The film under chosen analysis is This is England, a 2006 British drama, written and directed by Shane Meadows. The film begins with various archived footage of the UK in the turbulent 1980s to create an almost documentary like atmosphere. The film is meant to take place on the last day of “Maggie”, Margaret Thatcher’s term in 1983, and the first character the viewer is introduced to is young Shawn, a 12-year-old fatherless and bullied boy. Shawn hesitantly seeks refuge with a group of “proper” skinheads, lead by Woody, (those of line from the original working class movement, rooted in either apolitical or socialist tendencies) who offer him companionship and protection after he is beaten-up by another boy at school, because of remarks made about his dead father. He is given the full costuming of a skin: Shaved head, boots with white socks, a Ben Sherman, and skinny suspenders; thus inducting him ceremoniously into the group. Unfortunately these events coincide with an older skinhead being released from jail, Combo, who then in turn attempts to assert authority over the multi-ethnic “proper” skinheads and spout nationalist (read as fascist) ideas and violent plans of action. This causes a split in the group, which reflected the split in the actual skinhead subculture at that time. With the apolitical, ska listening group on one side and the aggressive oi listening on the other, Shawn is left confused and allured by the nationalist talk; which soothes his issues with his father who died in the imperialist Falklands War. Shawn begins to emulate the “father-like” figure, Combo’s, behavior and participate in a violent attack on a shopkeeper of another ethnic group who had coincidentally banned Shawn from his shop earlier. Feeling invincible from this event Combo seeks out Lol, Woody’s partner, one of the female “proper” skinheads. After she rejects his advances he does something uncharacteristic and approaches Milky, the Jamaican “proper” skinhead for marijuana. After returning to the fascist home-base Milky, Combo and Shawn along with two other fascists, Smell (Shawn’s older girlfriend), and “tubs” an ex of Woody’s group, they smoke and become intoxicated. The viewer sees a glimpse into what may have once been an egalitarian tendency within Combo as he bonds with Milky over “soulful” music. It is fairly apparent that what triggers Combo’s next move; a brutal and relentless attack on Milky is when the talk of family and father figures arises. Milky, being intoxicated, begins to sound more and more Jamaican and is telling Combo about how much he respects his father, at this Combo beats him senseless while the older fascist holds Shawn down to prevent him from obstructing the attack. The viewer later learns from Shawn’s mother that Milky has not died, and the viewer along with Shawn, are assured that he will recover. After being subject to a confusing, torn and barbaric world around him, young Shawn seems to finally make up his own mind and he takes the St. George’s Flag (a symbol of fascist nationalistic ideals) that Combo gave him and throws it into the sea, thus drowning out those misled violent tendencies in himself.
The film does an exceptional job of recreating the tension of a right-wing era in the UK in a very controlled set and space. One of the reasons this film is so compelling, other than the technical aspects and provocative acting, is that the power politics of the time (which continue now with the BNP and fascist thug clubs who still maintain sway in the UK’s political process) are so confrontationally transparent. Race, class, and gender seem to be the trifecta of topics addressed here, and they are handled in a number of interesting ways. For example, the apolitical “proper” skinheads are inclusive of Milky, they are apparently equals. The only time this bond is betrayed is when the domineering Combo enters the picture, and some are intimidated into placating his racist remarks and others even write them off as a joke. This is similar to what actually takes place on a larger scale politically with a rise in right-wing power in the UK even today. Placating, apathetic support and lack of serious criticism tend fuel fascist fires somewhat more so than the actual active support for them. Even Milky becomes allured by Combo’s rhetoric and almost joins him! This demonstrates the sort of desperation that generations of youth were feeling during these turbulent times in England, when a black youth questions joining a fascist nationalist front, tensions are undoubtedly high. Milky is also the only black character that the viewer comes to know, which makes his attack that much more fearsome and brutal. A very strong bond is formed when a character, such as Milky, is alienated or mistreated in film, this bond makes it easier for the viewer to project themselves into that role, no doubt what the director was intending; thus the viewer stands in solidarity with Milky and empathizes with him. The ethnic group that was the main focus of discrimination was from Pakistan. In one scene Combo threatens three Pakistani youth with a knife, while the others, Shawn included, look on a laugh. These xenophobic, anti-immigrant ideas are still as prevalent today in the UK, as they were when portrayed in 1983. There has been a right-wing shift that has taken as its mantle an Islamophobic slant, which is fueling immigration “reform”, and laws banning the hijab or burqa for Muslim women. The Pakistani youth were identifiable by their traditional costumed attire, which made them easy targets for the fascist attack. So here too costume plays a role.
Gender was also handled in a very clever way. In the beginning we’re introduced to a band of female “proper” skinhead and skinhead sympathizers. They are treated as equals, and share in similar activities with the male “proper” skins. We see them walking separately, independent of the males, until in several montage sequences they all mix and walk together. Though there is some grouping together in scenes, it seems to emulate a female solidarity rather than a male exclusionist perspective. This kind of behavior sits in stark contrast to the fascist conduct of Combo and his gang. There are no women portrayed on the fascist side (unless the viewer counts the exploited women in the pornographic pictures taped to Combo’s apartment walls). The only interaction is when Combo tries to cast a drunken underage tryst with Lol from years ago as love, or when they attend Smell’s birthday party and she’s given pornographic magazines by one of the fascist skins. An interesting thing to note here, Smell has just become “legal” and one interpretive take on that “gift” of magazines could be a patriarchal assertion of how she should now conduct herself or been seen as. Also the language used surrounding gender is disturbing. The fascist skins use, “cunt,” whore” and “bitch” as derogative terms for both men and women. There was absolutely no room for equality on Combo’s side, the fascist side. The only girl that sympathizes with Combo gets whisked away from the film after the other female and male “proper” skins address the problems with what Combo was saying about Milky in their first encounter.
Finally the film outlines class very effectively in the scenes where the fascist nationalists have their political party gathering. Men from all walks of (white) life: prison releases, workers, students, etc gathered at a remote Inn to wait for two nationalist party members for the campaign pitch. These two nefarious individuals arrive in an expensive sporty car, wearing expensive looking suits and sunglasses. What seems to play a socio-economic role here are that the misguided and aggressive have-nots become very infatuated with the racist rhetoric of the upper class haves. This also plays a psychological role is that Combo (assumedly so) had a terrible childhood, filled with rejection from his father or possibly total absence so he is constantly seeking out authority guidance. The viewer is also to assume that he picked up all of these terrible fascist ideas whilst in prison (for three and a half years) probably due to seeking out protection from existing, entrenched fascists in prison and then ultimately becoming brainwashed to their ideas.
Of course the film has a bias, the viewer is obviously not suppose to side with the racist, sexist, fascist Combo and his thugs, however it demonstrates this bias in a way that depicts the actual actions of both subcultures and allows the viewer to arrive end with new convictions based on these historic (and contemporary) occurrences. Even this interpretive analysis has a very left-leaning bias, which may be why the film was found to be so exceptional. Past political knowledge as well as current informed opinions on the UK’s (and Europe in general) return to the “right” shaped the direction of this analysis and even the choice of film for the assignment.
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