Homework - This is England

What is your view of how masculinity is defined in the film?

I think masculinity is shown in lots of different ways through the film. First I think that both the male and female characters show masculinity by the way their hair is cut. The men have very short hair making them look tough and the female characters also have quite short and messy hair which suggests they like to be seen as tomboys. I also believe it is defined by the way they act, throughout the film there is alot of fighting and aggression so that the characters can show they have strength and are powerful. They also smoke and drink alot showing that they can handle it because they are manly and are up to it. Finally I think masculinity is also defined by how they are dressed and how they speak. They are dressed in big boots and checked shirts and they often use rude language. Many of the female characters use the same language as the men do which is not lady like and they also talk down to people showing that they are in charge and there is nothing you can do about it.

Discuss the theme of loss-of-innocence/coming-of-age in the film.

At the beginning of the film Shaun is a young boy with a squeaky voice, who is being picked on. He is an innocent boy who joins the skinheads because he wants somewhere to belong to and needs comfort. However he is then taught about how England has become a place where people from other countries can come over and take all the jobs and houses. He is persuaded and made to believe that no one should live in England if they are not truly english. In the beginning he is a young boy that has lost his father, then he is taken on as a young skinhead, he is taught how to speak powerfully and racist towards people and he thinks he is doing this for his father. He gets a better understanding of the world he lives in and becomes aggressive to people he believes does not belong in England. Becoming a skinhead he has been made to believe in racist views and has lost his innocence because he now fights and is aggressive to people who are not "truly" english.