Shane Meadows uses time and space constraints to tell the coming-of-age story of Shaun in This is England. The story is shown from Shaun's limited perspective as a young boy, making his world feel small and intense. Meadows also grounds the story in a specific time and place of 1980s England to make the film feel realistic. He employs symmetrical storytelling by having Shaun's narrative effectively restart after a pivotal choice. Documentary-style realism and stylized setups are both used to reinforce the film's message through the camerawork and music, which plays an important role in reflecting the characters and telling the story.

1. Time and Space Constraints – telling a story over a specific time in a specific place
How does Shane Meadows constrict How aware of any time limitations?
time and space in the film?
Think of Narrative time, story time, dead
The first thing you must consider is time?
that this is a story told from a young
How does Shane Meadows represent time
boy’s perspective – in time and space
passing?
his world is smaller – so everything
is more intense… What impact does this have on the audience?

2. A story rooted in a real context – touches with the things we know
This is England makes a bold statement What gives this film the sense of reality in era?
in it’s title – it hints that we are going to
watch something we all know or at least What elements of realism are ‘substance’ – the
think we know. things that make us feel as though we are
living in that moment?
It also gives it a specific setting of an era
and Shane Meadows has suggested it Does this reality touch the lives of the
could be considered a ‘costume drama’. characters and does this convey a message?

3. One symmetrical narrative – one choice that makes two stories
Whilst it may be possible to apply How does Shane Meadows emphasise this idea
Todorov’s theory of narrative to this of two stories repeating themselves?
film – in many ways the movie is
How does he make the scene in Combo’s flat
almost split into two with the
significant?
narrative effectively starting again
when Shaun makes a fundamental Where are there moments of symmetry in the
choice in his life… two narratives and what impact does this have?

4. Documentary realism or Stylised set-ups?
We have discussed the conventions of How does Shane Meadows use the camera to
Social Realism movies using an tell the story?
aesthetic that may seem similar to Are different parts of the story filmed in
documentary. That lets a film unfold in different ways?
front of us. But there is no doubt at all
that This is England is also an Are certain characters shot in different ways?
incredibly stylish film. Is the camera used to reinforce the message?

5. The use of music to tell a story
Shaun’s story is rooted in his discovery How is music used throughout the film to
of a new culture at a time when young reflect the characters – particularly Shaun, but
people are discovering the things that others as well?
are important to them. At the same
How is it used to tell the story and help with
time the music contributes to making
the structure of the movie?
this an extremely emotional piece of
filmmaking… Is it as powerful as or can it replace dialogue?