This is England Review
By David Kempler
Shaun of the almost dead
Shane Meadows, the writer/director of "This is England", has achieved a modicum of success in his native England, mostly for his 2002 "Dead Man's Shoes", which was nominated for eight British Independent Film Awards. His latest attempt has found its way to our shores and it shows flashes but ultimately fails to shine as bright as it should.
The story is based loosely on Meadows' childhood and presumably the central character, Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), is Meadows in some form. Shaun is 12 years old and has very recently lost his father who has been killed in the Falklands War in 1983. He is small in stature and is picked on by his schoolmates. He is angry but does not know what to lash out at. This makes him driven, but in no particular direction. Anger propels him and he handles everything with a false bravado. He aches to fit in. It is this blindness that lands him in the lap of the skinheads.
His entrance into this culture is facilitated by a local gang leader, Woody (Joe Gilgun), when he cuts through an underpass and encounters Woody and his buddies. What initially starts as a scene of possible confrontation becomes instead the beginning of a surrogate family for Shaun. He is much younger than the others but is accepted as is. Shaun has finally found a new home to comfort him. Woody is not the stereotypical evil, stupid and cruel gang leader. He has a soft and thoughtful side and the group is more bark than bite. They are all disaffected and they cause a bit of trouble locally but nothing more than mostly harmless pranks. The relationship is cemented when one of the girls in the gang shaves Shaun's head.
The group takes a turn to the more violent side of the ledger when Combo (Stephen Graham) is released from prison and returns to the group he was once a part of. Combo shows the effects of prison life. He is hardened by the experience and he takes over as leader from Woody. Combo has gone the way of many skinheads of that era. He has aligned with the budding National Front, a racist movement that still stands in England. They can still be found at the local soccer matches in England if you'd like a personal look.
Combo is fond of Shaun and the youngster remains when Woody and some of the others leave the group. Of course, it all falls apart in a blaze of mindless violence. That is predictable. The rest of "This is England" feels fresh and new. One very disconcerting part of the film is Meadows' incessant desire to shoot his characters so closely that the audience can count the pores on their faces. After a while it seems comical and takes away from the proceedings.
"This is England" is a different view (to me) of war and how it affects those who remain on the home front. It is also a glimpse into a small part of history of the British Empire. To most Americans the Falklands War was a TV show that we didn't give a second thought to but like all wars it took its toll. We often forget that other people besides Americans go through anything of importance. "This is England" provides a glimpse into a bit of history outside of America through the eyes of a lost boy. On this level it succeeds.
