Analysis of the opening sequence
The opening sequence to ‘This is England’ sets the time the film is going to be set by showing different images resembling to the eighties.
It begins with a clip of “Roland Rat” and then sharply cuts to a black page with white credits. Soon as the cut happens the music begins. The black and white could be being used to represent the racial theme that follows. The music is an upbeat song in the ska genre, being very popular in the eighties.
The next small clip is a rather humorous one of the Prime Minister of the time, Margaret Thatcher, the first female PM, wearing a hard hat. It then cuts again and more credits come on.
It then shows some type of eighties technology game and cuts again.
This is then followed by a clip showing the Nightrider car called Kit, this was supposed to be the car of the future! The credits also come back on.
Until now each cut is synchronised with the music. This then changes and shows a clip of a rough, graffiti covered, scruffy council estate. The clip stays on for longer than the previous ones and seems to have been filmed from a moving vehicle. The title “This is England” then appears with the council estate as background.
It then changes onto a different clip, this time not synchronised with the music. This shows older school boys, in uniform, all with skinheads climbing concrete stairs, again covered with graffiti as the name of the main character, Thomas Turgoose appears.
The next clip shows typical eighties clothes and dancing and shots of a well known group of the time, Duran Duran with more credits appearing against the background.
There are shots of an audience, which looks like rowdy men at a gig. It then changes to teenagers kissing which then leads to film of the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles and a lot of national happiness, the crowds waving Union Jacks in celebration. Following clips show a series of events that took place in the eighties- a block of flats being demolished, a train crashing, an armed man on a balcony as a bomb goes off; the explosion perfectly in time with the music, a rocket is launched, violent demonstrations and sit-ins, the Rubik cube, BMX biker, a child staring intently at a television screen and Margaret Thatcher again using a computer but not looking as though she’s enjoying it! All through these clips credits appear in white against the backgrounds.
An air traffic control screen appears then people are shown doing exercises to music followed by a machine making or changing records. More very violent demonstrations and confrontations with police are shown and marchers carrying Union Jacks. More graffiti in the form of slogans supporting racial organizations, there is a swastika painted on a wall.
It then shows a car window and a house window that had both been smashed and an Asian family looking at the damage to their property. We also see a Asian woman and a English woman talking about the damage that has been done. More riots and smirking skinheads and lots of fights follow. It immediately flashes to a scene of a large flock of sheep being herded by a sheep dog. Then there is a single shot of a Union Jack followed by British troops walking across land and different scenes of war; a ship being blown up. We again see Margaret Thatcher giving a speech to the troops; it’s a more serious clip of her than seen before. Newspaper headlines show that she has become even more popular due to the Falklands war. We then finally see the reality of war as casualties are stretchered away from the battle ground and the music fades.
Critical response.
One reviewer quoted the film as “A funny and deeply moving portrait”.
I partially agree with this statement because at the beginning of the film I have sympathy for young vulnerable Sean as he is a victim of bullying and his dad had been killed in the Falklands war. He has no friends and we can tell by his body language and loneliness he is looking for companionship. When he meets and makes unlikely friendship with the skinheads I find it moving that it was the skinheads that made the first approach. It shows that they do have deeper and better feelings than is normally credited with their image. I find the banter between the skinheads comical despite the realistic use of foul language. I also find the relationship between Sean and Woody at the start very sweet as he acts like an older brother to Sean. Towards the middle/end of the film I start to get a negative feeling because of the way Combo takes over the friendly group and changes the whole atmosphere causing tension and resulting in a very violent ending.
Personal Response.
I think ‘This is England’ is a very truthful film. It’s a film that shows how unexpected friendships and relationships can be made. There are both good and bad influences, for example, Woody is a good influence because he is a friendly, upbeat character and likes to have fun where as Combo brings his racial hatreds and prejudices causing tension between the group. The racism in the film is horrific; it makes you feel sick. I was upset by it and I know other people got upset about it because when I watched the film one of my class mates was crying. It affected her so deeply. Films like this need to be made to make you realise how bad racism can get. The title of the film implies that England is a racist country when I sincerely hope that is not true.
