I first saw This is England about a year after its release having initially been uninterested in it , but subsequently watching it after it being repeatedly recommended to me by family and friends. What I imagined to be another boring British thug film was in fact probably one of the most affecting and realistic interpretations of English culture and politics I've seen on film.
For those who haven't seen the film its the story of a young boy, Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) living in the poverty stricken lower classes of Thatcher era Britain. He's facing a tough time at home struggling to come to terms with his fathers death in the Falkland War, and he's being bullied at school over his naff flairs he has to wear for non uniform day. He finds solace in the local skinhead fraternity all of whom are older than him, but accept him as one of their own regardless. Shaun's new found happiness is short lived however as the equilibrium of the group is shattered by the return of Combo (Stephen Graham), an older violent, racist skinhead who has recently finished a stretch in prison.
The film runs at about 100 minutes yet in that hour and a half it examines the lives of so many characters it would be dizzying were it not for having such a taught screenplay. The realistic nature of the film combined with this make it seem almost like a soap opera. Writing that just them reminds me of Dark Shadows which I reviewed a few weeks ago and had a similarly large cast of characters. That film buckled under the number of them due to an unrefined script which couldn't even be saved by some of the best acting talent in Hollywood. Yet here we have a cast of mostly young virtual unknown actors and actresses all giving powerhouse performances which combined with the sharp script and the keen eye of one of Britain's best working directors creates a piece of character driven period cinema which puts the likes Burton and Depp's latest effort to shame. Comparing it to Dark Shadows is cutting the film short though and perhaps not the fairest comparison, however the similarities are certainly there at the core style of the two films.
Shane Meadows' direction is incredibly diverse and always perfectly suited to the nature of the scene. Whether its artsy long takes or aggressive scenes of violence, the emotions and inner thoughts of the characters are always raw and plain to see on screen. Not just that, but it's clear he has a real affection of the grittier under developed architecture and environments of the more under developed areas of England, somehow managing to make even the most run down and drab scenery shine.
There are so many memorable scenes and characters throughout the film which I want to talk about but I'm really desperate not to give anything too much away as to not spoil it for those who haven't seen it. If you haven't I plead with you to find it and watch it preferably on Blu-Ray where Meadows eye for gorgeous backdrops and the soundtrack which is so integral to setting the scene for the film really do come into their own and represented as they should be. Whilst you're at it check out the two equally fantastic follow up TV series' This Is England '86 and '88. I promise you won't be disappointed by this poignant mediation on racism, the social class system and most importantly, growing up and very much the loss of innocence.
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