To what extent is This Is England typical of the social realist genre?

The easiest way in classifying a social realist film is ideologies and themes it centres around. Often these films presented ideas such as poverty, sexuality or masculinity. However, the list doesn't stop there, as these films pretty much focus on all issues in our society.

In This Is England, a main feature throughout it's entirety is the idea of 'Britishness', including the extremity of racism. One scene in particular that sticks out is when Combo and his gang visit a National Front meeting. Obviously concerning extremely controversial issues, this scene acts as a perfect example of what is defined as being social realist. Another scene that at one point becomes almost unbearable to watch, is when Shaun and Combo decide to burgle an Asian man's corner-shop, and  subject him to vile treatment. Combo later threatens the shopkeeper with a machete, again making it even more uncomfortable to watch. An aspect of this film which makes it seem extremely real, is just how believable it is. Incidents like this are all too often spoken about in the news, thus further making an audience believe it's credibility.

Issues surrounding a social-realist film often borderline on real life issues. This film in-particular is based around the Falkland War, and Maragaret Thatcher's government at the time. The Falkland War in fact plays a key feature in the narrative, in that it is this lack of a father figure that arguably leaves Shaun abandoned for the summer amongst a group of people he has never met before. Thus, Woody takes on the role of a father for young Shaun.

The use of unknown actors further plays a key element in a social realist film. An audience will have no pre-conceptions about the actor, as they have not yet before seen them anywhere else. This allows a viewer to more easily imagine them truly playing the character.

These films are often filmed directly on set, further adding to the sense of grittiness and reality. No big production sets are used, as the backdrops used are normally exactly what the director is wanting to portray. In this film, council estates and small rundown homes were used in portraying the film's realness. The scene in which we are introduced to Combo is a perfect example of this, as the entire cast are all squashed inside the one room. The lighting is not completely clear, and we too feel as though we are part of the film, making us feel like we too are exactly there.

However the film can also be looked at in relation to Shane Meadow's being an auteur. Meadow's films often portray narratives including a group of young people who are 'trapped', as well as children who are exposed to the real world. He often presents darkness as juxtaposed with humour, and a perfect example of this is the slapstick used when Combo falls over following the machete scene.