As has been discussed already, This is England should be considered withinn the Social Realism genre. Here's what a few people who make films have to say about Social Realism films...
This doesn't tell us huge amounts so we'll need to dig a little further...
The genre of any film can be analysed in a variety of ways. The most obvious way in which we might explain the genre of a movie is to describe the look or feel of the text. We might describe certain character types, or settings or more than likely the iconography of the genre.
Whilst these aesthetics may be an easy shortcut to understanding the genre of different movies it is not the only way.
It has been argued that genre movies are not there to only entertain us can tell us something about our own lives, in a way they hold a mirror up to our society through the themes and ideologies that they portray. In this way we can take a functional approach to analysing genre.
e.g. a science fiction movie may be instantly recognisable by it's visual iconographgy - settings of far off distant lands, props which include spaceships and advanced technology, there would be characters including aliens, robots and people from far away planets - these are all obvious aesthetic conventions - but it would be a mistake to write-off Sci-Fi as a purely visual spectacle. Many filmmakers will use the genre to explore themes and ideologies - some of them these are really quite philosophical such as the nature of the self and identity. Others will investigate our place in the universe and some use Binary OppositionsBinary Oppositions to explore themes such as Technology Vs Nature, Man Vs Machine or even Science Vs Religion.
In this way Genre movies can also be used to reflect the concerns and preoccupations of the society of the time. Of course, in this way genres will evolve over time - to use the example of Science Fiction again; the classic Sci-Fi movies of the 1950s were often metaphors for America's fear of Communism during the cold war. However since 9/11 we can see many Sci-Fi movies as representing the fight against global terrorism.
The British Film Institute's website Screenonline is an excellent resource. Below is a copy of the page about Social Realist films from the website.
Read it and make notes on the following elements of genre:
- Aesthetic conventions
- Ideologies and functions
- Changes in the genre over time
One of the key Social Realist directors discussed and without a doubt an influence on any British film maker is Ken Loach.
Look at the following slides about Loach and think about what you've decided about the conventions and functions of a Social Realist film...
Arguably Loach's best known film os Kes about a young boy from a tough working class background. Analyse the following sequence and look for the conventions of a Social Realist film.
Other than Ken Loach there have been a number of different filmmakers working within the genre over the years. Of those that might be seen as having a more direct impact or influence over Meadows' work would be Mike Leigh...
So let's compile a list of conventions from what we've seen so far:
Aesthetic conventions
- Handheld camera - an almost documentary style
- Gritty settings
- Filmed on location
- Naturalistic lighting
- Improvised elements to script
- Long take - leaving actors to act through longer sequences
- Non-actors in roles
- Working class characters
- Narrative closure is not necessary
Functional conventions
- Real life issues tackled
- Serious in tone
- Harsh sense of reality - happy endings are far from guaranteed
- Raise difficult questions
- Characters with depth
- Usually have a political message - raising the concerns of the time
- Concerned with the theme of masculinity - men are often seen as flawed or violent
Significant development of the Genre
- Not just considered for middle class audiences
- Deal with character's emotions - not just the British stoicism
- Since the 90s they have tended to incorporate more feelgood elements
- Soundtrack significant
From this point it would be easy just to consider exactly how This is England fulfills the conventions of a modern Social Realism film - however there is another factor which needs considering…
Director: Shane Meadows
Whilst it's true to say that Meadow's works almost exclusively within the social realism genre he has many consider him to be an auteur - and for this reason we should look a little further...
Here's a short summary of his films...
Here's a trailer for one of his early films - the excellent A Room for Romeo Brass...
All very interesting, but does this make Shane Meadows an auteur? Well, one way to decide would be to watch all his movies and decide for yourself. To be honest, this is probably the best way.
If you don't have time to do that then read this article...
If you don't have time to do that then read this article...
With the notes you've made whilst watching the film and the information found on this page, you should certainly be able to answer the following question:
To what extent is This is England conventional of its genre?
And just because I'm a kind person, here's a little help...
...no less than 300 words - about half an hour... off you go!
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