This is England

This is England is an story of a little kid who ends up hanging around with much older skinheads. We first see the Shaun trying to fit in at school. He is at the ackward stage of not being a little kid and not being a teenager. He has not being having a happy time of it generally. His father was just killed in the Falklands War and he and his mother is grieving. After being picked on all day he is wandering home and reacts badly to a group of skinheads questioning him. His grit impresses them and soon he hanging out with them. Dressing like them. He gets his head shaved. He has a wonderful hanging out with his new friends. He gets a girlfriend. His mother does meet with the her son's friends and finds them , lead by Woody essentially good natured and postive. She leaves Shaun with them. Shaun's mother buys him boots. He has heart set on Doc Martins the shoe salleswoman convinces the ones she has in stock and that fits Shaun are evener better because they come from London. "All the best boots come from London". So far so happy, unfortunately a little too much reality begins to intrude. Combo a friend of Woody and the other skinheads arrives back after doing time. Combo iss accompanied by an other ex-con and a violent racist agenda.

The happy group of skin heads now fractures as Combo wants to go down a more political route of surporting the National Front as street fighters. Most of the group leaves with Woody. Shaun stays. The group goes on a road trip to see a National Front speaker, the politician pulls up in a much nicer car than any one else. Eventually Combo perpetuates violence that alienates Shaun. Shaun returns to merely being a kid.

Even through Combo is an violent ex-con his accent kept convincing me of his postive intentions. He sounded like Dave Lister, he even looked a little him. Depite all the creepy weird things that Combo was saying or the violence he still seen a little charismatic because of the voice. There is also something attractive about extremism and easy answers of slogans.

The movie begins with a montage from 1982. The scenes of destruction and war in the Falklands are prominent. There is also footage of popular music, tv and other newstories. All of the war news is important to Shaun the kid. We only see 2 pictures of Shaun's dad. The one we see most often is the father in his uniform with his face shadowed. Once we see a picture of Shaun and his dad at the seashore, a happy, less grim image.

What I learned: There are worst things than growing up in a small town.