British Film Flashcards
This is England - Combo’ speech
. Combo stood, everyone else sat - power
. Eye level + handheld cam as if we’re there
. Combo spits + gesticulates: violent, passion
. Cuts to characters on floor: disturbed/supportive
. Not everyone follows Woody at the end: new leader
. C is paternal to Shaun when he gets upset
This is England - Shop Attack
. Shaun walks/talks like Combo: emphasis on slurs
. Natural light + sound, can hear all the awful lang
. Racists aren’t attractive: cast unglamorous people
. Close up cuts between Combo + shopkeeper: threat
. Shopkeeper given dignity: holds eye contact, angry
. Racists immediately stupid: can’t spell ‘off’
This is England - Opening Sequence
. Pop culture from the 80s
. Real footage of Thatcher: v unflattering
. Context: miner’s strike, NF, skinheads fighting
. 54-46 was my number by Toots & the Maytals
. Moving shot of Northern estate: poor
. Establishing 80s, so nostalgic
This is England - End Sequence
. Real footage of men returning from Falklands War
. Footage of actual Falklands war, prisoners: grim
. Cyclical: Shaun alone again - wide shots
. Please, Please, Please, let me get what I want - Clayhill
. Chucks flag into water with anger: close up hand held
. Shaun looks at cam: sudden intrusion, challenging us
This is England - Shaun’s Establishing Sequence
. Establishing loneliness
. Wide shots of him and the empty space around him
. Normal, dull looking town: no fancy set: verisimilitude
. Desolate scenes, isolation
. Cam moves with him: his perspective
. Working class status, looking at stuff he can’t buy: bike
This is England - Combo Gate Crashes the Party
. Demonstrating impact Combo will have on group
. Long shot of room: cramped, confined space
. Close up of C as he speaks: animalistic intensity
. Cuts to liked characters being disgusted: anti-racist
. C’s voice fades out replaced by minor key piano
. What he says doesn’t matter, we know it’s bad
This is England - Todorov
- Shaun joins the gang
- Combo arrives
- Shaun joins Combo’s gang
- Shaun’s journey of learning
- Shaun rejects racism: downbeat new equilibrium
This is England - Propp
Hero: Shaun Villain: Combo Donor: Woody False Hero: Combo Dispatcher: Combo Helper: Shaun's mum
This is England - Levi Strauss
Liberalism vs Nationalism Woody vs Combo Shaun vs Shaun (deep) Young vs Old Reality vs Nostalgia (unresolved)
This is England - Other Structural Techniques
. Linear and chronological: typical of social realist
. Open-ended: no clarity on other characters
. Privileged spectator status sometimes: see Lol’s rejection of Combo, but mainly Shaun’s perspective
. Montages used to develop Shaun: parallel montages of him in both gangs
This is England - Field
. Inciting Incident: Shaun joins Woody’s gang
. Plot Point 1: Combo arrives, Shaun joins his gang
. Mid point: Shaun is complicit with racism
. Plot Point 2: Lol rejects Combo
. Climax: Milky attacked. Shaun realises his mistakes
This is England - Ideology
. Anti - racist
. Left wing
. Comments on class system
. Indoctrination of the youth by radicals
This is England - Marxism
. Economic power builds society but also divides it, creating class divisions, bringing conflict and inequality
. Division between bourgeoisie and proletariat widened bc of Thatcher
. Conflict in This is England is a result of this
. Racism + rising violent skinhead culture are evidence
. Rejects individualist nature of Thatcherism: gangs
This is England - Representation
. Masculinity: gang members typically masc, not heroes, Woody + Milky more transgressive, all a bit hopeless
. Femininity: transgressive: Lol is the strongest character, stereotypical mother figure
. Class: Woody’s gang positively presented, loving stereotypical tough working class
. Youth: good rep of skinheads: welcoming, supportive
. Black and Asian: fleshed out characters, undefeated by Combo, not stereotyped
This is England - Production
. Independent social realist films: lots of funding needed
. Funded by: Warp Films, Big Arty Productions, EM Media, Film4, Optimum Releasing, Screen Yorkshire, and the UK Film Council
. Budget £1.5m Made approx. £6.6m since release
. BBFC rating 18, worried under 18s might see behaviour as attractive instead of offensive
Sightseers - Ian’s Death
. Season of the Witch by Vanilla Fudge
. Tina imagines dancing with Shamans: freedom?
. Chris in red coat: ‘Don’t Look Now’ dwarf
. Danger juxtaposed: egg crack vs Ian’s head crack
. Meant to seem crazy: black and white memories
. Chris looks at cam smirking at the end: we’re complicit
Sightseers - Final Scene
. The Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
. Slow mo long shots of running:faux romance
. Prolonged 2 shot staring at cam, challenging audience
. POV looking down - Chris jumps
. Music cuts as he hits the ground, all an act
. Arguably feminist ending: Tainted Love by Gloria Jones
Sightseers - Stone Circle
. Handheld cam moving between Chris & man
. Narration: John Hurt English poem Jerusalem
. Darkly comedic class clash, ironic narration
. Picturesque idyllic nature vs violence and murder
. Chris’ primitive, animalistic nature. Both indifferent
. “Defending my honour” Tina understands
Sightseers - Chris’ Nightmare
. Witchfinder General (1968) influence on Chris’ outfit
. Chris’ emotional turmoil about Tina gaining power
. Shadowy figures, misty woods: hammer horror
. Shots of Tina taken away by police - her ending?
Sightseers - Todorov
- Chris and Tina go on holiday
- Chris kills the litterer
- Chris kills Ian, Tina accepts him
- Tina starts to kill
- Tina is independent
Sightseers - Propp
. The Hero: Tina . The Villain: Chris/Tina's mum . The Donor: Chris . The Dispatcher: Chris . The False Hero: Chris
Sightseers - Field
. Inciting incident: Chris kills litterer
. Plot Point 1 : Chris kills Ian
. Midpoint: Chris kills posh man, Tina accepts him
. Plot Point 2: Tina kills bride to be
. Climax: Chris kills himself, Tina chooses to live
Sightseers - Levi Strauss
. Working class vs Middle class
. Tina vs Chris
. Naivety vs Independence
. Tina vs Her mum
Sightseers - Other Structural Features
. Linear: chronological, one flash back
. Open ended: don’t know what happens to Tina
. Privileged Spectator: see Tina’s mum at home
. Montages: employing music and slow mo. Murders
Sightseers - Ideology
. Feminism: Laura Mulvey and Liesbet van Zoonen argue that women are to be looked at/be passive in films, Tina goes against this: no female gaze with her . the 'Left Behind': white working class who at a time of past industrial decline find themselves obsolete and ignored. 'Crisis of masculinity'
Sightseers - Representation
. Masculinity: 'left behind' character Chris. Stereotypical masc. Middle class men contrast with him . Femininity: Tina is transgressive, no male gaze. Tina's mother typical comedic social realist construct/stereotypical working class elderly woman
Sightseers - Production
. Independent release. . Funding from: StudioCanal, Film4, BFI, Big Talk Productions, Rook Films . Budget of approx. £1.3m . Made about £1.6m since release . BBFC rating of 15
Social Realist genre
. Niche, art house audiences rather than bigger ones
. Low budget, doc style aesthetic for ‘verisimilitude’
. Generally unknown actors
. Shot on location - regional settings
. Improv dialogue and dark humour
. Focus on narrative barriers faced by individuals
. Little/no non-diegetic music
Black Comedy genre
. Makes light of taboo subject matter
. Used as a tool for exploring vulgar issues
. Provoke discomfort and serious thought as well as humour in the audience
Formalism
The distinction between story (WHAT) and plot (HOW)
Structuralism
How the structure affects our understanding and moves the plot along - eg binary opposites, linear structure, open ended, etc
