cast “common” people in the film, many of the cast have had little or no filming
experience prior to this is England. Thomas Turgoose had no prior filming experience and
therefore his acting came across far more naturally. Meadows’ also used this method so that
audiences would not be trying to work out which other films that the actors had been in and
could engage better with them, other films have been known to use the same method such as
Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen”.

The lack of funding for the film also really reflects 1980s Britain, due to lack of funding sets
where found outside of studios. Many people in Britain could relate to what it was like living in
the houses shown on the set and what the streets and shops sold. Although seemingly cheap
and tacky the sets give this is England a more realistic feel and immerse the audience allot more
than what it would do had it been done by a major studio. However due to the films lack of
funding which was about 1.5 million the film suffered severely due to lack of advertising. The
lack of advertising and marketing does explain as to why the film didn’t do exceedingly well
internationally and only made around 300,000 in America. However interestingly the film only
opened in one cinema screen in the united states the film did however expand to 14 theatre
screens this shows that thee was some definite interest in the film in America and had it been
better marketed there may have been no reason it couldn’t have been as big as say
Trainspotting.

There is one scene in the film showing Shaun eating a large sweet egg; this was put in by Shane
Meadows to show the audience “What they don’t do anymore”. Meadows also shows T.V shows
in the opening montage of the film an excerpt from Rowland Rat and VCR’s inventions new in
the 1980s’. Meadows however also captures the dark times such as that of Thatcher’s rule in
Britain with the miners strikes and the Falkland’s war, Meadows shows the audience, the British
audience in particular what they should be missing and remembering from the 1980s.
The skin head movement during the 1960’s was that of extreme left wing ideology. Many skin
heads would seek t remove any southern Asians from Britain through stunts and actions such as
“Paki Bashing”. These skin heads supported the national front by the late 1970’s the National
front and the Skin Head movement had been criticised by the media and recognized as a racist
organization and therefore saw its numbers decline. By the 1980s the skin head movement had
moved very much away from the extreme left wing views. The significance in the scene where
combo is trying to recruit is significant in that it shows divide in the skin head movement.
Meadows show’s Woody moving away from Combos influence and turning his back on the
1960’s skinhead movement. Something else brought across by Shane meadows is the young lad
in the film questioning the methods of the national front, brought in by the appeal of being in a
gang he realises that it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Shane Meadows shows the audience that
something like a gang that is appealing will eventually turn bad at one point or another, through
this I think that this is England represents a very significant message with the gang culture
emerging in the united kingdom in the present day.

This is England is made I believe to tell a message as opposed to a story, a message of what life
was like in the 1980s and how essentially we can learn from the past. This is England removes
the stereotypical view of England abroad and although really a film made for British people I
believe that any country can watch it and take something from it. This is England is essentially
“A Timeless classic that capture the true essence of the 1980’s”.

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