This is England

Title: This is England
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Drama
Starring: Thomas Turgoose
Director: Shane Meadows

“That's what this nation has been built on, proud men. Proud fucking warriors! Two thousand years this little tiny fucking island has been raped and pillaged, by people who have come here and wanted a piece of it - two fucking world wars! Men have laid down their lives for this. For this... and for what? So people can stick their fucking flag in the ground and say, "Yeah! This is England. And this is England, and this is England.”

Meadows is still a relatively poor known director internationally, and of those that are aware of his work the same argument often finds itself emerging; why can he not do any other style? In some senses they may have a valid point; of his three full length films to date, they have all been set in the north midlands, often even using the same actors whom he seems to have developed a rapport, but he’s hardly producing work that many others are trying to imitate, and he does it so well. Based around his own childhood experiences; they say to write what you know, and assuredly this proves Meadows knows his own life.

Set in 1983, he has succeeded in totally immersing the viewer in the time period; from the opening montage of the Fawklands war, childrens TV (in the form of ‘Roland the Rat’) and Margaret Thatcher it is a time which – whilst before me – was certainly difficult times for the country. With the closure of the coal mines sending unemployment rates soaring, immigration allowing more foreign people in and the gradual increase in Asian shop owners, many saw the name ‘English’ being diluted. It saw an immense backlash in the form of the rise of skinhead mob culture, and of the early stages of the BNP which feature as strong underlying themes. Everything from the attire to the goods stocked in the shop feels authentic; long since died brands and packaging proudly on display leaving no illusion of a modern setting unless really searched for.

Following the story of young Shaun, a 12 year old who frequently finds himself the target of bullies, he soon meets a group of young adults who take a liking to him. The troop led by ‘Woody,’ with the Jamaican ‘Milky’ and ‘Gadget,’ quickly take him under their wing, and despite the difference in age he quickly becomes immersed in their lifestyle and all the smoking and drinking that comes with it. Things get shaken up further with the emergence of ‘Combo,’ recently released from prison he exemplifies the definition of skinhead, with a deep seated racial hatred and immense pride in his country, his charismatic manner quickly causes tension in the group, dividing it in two. Seeing a younger version of himself in Shaun, he quickly takes a strong liking to the boy who in turn becomes enamoured in his world view.

The talent here is at times overwhelming; not just from the director capable of transforming an almost comical scene between friends into clear tension, or from the strength of writing, frighteningly convincing in the manner nationalism emerged, but also in the constant backdrop of the Fawklands and the situation of the country. The strength of Thomas Turgoose (Shaun) is phenomenal, despite being 14 when this was released he performs as you would expect of someone with far more experience, often overshadowing much of the cast. From the subtle tension you can see rise in ‘Combo’ in the latter part of the film, to the feeling of genuine friendship between Woody and Shaun, much of their performances proves a testament to British cinema, realistically fleshed out.

Despite this there are still issues; with as many characters presented as this some feel poorly explored. In particular the relationship with ‘Smell’ feeling out of place and rather bizarre, the confusing nature of the ending all detracting from what would otherwise be considered an powerful heart-wrenchingly true story of a dark time in the directors life. With a genuine sense of comradery between the group that isn’t easy to fake, a realistic affection between the characters and an obvious tension he manages to create a character driven drama that is completely immersive. Welcome to ‘American History X: The British Story.’