This is England Context Flashcards
Who directed This is England?
Shane Meadows
When is This is England set?
During the summer of 1982, in the years between the end of the Falkland war the miner miners strike in 1984-85.
How many films had Shane Meadows made prior to This is England?
four - This is England was his fifth feature film
Where did the idea for This is England come from?
Shane Meadows was inspired by his own childhood where he was apart of a gang much like Shaun. The gang was infiltrated by a more racist member, just like in the film.
How old was Shane Meadows when he attended a National Front meeting?
11 years old
What was the political climate like durimg the 1980s?
Privateisation of companies - trade union, mining, steel etc. were all major industries in the North of England. This led to the recession and growing unemplyment rates. Hatred towards Thatcher, particularly in the north, grew. Many people did not even have jobs - 3.5 million people were unemplyed.
Thatcher sent soldiers to the Falklands War, with both sides only wanting to gain popularity in their respective countries.
North/South divide
Economic policy - inflation peaked at 20%
When did the Falkland war take place?
Between April and June of 1982.
How many died during the Falkland war?
649 Argentinian personnel and 255 British military personnel.
What is an independant film?
A film that is produced outside of major film companies and distributed by independant entertainment companies. Sometimes they’re aimed at niche audiences. They are often more experimental due to having less studio control and being less about making money.
What are the key features of independant films?
lower budget
mostly lesser known actors
lesser known directors
often highly stylised in terms of aesthetics
often more based in realism
they can be more explicit and tackle more challenging themes
they are distributed/marketed very differently - they are usually promoted through social media due to it being cheaper
indie films takings usually increase after opening weekend
lack of special effects
In what ways can This is England be classed as an independant film?
focus on realism and challenging themes such as racism
low budget - £1.5 million
lesser known actors - Thomas Turgoose’s first time acting
wasn’t a massive involvement of production companies
filmed on location rather than in studios
personal story/semi-autobiographical
made for a specific audience - working class england
How much did This is England take at the box office?
$8 million
What was the budget of This is England?
£1.5 million
What production companies were involved in the production of This is England?
Big Arty Productions, EM Media and the UK Film Council
How was Thomas Turgoose casted?
Thomas Turgoose was found in a youth club. He had never previously acted before and he met Meadows and the casting director by chance.
