2. This Is England:
Content
This Is England is a 2006 British drama film written and directed by Shane meadows. The story
centres on you skinheads in England in 1983. This film illustrates how their subculture, which
has its root in 1960s west Indian culture, especially ska, soul, and reggae music became
adopted by white nationalists. This PowerPoint will be analysing the opening of ‘This Is
England’ linking with Cinematography, Mise En Scene Editing, exposition of
character, Setting, Narrative & The Themes shown in this opening.
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Cinematography
At the beginning of This Is England there is a middle shot of a talking puppet, this creates a
enigma code to the audience as the audience want to know what this got to do with
film and what is this puppet symbolising. It then cuts to a scene with a women in a truck
that is wearing a white workers helmet and a blue dress/suit , this gives the impression
that she is the charge /boss of this circumstances as she is not wearing a whole outfit for
workers. It continues to edit through scenes with cuts, the scenes contain things such as
skinheads , rock stars, the old building blocks and the riots. All of these scene gives the
idea to the audience that this film is based in the 80s because of the style:
cars, hairstyle, clothing, etc. The film doesn’t establish a protagonist, as its just shots of the
80s and its culture.
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Mise en scene
On this film opening there is a lot scenes projected which applies that there will
be many mise en scenes as each scene is different., the reason why it has so
much scene is that it is conveying a particular theme of what life was like in
the 80s. An example would be the retro game consoler and retro TV, this
gives the impression that it was something new at that period of time and that
it attracted a lot of teenage and young adult/men as the thing on the screen
involves shooting and can only have a certain amount of life before its game
over, which many male would find interesting .
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editing including sound
Editing
The way editing is done in this film opening is that there is continues use of
cuts when changing scenes. When it comes to titles, subtitles they all
fade in and out of a scene. The bold silver fort titles, subtitles and
headings foreshadows that this film will be some serious/tense
drama film.
Sound
In the beginning of the film opening, the establishing scene shows a
talking puppet, which is an non diegetic sound that relates to what is
going on the screens, as it is the puppet voice.
The film opening after the first title sequences, diegetic sound begins to
play, sound that not coming from any of the scenes. The impression
that I get from sound/music which could be reggae , is that the
scene and music it doesn't go together, but however the interesting
thing is that they do link with each other in some scenes such as the
riot scenes and how the music
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Exposition of character (who is shown - what do we learn about them- how are
they represented),
Throughout the film opening, the film, explores many exposition of characters
such as the skin head, rock star, etc..
Skinheads:
Tribal : Gang relative
Social background: frustration, poverty, angrier
Executive: executives other if they don't
belong fit in the categories
Pop culture: main stream at that period, punk
music
Rock star:
Musical: Rock stars/ rock band
Dance: Crowed dancing to
the band
Pop culture: main stream at
that period, punk music
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Exposition of character (who is shown - what
do we learn about them- how are they
represented), Part 2.
What the audience learn about the
characters is there style clothing, housing
and life. We learn there style of clothing
by what they are wearing when
dancing, rioting etc. We see there style
of housing by the way they are built and
shaped in cut scenes. Also the graffiti
suggest it was ghetto. The last thing that
we have learnt is how affairs and
events were carried out in the 80s.
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Setting - where - what time period – is the exposition of
place/time important in this film opening?
The opening it doesn’t establish a particular location, but
however it does establish a periold of time that this film will
be based on which is the 80s. The reason why it is important
in this film opening is that the narrator is trying improvise that
this movie is set in 80s so its showing affairs, cultures and life
of the 80s in England.
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Narrative - how much of the narrative is actually shown? What predictions about the
film could you actually make from the opening? How are enigma codes used to hook
the audience? How does the title sequence close or resolve itself? Narrative theory?
In this opening there is little, in fact no narrative or dialogue is actually shown though
out the opening of how the story is going to be told. The predictions that I can
make from the opening of what the film will be like is that it is set in 80s, its going to
be on the culture of England in that time, as the clips that were shown were based
on that. The way enigma codes are used to catch the audience in this opening is
that the director didn't give anything away other than what the theme is
about, which want to make us audience want to know more. The way the title
sequence resolve itself is that it fades in at ‘35 seconds’ and fades out at ’40
seconds’ the whole title sequence last about 5 seconds, on the film opening.
Roland bathes Theory:
What is this going to
be about?
35 seconds
40 seconds
Why are these clips
being shown?
Enigma
codes
Who is the
protagonist ?
Where part of
England?
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Themes - some film openings really focus on the themes or ideas that may be significant in
the film - does the film opening that you have analysed do this
On this film opening its main focus was on the theme and idea of when the movie was set
and its culture. On the opening it suggest that the film is based in the 80s in England, we
can tell this by scenes such as the skinheads, the housing, cars and the retro TV and
game. Its try to convey the culture of the 80s to audience, giving them a insight of what
life was like in the 80s and events and affairs that took place. The idea its portrays to the
audience. is that whatever this film is about it has everything to do with the 80s and its
culture.
