‘This is England’ Representation Analysis.
Social realist Drama (2006)
Race is quite a prominent subject in this film, primarily with the character Milky. He is Jamaican
British and is one of the main members of the ‘gang’ showing he is included, he is a likeable
character especially in the mid shot when milky and Shaun do an obviously rehearsed hand
shake, showing milky is also including the previously lonely, Protagonist. Milky, The shop owner,
and the Kids playing football represent the depression of people of ethnic origin by racists.
Meadows uses shock as Combo beats Milky up who is a likeable character, this therefore making
us feel racism is wrong so therefore is a positive representation
Women are also represented they are an included part of the group and are never suppressed,
even combo’s character who is the most aggressive is adoring towards the main female ’Lol’.
they are respected and included, like in the high angle shot where all the boys and girls are
playing football together, where football is usually a male orientated sport.
Working class males are represented predominantly as all the gang are working class, this you
can tell by when woody walks up to Shaun’s house which we think is quite a rough looking house
and says “Its quite posh round here” you wonder what he is used to.
Skin head culture gangs, single mothers and teenagers are also represented.
The film is set in the 1980’s in northern England, during the Falklands war.
We are suppose to like Shaun the protagonist, woody, milky, Lol, most of the original gang. As
these all dress cool, they are nice to the protagonist and are most forward thinking. you also feel
sorry for them as they are financially stretched, jobless and close to poverty.
You are suppose to dislike Combo, Bango and puke as they are racists you hate them for
corrupting Shaun making him do bad things like steal from the British Asian shop keeper, and
when lead by Combo, they declare the playing area as there area to a group of British Asian boys
and steal there ball.
You also dislike the middle class Teachers as they beat the children, the effect sinks in the close
up of Shaun wincing when he hears the crack of the whip.
Woody, Milky and Lol have power they influence what the others do, Lol is the main speaker for
the girls and takes control when shaving Shaun’s hair. Woody is like a leader he decides what is
happening, however he is likable as he always does the right thing like when he tries to persuade
Puke to stay with his gang and not join the racist Combo. Shaun’s mum also has power as he is
Shaun’s guardian and his father died in the Falklands, shown in the long shot of Lol shaving
Shaun’s hair she says ‘your mums not going to come and break my door down?’. Bango and
Combo also have power they Persuade Shaun into becoming a racist, they have the most
forceful power and combo beats up milky as he is jealous.
The film challenges stereotypes of women, working class, skin heads, the middle class and
British Jamaicans. Its is generally counter hegemonic and the last clip is of Shaun throwing a flag
of England into the water symbolizes his own realization that the violent, anti-immigrant
nationalism he recently discovered, is immoral.