This Is Engand

We watched This Is England in class. I really enjoyed the film because it taught me about the Skinhead culture and opened my eyes to aspects I previously didn't understand. For example I thought all aspects of Skinhead culture were negative however I discovered that there are gangs of Skinheads that aren't bad, in fact they are quite friendly.

1. What is your view of how masculinity is defined in the film?
I feel that in the film the Skinhead culture is a masculine based one. The head of the gangs are men, however both leaders have a different attitude towards society; one very racist and one not. I think that masculinity could be represented through what they wear; jeans, boots and shirts. This is quite a masculine look. The women wear dresses and skirts, yet they still have aspects of the men's outfit like the boots and the jackets. The haircut is also an important aspect. The men have theirs shaved or close to. The women also have short hair giving that more masculine look.
I think masculinity is depicted as hard and streetwise through the characters. Shaun meets the gang on the streets and they make him feel protected and special, his family, which is a theme for many gangs. This is the streetwise aspect. They roam around and go into abandoned housing and smash everything up and perhaps people may describe their behavior as stupid and reckless. The aspect of hard and toughness is introduced when we meet Combo. He brings the extreme versions of Skinheads. He stands by his values and is prepared to kill for them and ultimately be killed.

2. Discuss the theme of loss-of-innocence/ coming-of-age in the film.
Shaun is 12 years old and when he meets the gang you can immediately see that the gang are considerably older than him. This shows that Shaun may be introduced to adult themes when he should be doing what a 'normal' 12 year old should be doing. However I think the gang take him on as a younger brother and so they understand the age gap yet still appreciate him as part of the gang. I think when he gets his hair shaved off and he changes his clothes you start to see that he is growing up. However again the viewer is comforted by the fact that his mother confronts the gang and they seem genuinely apologetic. The next stage is when you see Shaun outside with Smell. This is strange because of the age gap and not normal for a young boy. I think the loss-of-innocence happens when you joins Combo's gang. The real turning point is when he re-visits the old corner shop he was banned from as a boy. He verbally assaulted him and then when Combo walks in he threatens him with a knife as they raid the shop. This is obviously horrific behavior from anyone, but especially a 12 year old.