1. This Is England
Director: Shane Meadows
What is it about? This is England follows 12 year old Sean, played by the excellent Thomas Turgoose, who happens to have a chance encounter with a group of skinheads after a fight at school. The gang are impressed by Shaun and it is not long before he is a fully fledged skinhead revelling in his new sense of belonging. Things take a sharp turn however when Combo, an older more extreme skinhead, is released from prison and causes a split in the group. As is common in Meadows films things start to build up towards a violent, explosive climax as Combos poisonous views and racial hatred become more and more prominent.
Why is it great? For a film which focuses primarily on skinheads, the national front and racism to range from feeling tender and poignant one moment to brutal and terrifying the next is testament to Meadows skill as a director. This is a brilliant depiction of Thatchers Britain and the generation of young people who were left behind within it. A semi-autobiographical tale of Meadows own childhood we see the drastic change that occurred within the skinhead movement as it was hijacked by the extremists of the National Front. Witnessing this all through the eyes of the young impressionable Shaun makes the events that occur all the more striking and all the more disturbing. Ultimately this a coming of age film set against the backdrop of an economically depressed Britain post Falklands. The film is layered beautifully with a focus on both the personal growth of young Shaun and the political landscape of the world in which he is growing into. The plot is brutally powerful, the acting exemplary and the soundtrack excellent; this is a film which could not be improved upon. This was England.
Final Thought This is England is undoubtedly Shane Meadows Tour de Force. Partly inspired by his own life it is a brilliant portrayal of an aspect of Britains past that most directors wouldnt touch. This is England is British film making at its best. http://youtu.be/H0jkv2bRFgQ What are your favourite British films of the last twenty years? Share your own picks below, and don't forget to take part in
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