This is England = Opening Sequence

Question 1

Cinematography =

Answer 1

• Handheld camera showing which reflects the imperfections of social realism
• Outside shot of Shaun’s house to represent a working class
• Tracking long shot which shows cheap vandalised housing. Reflects the high unemployment rates of the 80’s due to a lack of manual labour jobs due to Thatcher removing mining jobs
• Archival footage of skinheads, remove the idea of nationalist grpups instead wanting to represent freedom

Question 2

Mise en Scene =

Answer 2

• St Georges Flag repeatedley used to symbolise patriotism
• See clips of culture references
• Iconic scenes such as Diana’s wedding to reflect the wealthy which is then contrasted by people fighting in the streets
• Shaun’s room looks run down, bleak colours and paint peeling off which indiciates his low income
• Thatcher wearing a hard hat which presents her as a dunce or mockery which establishes the anti-Thatcher message
• 80’s nostalgia such as music videos and fitness crazes
• Photo of Shaun’s dad to show the impact of Shaun losing his dad
• Archival footage of protests including miner strikers and riots to show the disattachment and chaos
• Archival footage of the falklands war to show dark imagery of wounder soldiers
• Run down room in poverty

Question 3

Editing =

Answer 3

• Rhythmically edited of montage
• Montage fast paced editing
• Kuleshov effect with footage of the royal wedding which is then juxtaposed by collapsing housing which shows how the working class were neglected
• Deliberate zoom on Thatcher’s face to show why bad things happen

Question 4

Sound =

Answer 4

• Lack of dialogue in the opening sequence
• Non-diegetic sound of Toots and the Maytals ‘56-46’. English culture was influenced by African and Caribbean culture after the Windrush Generation. Many people felt threatened from this
• Diegetic sound of broadcast speech from Thatcher

Question 5

Performance =

Answer 5

• Performance of Mum and Shaun saying how they miss his dad which highlights how the war has affected people in Britian

Question 6

Narrative =

Answer 6

• Performance of Mum and Shaun saying how they miss his dad which highlights how the war has affected people in Britian

Question 7

Ideologies =

Answer 7

• Critiques of Thatcher’s power
• Welfare state, shows Shaun living in poverty
• Reflects different cultures such as the National Front and Skinhead Subculture
• Explores socio-political issues in 1980’s
• ## Falklands war and how it affects the narrative