This is England = Combo's Speech

Question 1

Cinematography =

Answer 1

• Begins with a handheld close camera as Combo speaks which is intimate and uncomfortably close to give an insight into how the group is feeling
• Combo dominates the frame shown through the close up camera angles, low angles watching Combo and the blocking which places Combo in the centre of the room. The low angle shots make us feel inferior similiar to the people sat on the floor which reflects how much power Combo has
• Shaun is shown through close up shots to show his reaction and confused face
• The camera reflects the claustrophobic atmosphere in the enclosed flat which makes it seem more unsettling
• The camera also focusses on reactions of people in the room

Question 2

Mise en Scene =

Answer 2

• Combo’s flat is cramped and worn down which reflects the working class frustration of poverty and stagnation in 1980’s England
• Combo wears traditional skinhead clothing which signifies the association of far right groups and and skinhead subculture
• Lack of and sparse furniture which highlights his poverty

Question 3

Performance =

Answer 3

• Shaun appears confused with wide eyed reactions which highlight how he is internalising Combo’s speech
• Lol and Woody look concerned for Shaun which highlights how they tried to protect him. They both try to stop him from fighting Combo
• Combo’s agression drives the scene, his anger comes across in his hateful words and strong hand gestures. He points to show he is in charge and how powerful they can become
• Shauns agression and vulnerability become perfect for Combo to utilise his grief as a weapon. He radicialises him blaming Thatcher for the Falklands War
• ‘Theres the line boys’ ‘Raped and Pillaged by people wanting a piece of it

Question 4

Sound =

Answer 4

• Diegetic diologue of Combo’s speech which is raw and unfiltered to highlight the impact of his words
• Lack of other dialogue
• Children playing in the background

Question 5

Narrative =

Answer 5

• Marks the ideological shift which seperates the light-hearted skinhead culture from the darker and politically charged ideologies
• A moment of indoctrination where Combo weaponises Shaun’s grief
• Critical moment where the story moves from youth, childhood to nationalism and violence

Question 6

Ideology =

Answer 6

• Working class frustration who talk about an idealised Britian and the loss and displacement under Thatcher
• Racsim and nationalism are a broader cultural and political shift which use others as a scapegoat for their problems
• Becomes a refuge for those who feel abandoned in Britian in times of hardship
• Shows how Shaun’s vulnerability and lack of father figure becomes weaponised by Combo to indoctrinate him into the nationalist ideology