This Is England (2 Disc Edition) [DVD] [2006]

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
If there’s a more exciting and diverse a film director currently working in the UK than Shane Meadows, then it’s reason to truly celebrate. In fact, the sheer quality of Meadow’s own output is enough reason to be enthused, not least his finest film to date, IThis Is England/I. P Set in the early 1980s, IThis Is England/I initially focuses on 12-year old Shaun (played by Thomas Turgoose, a real find), as he befriends a group of skinheads. Shaun bears the scars of the 80s, with his dad lost in the Falklands War, and his relationship with his new friends develops carefully across the first half of the film. P But it’s in the second half where IThis Is England/I soars. It’s not easy watching, as is the usual drill with Meadows’ best films, From a stunning tirade about the state of Britain, to moments of real unease and tension, it’s a terrific piece of cinema, and one destined to enjoy a healthy life on DVD. It’s also one that should, if there’s any justice, provide a major career springboard for its primarily unknown cast, and one that should get Meadows far more of the recognition he absolutely deserves. P Bluntly, not only is IThis Is England/I the best British film of the year. It’s a standout contender for the best film of 2007 full stop. It’s utterly superb, and it’d be remiss not to see it. --IJon Foster/I

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2009-04-24 rating:
my two penneth
growing up during the skins, punks, hippies, new wave era of the late 70s early 80s i cant remember ever meeting anyone like woody, they just didnt exist, and anyone who says they did will be in for some bovver! alright! oggie! oggie! oggie! oi! oi! oi! br /Great film though

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review by: date: 2009-02-21 rating:
A bold film that is worth watching!
A great thing about this film is that it does not portray issues like national identity, fascism, community and racism in black and white - there are no stereotypes which is what makes this film great for me. The fact that youth dressed as skin heads and enjoyed the culture, but did not hold the extremist views of the real NF members was a stand out feature of the film. It showed that there is a difference between these people and that the rest of society should not be too quick to judge. Even the NF element of the film was articulated in a careful manner to show viewers that it is a fascist and racist party, but the majority of the minority of people who were caught up in it were brainwashed or desperately seeking a sense of belonging and value, but looking in completely the wrong place to find it. The Falklands element of the film showed me how Thatcher aimed to bring society together and quell industrial unrest by stirring up a bit of nineteenth century nationalism, and that the people who suffered the most because of her war were the people that suffered under her deregulation policies. It will be a good day when England can celebrate Saint George's day again as it will mean we can once again take pride in the national flag, and it will put a line under the way it has been tarnished by the 80s NF minority.

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review by: date: 2008-07-09 rating:
GOOD FILM BUT DISSAPOINTED AT THE END
After waiting many months to see this i finally rented a copy, and settled to watch this film, loved the beginning showing all stuff 80's (im an 80's fan so this was brilliant) br / br /The acting of Thomas Turgoos (Shaun) is superb, who starts as the feisty but lonely young man who gets accepted in the family of "Woody" and his mates. who eventually change him into a fully dressed skin head with matching D.M boots, but along comes the "serpent in the garden of eden" who is realeased from jail and portays a slighlty crazed right wing fascist named Combo which leads to tensions between the group. br / br /Whilst there are some superb performances through out the film and some funny scenes, through out the film, Shane Meadows seems to lead you through this film with a building tension and you seem to wait in anticipation for something big to kick off which actually never happens, although the end is pretty disturbing it seemed that something bigger and better was to be delivered from Meadows which didn't quite happen. br / br /Still a very good story and one which you cannot help feeling a certain affection for Shaun, the little lost boy who misses his Dad, and on the whole still a good film, but due to the ending have only rated it 4 Stars

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review by: date: 2008-06-11 rating:
unrealistic?!
I've read reviews by people who claim that this film is unrealistic because characters like woody wouldn't survive in a real skin head gang. I think that characters like woody are what make it realistic. br / br /the original kids were not a skin head gang! They were kids having a drink in the street, and the fact that they were diverse and also friendly meant they didn't fit the bill for some hollywood blockbuster with terrorising youths - they were real people! br / br /This film inspired me because it didn't automatically assume that scruffy kids are automatically skin heads or pikeys. They are young, and the real skin head that takes them in represents extremely realistically the kind of conditioning that is given to these kids so that they are brainwashed into joining the national front for some kind of power. br / br /I liked this film because it was realistic and didn't follow all the preconceptions of stereotypes that clearly many reviewers hold!


review by: Symphonic Metal Fan date: 2008-06-07 rating:
Very Faithful To 1983! And Just As Faithful To 2008.......
Another excellent film from Shane Meadows. I was 15 in 1983, and although I was never a Skinhead (I started off into metal, flirted with punk, dallied with electro before returning to metal and generally sticking with it) I've vivid memories of this era this film is SO evocative, the clothes, the cars, even the shop fittings! Seriously, the production design is outstanding. This looks every bit as authentic as 1982's Made In Britain, ITV's well known Skinhead drama starring Tim Roth. br /It's a strong film, very uncomfortable at times and many of the social issues addressed in the film are still relevant today, maybe even more so! br /The acting is very intense yet very, very natural as in Meadows previous movie, Dead Man's Shoes. br /Don't expect the hardcore violence of Romper Stomper or the likes of Rise Of The Foot Soldier or Green Street - This is nothing like them - There is only one scene of explicit violence (although the build up to this is very disturbing) and viewers should not expect any scenes at all of rival gang wars with baseball bats bike chains etc! It's very much grounded in reality, where even it's principal Skinhead 'villain', the fanatical Combo is shown to have flaws and weaknesses often missing from similiarly brutal characters. br /Actually, the film depicts the Skins culture in a mostly positive fashion, where violence intimidation was not the norm for many! br /The language is VERY strong as you would expect and it shocks to hear a 12 year old boy using the F word liberally on film! Having said that, a walk around any high street today will soon erase that feeling! br /Not giving anything away, but the ending is a little ambiguous; however 25 years on from 1983, many of This Is England's social problems are equally unresolved. br /The score is very good, there's quite a bit of Ska some Oi as the tone of the story darkens but also some excellent acoustic/orchestral pieces that really add feeling to the dramatics on screen - in much the same fashion as Shane Meadows previous work. br /For anyone that liked: Made In Britain, American History X (nowhere near as violent as X) and the acting/direction of Dead Man's Shoes. br / br /If you're just looking for punch ups, then this intelligent provocative drama may dissapoint. br /

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