"We are not racist..we are realist" is one of the most powerful lines This Is England has and sums up the excuse many people used during 1980's England. The excuse to physically and verbally abuse people because of the colour of their skin.; or if they just didn't fit in with the crowd. You can't help but be lured in to 12 year-old Shaun's heart-felt story. Set in the 1983 Midlands, he is bullied because his trousers are too baggy, something that could probably happen in a school today. On his way home he meets a gang of skinheads, lead by Woody; one of the few characters with a handful of morals. He consoles Shaun and immediately involves him in his gang. The impressionable Shaun, eager to fit in somewhere, adjusts his image and asks, "Am I in the gang now?" Despite being younger than the majority of the skinheads, Shaun is accepted; showing how important appearances can be in this film. The first appearance of the Irish, recently-out-of-prison Combo, is a memorable one. Dying to impress everyone he enthusiastically tells a story involving a thieving black man he met in prison. Ignoring his nonchalant audience, he throws around many racist terms, seeming not to have noticed the only black skinhead in the room, Milky. The clever use of piano music creates a very questioning tone, is this how society will always be? Shane Meadows successfully pin-points what was wrong with England in the 1980's and encourages the audience to make sure this doesn't happen again. When the group is split and Shaun chooses the Nationalist Combo over Woody, we know he has made the wrong decision and we intently follow the rest of the film to see what becomes of his choice. This Is England covers many themes; romance, violence, friendship and family in its 90 minutes, so we remain fully engrossed to its end. The many questions Meadows raises are enough for this film to remain in the audience's head for a long time after they watch it. Including clips from the '80's and alluring music, we know that this film was not put together over night, a lot of thought was needed to get it to this standard. The characters are believable, the script fantastically written, with brilliant performances to deliver it. The 18 certificate is needed, however, many would agree that the story should be seen by those younger. Showing the importance of the family unit, and the lengths young people will go to be accepted, This Is England was destined to be a modern-day classic and one of the best films of 2006.
Review of This Is England
