This Is England
In July 1983, 12-year-old schoolboy Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), who lives with his widowed mother in an unspecified area in the East Midlands. The country itself is in the throes of a social upheaval wit…
This Is England
In July 1983, 12-year-old schoolboy Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), who lives with his widowed mother in an unspecified area in the East Midlands. The country itself is in the throes of a social upheaval with Thatcher reining in the socialist policies of the Government, the Falklands war, the advent of video games, the marriage of Charles & Diana, the cold war, advent of terrorism and modern technology in everyday life. The youth of the country felt disconnected to the progress of the country as a whole. This led to the rise of the skinhead gangs in various areas. Social unrest was on the rise and was aimed against immigrants. Shaun is alienated, frequently antagonized at school and around town. On the last day of the school year, Shaun gets into a fight at school with a boy named Harvey (Michael Socha) after Harvey insults him for wearing wide bell-bottoms and making an offensive joke about his father, who was killed in the Falklands War. On his way home Shaun runs into a group of young skinheads led by Richard James "Woody" Woodford (Joe Gilgun), who feels sympathy for Shaun and invites him to join the group. The group includes Milky, Pukey, Key (Kieran Hardcastle) and the overweight, dim-witted Gary "Gadget" Flowers (Andrew Ellis). Despite some initial hostilities between Shaun and Gadget, the gang accepts Shaun as a member. Gadget feels that Woody is favoring Shaun and Gadget ranking in the gang has gone down, ever since Shaun showed up. Woody invites Shaun out for a hunt. Shaun bonds closely with Woody, viewing him a big brother figure, and his girlfriend Lorraine "Lol" Jenkins, who takes a motherly role towards him. Shaun also develops a romantic relationship with Michelle "Smell" (Rosamund Hanson), also known as Smell, an older girl who dresses in a new wave, New Romantic style. Shaun is easily influenced by Woody's leadership & becomes a member of the gang, shaves his head off & starts to dress like them. Shaun wants his mother to buy him the expensive Doc Marten boots, but she can only afford the non-branded shoes for him. At first it is mostly fun & games. Woody is largely apolitical & only indulges the group in minor public property destruction (like abandoned apartments in public housing schemes) and stays away from the mainstream attention. During a party one night, the group is ambushed by a bald, tattooed, mustachioed, machete-wielding man, who is then attacked by Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne, a first-wave skinhead. With the attack revealed to be a prank, Woody introduces Combo to the group. Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne (Stephen Graham), an older skinhead, returns to the group after a 3-year prison sentence, accompanied by a knife-wielding bearded man called Banjo (George Newton), and a bespectacled diabetic called Ronald "Meggy" Megford (Perry Benson). Combo, a charismatic but unstable man with sociopath tendencies, begins to express English nationalist and racist views, alienating Woody, Lol, Kes, and offending Milky. Later on, he attempts to enforce his leadership over the other skinheads. Combo expresses strong anti-immigrant feelings about them stealing English jobs & getting social benefits while UK has 3.5 million citizens unemployed. Combo also rants against the Falklands war which resonates with Shaun as he lost his dad to the Falkland's war. Combo then uses the sentiment of the war to manipulate the boy into joining his side. This leads the group to split. Shaun stays in Combo's group instead of the apolitical skinheads led by Woody. Combo is impressed by and identifies with Shaun, who in turn sees Combo as a mentor figure. Shaun goes with Combo's group to a National Front meeting. Combo's group attend a National Front meeting. On the drive home, Pukey (Jack O'Connell) expresses doubt over their racist and nationalist politics. Enraged, Combo stops the car and throws Pukey out, assaulting him and calling him homophobic slurs, abandoning him in isolated countryside by the roadside. The gang deface walls, intimidate local children and spray racist slogans on Asian shopkeeper Mr Sandhu's (Kriss Dosanjh) walls, while Shaun, previously banned from the shop (because Shaun would read the comics and Sandhu would insist that he buys them first), launches a bigoted verbal assault on Sandhu with demands for alcohol and cigarettes. Combo viciously threatens Sandhu with a machete and the gang steal goods for a birthday party under Combo's instructions. Combo becomes depressed after Woody's girlfriend Frances Lorraine "Lol" Jenkins (Vicky McClure), whom Combo has loved since they had drunken sex years before, rejects him. To console himself, Combo buys cannabis from Michael "Milky" (Andrew Shim), a member of Woody's group, and the only African/Caribbean skinhead. Combo invites Milky to a party At a party with Shaun and the other members of Combo's group, Combo and Milky bond while intoxicated. Combo invites Milky to tell him about himself. Milky shares details of his many relatives, comfortable family life and happy upbringing, everything that Combo lacked. Combo becomes increasingly bitter and envious, all wrapped up in a racist viewpoint. When Milky invites him to dinner, Combo becomes enraged and nearly beats Milky to death whilst everyone in the room, including Shaun watches in horror. Banjo holds down Shaun, and Meggy watches on in horror. An angry Combo violently throws Shaun out of his flat after Shaun verbally defends Milky, then slams the door hard. Ashamed and devastated by what he has done to Milky, Combo then turns hysterical, violently dragging the others out of the room and glassing Banjo in the face, covering Meggy in blood. Horrified at the realization of what he has done, a remorseful Combo weeps over Milky. Shaun and Combo later take Milky to a nearby hospital. Some time later, Shaun is in his bedroom looking at a picture of his late father. His mother Cynthia (Jo Hartley) assures Shaun that Milky will be alright. Shaun is then shown walking near the beach throwing his Saint George Flag (which was given by Combo as a gift) in the sea as a tribute to his father who died for what England was really about and not the racist views of the National Front.
This Is England
Crime,Drama
Film Details
In July 1983, 12-year-old schoolboy Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), who lives with his widowed mother in an unspecified area in the East Midlands. The country itself is in the throes of a social upheaval with Thatcher reining in the socialist policies of the Government, the Falklands war, the advent of video games, the marriage of Charles & Diana, the cold war, advent of terrorism and modern technology in everyday life. The youth of the country felt disconnected to the progress of the country as a whole.
This led to the rise of the skinhead gangs in various areas. Social unrest was on the rise and was aimed against immigrants. Shaun is alienated, frequently antagonized at school and around town.
On the last day of the school year, Shaun gets into a fight at school with a boy named Harvey (Michael Socha) after Harvey insults him for wearing wide bell-bottoms and making an offensive joke about his father, who was killed in the Falklands War. On his way home Shaun runs into a group of young skinheads led by Richard James "Woody" Woodford (Joe Gilgun), who feels sympathy for Shaun and invites him to join the group. The group includes Milky, Pukey, Key (Kieran Hardcastle) and the overweight, dim-witted Gary "Gadget" Flowers (Andrew Ellis).
Despite some initial hostilities between Shaun and Gadget, the gang accepts Shaun as a member. Gadget feels that Woody is favoring Shaun and Gadget ranking in the gang has gone down, ever since Shaun showed up. Woody invites Shaun out for a hunt.
Shaun bonds closely with Woody, viewing him a big brother figure, and his girlfriend Lorraine "Lol" Jenkins, who takes a motherly role towards him. Shaun also develops a romantic relationship with Michelle "Smell" (Rosamund Hanson), also known as Smell, an older girl who dresses in a new wave, New Romantic style. Shaun is easily influenced by Woody's leadership & becomes a member of the gang, shaves his head off & starts to dress like them.
Shaun wants his mother to buy him the expensive Doc Marten boots, but she can only afford the non-branded shoes for him. At first it is mostly fun & games. Woody is largely apolitical & only indulges the group in minor public property destruction (like abandoned apartments in public housing schemes) and stays away from the mainstream attention.
During a party one night, the group is ambushed by a bald, tattooed, mustachioed, machete-wielding man, who is then attacked by Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne, a first-wave skinhead. With the attack revealed to be a prank, Woody introduces Combo to the group. Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne (Stephen Graham), an older skinhead, returns to the group after a 3-year prison sentence, accompanied by a knife-wielding bearded man called Banjo (George Newton), and a bespectacled diabetic called Ronald "Meggy" Megford (Perry Benson).
Combo, a charismatic but unstable man with sociopath tendencies, begins to express English nationalist and racist views, alienating Woody, Lol, Kes, and offending Milky. Later on, he attempts to enforce his leadership over the other skinheads. Combo expresses strong anti-immigrant feelings about them stealing English jobs & getting social benefits while UK has 3.5 million citizens unemployed.
Combo also rants against the Falklands war which resonates with Shaun as he lost his dad to the Falkland's war. Combo then uses the sentiment of the war to manipulate the boy into joining his side. This leads the group to split.
Shaun stays in Combo's group instead of the apolitical skinheads led by Woody. Combo is impressed by and identifies with Shaun, who in turn sees Combo as a mentor figure. Shaun goes with Combo's group to a National Front meeting.
Combo's group attend a National Front meeting. On the drive home, Pukey (Jack O'Connell) expresses doubt over their racist and nationalist politics. Enraged, Combo stops the car and throws Pukey out, assaulting him and calling him homophobic slurs, abandoning him in isolated countryside by the roadside.
The gang deface walls, intimidate local children and spray racist slogans on Asian shopkeeper Mr Sandhu's (Kriss Dosanjh) walls, while Shaun, previously banned from the shop (because Shaun would read the comics and Sandhu would insist that he buys them first), launches a bigoted verbal assault on Sandhu with demands for alcohol and cigarettes. Combo viciously threatens Sandhu with a machete and the gang steal goods for a birthday party under Combo's instructions. Combo becomes depressed after Woody's girlfriend Frances Lorraine "Lol" Jenkins (Vicky McClure), whom Combo has loved since they had drunken sex years before, rejects him.
To console himself, Combo buys cannabis from Michael "Milky" (Andrew Shim), a member of Woody's group, and the only African/Caribbean skinhead. Combo invites Milky to a party At a party with Shaun and the other members of Combo's group, Combo and Milky bond while intoxicated. Combo invites Milky to tell him about himself.
Milky shares details of his many relatives, comfortable family life and happy upbringing, everything that Combo lacked. Combo becomes increasingly bitter and envious, all wrapped up in a racist viewpoint. When Milky invites him to dinner, Combo becomes enraged and nearly beats Milky to death whilst everyone in the room, including Shaun watches in horror.
Banjo holds down Shaun, and Meggy watches on in horror. An angry Combo violently throws Shaun out of his flat after Shaun verbally defends Milky, then slams the door hard. Ashamed and devastated by what he has done to Milky, Combo then turns hysterical, violently dragging the others out of the room and glassing Banjo in the face, covering Meggy in blood.
Horrified at the realization of what he has done, a remorseful Combo weeps over Milky. Shaun and Combo later take Milky to a nearby hospital. Some time later, Shaun is in his bedroom looking at a picture of his late father.
His mother Cynthia (Jo Hartley) assures Shaun that Milky will be alright. Shaun is then shown walking near the beach throwing his Saint George Flag (which was given by Combo as a gift) in the sea as a tribute to his father who died for what England was really about and not the racist views of the National Front..