first draft

“Masculinity itself has social status, just like wealth, race and social class. In western culture, for example, greater masculinity usually brings greater social status” [1]

To what extent can British films, with particular reference to ‘This is England’, convey actual truth about White British males, and their involvement in violence and racism?

The male stereotype makes masculinity not just a fact of biology but something that must be proved and re-proved [2] meaning that the characteristics attached to the male gender, violence in particular, are seen as natural, normal and universal [3] therefore leading to these behaviours settling as the norm in today’s society. Representations of White British males differ in Shaun Meadow’s ‘This is England’ hence convey ever-changing figures of masculinity leading to the question, what is Masculinity? Violence has been stigmatised alongside racism with the male gender particularly White British males, however can film convey actual truth on White British male’s involvement in violence and racism?

With masculinity being a world wide term it is clear that there are not one, but several meanings to the word, as masculinity is and has been present throughout time, in different cultures and valued by all kinds of men, making it a an aspiration to live up to the masculinity figure known to a particular culture. This hegemonic image of manhood is constructed often through articulation of differences with a variety of ‘others’- racial or sexual minorities and, of course women [4] this is evident in ‘This is England’ as all characters fall into following Combo’s (Stephen Graham) footsteps due to his character being known for racism and violence, a trait which was valued in the 1980’s by skinheads.

[1] hhtp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masculinity
[2] Fasteau, Feiger, Marc
[3] Nelmes, Jill (2003): “An Introduction to Film Studies, Third Edition” pg265
[4] Kimmel, Michael S, (2001): “A Man’s World? Changing Men’s Practices in a Globalized World” pg22
Through the use of cinematography, Meadow’s has constructed Propp’s hero and villain theory where each character is shown in a hierarchy status showing the individuals level of masculinity. Through the close-up shots it is clear that age does not determine the level of masculinity, although Combo is the eldest and is the dominant figure, other characters are judged upon their attitudes towards violence and racism, this is evidently shown through the twelve year old protagonist Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) who although the youngest of the gang gains the most respect due to his vulnerability towards racism and skinhead violence. Meadow’s has combined a variety of factors which contrast childhood to manhood, which shows the confusion and differences between the ideologies of masculinity. This is depicted to the audience through Combo and Shaun’s characters where any youth cult or movement inevitably raises fears [5]

Throughout the film, it is clear that all the characters have been constructed to show different qualities of masculinity, this is centred by the gang where all characters combine their individual strengths and weaknesses to make up skinheads where attitudes toward race and politics have become factors in which skinheads align themselves [6]. Meadow’s contrasts the skinheads through their beliefs, as Combo is a racist, schooled in the politics of fear and ignorance [7] whereas Woody (Joe Gilgun) is shown to fun loving and level headed. Here Meadow’s shows inequality in masculinity as it varies from men to men, representation then, covers a wide range of characteristics stigmatised to ‘the male’ however are the audience able to believe that what is shown on screen is the truth? It is evident that throughout the world, developed and developing, antisocial behaviour is essentially male [8] proving that ‘This is England’ must carry some essence of truth.


[5] Media Magazine/September 2007/English and media centre
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinhead
[7] Media Magazines/September 2007/English and media centre
[8] Gauntlett, David (2002): Media Gender and Identity, An Introduction pg7

Unlike other British films, ‘This is England’ does not glamorise violence and racism, but infact shows it as the reality of the 1980’s when skinheads formed gangs to rebel against Thatcher and her belief in individualism and the promotion of consumerism [9] leading to skinheads following neo-Nazism. Meadow therefore shows the reality of the lives of the skinheads where the working class are reinforced as being trouble makers, which has lead to the labelling of all skinheads as violent racists, also complying with Mulvey’s theory that we are watching from a male perspective all the time due to the repetition of violence and racism. Here the representation of White British males falls into the category of ‘truth’ as most British films illustrate the masculine attachment White British men have to violence, ‘Football Factory’ [10] (Nick Love) shows truth behind football hooliganism as does ‘Green Street’ [11] (Lexi Alexander). ‘Made in Britain’ [12] (Alan Clarke) an earlier film produced in the 50’s also focused on a skinhead, shows that the spectator look on mainstream cinema is implicitly male [13] and that with films such as ‘The Football Factory’ and ‘Green Street’ which are both set in the 21st century fulfil the idea that ‘global hegemonic masculinities’ [14] are visible in today’s societies. Therefore ‘This is England’ may be a mixture of truth and the ideologies of the male species as gender is not a property of individuals but a process of institutions and a dynamic of power of relations between groups [15]. Meadow’s therefore portrays characters such as Combo to be fierce but justifies their actions through entitlement and power [16] being a reasonable construct of masculinity.

[9] Media Magazine/September 2007/English and media centre
[10] The Football Factory, Nick Love
[11] Green Street, Lexi Alexander
[12] Made in Britain, Alan Clarke
[13] Cook, Pam and Benink, Meike (1999): The Cinema Book 2nd Edition pg361
[14] Kimmel, Michael S, (2001): “A Man’s World? Changing Men’s practices in a Globalized Worlds” pg27
[15] Kimmel, Michael S, (2001): “A Man’s World? Changing Men’s practices in a Globalized Worlds” pg23
[16] Kimmel, Michael S, (2001): “A Man’s World? Changing Men’s practices in a Globalized Worlds” pg27



Leading on, throughout the film all characters conform to Dick Hebdige’s idea of subcultures which is widely presented, as skinheads, became a subculture with the similarities in music, style, culture and working class pride [17]. Meadow’s shows this through the character’s similar dress to show that they are all skinheads and share the same beliefs. Skinheads were identifiable with the united dress code of Dr. Martins, braces, jeans, Ben Sherman shirts and a shaven head. Unlike other gangs, the skinheads in ‘This is England’ are shown to be underprivileged and extremely working class people, here in comparison to Martin Scorcese’s Goodfellas [18] were the family live a lavish life in result of being apart of a gang, Meadow’s shows the realities of British film, and the reality of Skinheads of the 1980’s, therefore showing that British film can and does convey actual truth about violence and racism. By incorporating a young child in the film, the ideology of masculine rights is being enforced on the younger generation, also giving the impression that this behaviour is acceptable. This is shown when Shaun ignores his mothers wishes and continues to ‘hang around’ with Woody, Meadow also shows that adults have no power, linking to masculinity oppressing women, as Shaun has more control and power than his mother as he is a male.

Despite Woody’s advice, Shaun continues to stay with Combo although he fears that Combo is mentally unstable, in wanting to remain masculine Shaun’s character is presented as a conformist to the older generation also to their views and behaviours, this is shown through the way Shaun starts to talk and dress. It is clear to the audience that Shaun has been lead into the impression that not only are boys allowed to be openly aggressive and fight with their fists, but this type of behaviour is expected of them [19]. Therefore the representation of the male gender in the film show that the men are infact cowards as they choose to pick on ethnic minorities, some of which are just children.

[17] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinhead#Style_and_clothing
[18] Goodfellas, Scorcese, Martin
[19] Kimmel, Michael S, (2001): “A Man’s World? Changing Men’s practices in a Globalized Worlds” pg34


Meadows shows truth in this sense as racism was a big issue in the 1980’s were immigrant figures rose, as did unemployment among the White British public, men were made to feel that their place as the provider for the family [20] had been taken away by ethnic minorities, leaving them with hatred and loss of male pride and ego. This is shown when Combo along with the other skinheads raid a ‘corner shop’ owned by an ‘Indian’, Meadow’s shows the man being abused by Combo as racist remarks are being made as well as physical damage to the shop, two types of personalities are shown of men in this scene as Meadows presents the White British male to be ‘barbaric’ and a ‘savage’ and the ethnic minority to be ‘civilised’. Here masculinities differ as Combo shows violence as his way of solving a problem, whereas the ‘Indian’ shows rationality. This scene shows violence as a characteristic of a White male as does Alan Clarke in ‘Made in Britain’ where Clarke uses Trevor the protagonist to represents the majority of the working class in that era, as even the authority in the film are shown to be corrupted and supporters of a only White nation. The racism in the film proves successful in educating the audience about Britain’s past involvement in racism as Meadow’s shows the extremity of some cases such as Milky’s (Andrew Shim) who is the only black character in the film ,a friend of Woody’s and apart of the skinheads. The last scene of the film is both effective in revealing truth about violence and racism but also White British males views on masculinity. Milky is beaten to death by Combo. This scene shows that Combo, but also White British males found ‘Blacks’ and ‘Indians’ as threats to their ways of living, as the minorities are shown to have futures and wealth. This scene evokes the audience and enforces the stigmatised ideology of the ‘White man’ being a bully and a coward, however it is Meadows construct of characters which are seen on screen, not a real life situation.

It is clear from both film and documentary that narratives are constructed in order to gain audiences, therefore if documentary is mediated, then how far can film convey truth?
[20] Gauntlett, David (2002): Media Gender and Identity, An Introduction. Pg7

Grearson said that in a text there must be sympathetic characters; however this statement means that’s characters roles, beliefs and actions are amended to fit the expectations of the audiences making what we see on screen as an audience untruthful, making most texts in a way ‘fake’, planned and fixed. Furthermore Meadow uses stereotypes for the ethnic minorities characters featured in the text, their appearances do not fulfil all the stereotypical features of ‘Indians’ and ‘blacks’ however words associated with the stereotypes of Asians such as ‘stinks of curry’ [21] are used to show not only racism towards cultures of ethnic backgrounds but also the ignorance of the White British population. These stereotypes are used to emphasise the attitudes of the British public in the 1980’s but to also show the audience that times have not progressed that much as stereotypical racial abuse is still present in today’s society. These stereotypes work well with those held of the Skinheads as Meadow’s shows conformists and consumerists as they all wear and share the same clothes. The audience are presented with mainly male stereotypes, the White who fit Marc Fasteau’s statement that in order to maintain a masculine status, actions with violent actions in particular must be proved and re-proved [22], suggesting that violence will remain in a continuous cycle.
Alongside the male stereotypes Kimmel’s idea of public and domestic patriarchy is evident in Meadow’s ‘This is England’. The text revolves around a male dominated society, where females are only objectified for the male gaze [23]. Female figures stand short compared to the male characters as they have very little control in important issues such as the violence and racism, but instead remain only in the areas of relationships, housework and emotions [24]. Lol (Woody’s girlfriend) shows the only essence of control as she turns Combo down after he reveals his feelings; again Meadow draws the female characters to have control in love. As men we are so used to discounting our needs to do the task we have set ourselves, and so used to drawing our sense of individual identity and happiness from our individual achievements, that is often hard to recognise the needs of yourselves and others. [25]
[21] This is England – Shaun Meadow’s (2007)
[22] Fasteau, Feiger, Marc
[23] Mulvery, Laura (1975): “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”
[24] Mulvey, Laura (1975): “Visual pleasure and Narrative Cinema”
[25] Seidler, Victor J, (1989): “Rediscovering Masculinity. Reason, Language and Sexuality” pg110
In order to be seen as a ‘man’ in society it is crucial that certain factors are met to prove that you are infact a worthy being of masculinity. In the 1980’s it was difficult to pull away from the norms and values set in societies, so anything out of the normal was abused, therefore conforming to what ever the ‘craze’ was at the time was the safest and quickest option in being accepted. If being a violent racist was accepted, then many followed to avoid confrontation. Shaun however is a victim of manipulation, he falls into the trap of bad habits such as smoking and drinking at the young age of twelve, this shows that the society of the time was corrupted in the sense that Meadow’s shows that the skinheads allowed for this type of behaviour to arise. Men should be seen as strong, providers, who are sexually aggressive, un-emotional, yet intellectual with a dominating and competitive attitude [26] this is shown when Combo says “men don’t cry” [27], but also through the attitudes and beliefs passed on to a vulnerable boy. Shaun is seen as being innocent whilst committing adult actions, he is therefore sympathised with as he is only a child. Meadow’s shows little of male dominance over women in comparison to male dominance over other men, here the characteristics such as overly competitive, uncommunicative and ultimately unrewarding world they have created for themselves {28] is shown primarily through Combo’s character where he keeps most of his thoughts and emotions locked away, in order to be seen as masculine, but also challenges Woody. Male dominated societies are not only based on a hierarchy of men over women but some men over other men [29].

It is clear to the audience that not all men behave the way Meadow’s presents the characters. In today’s society the ‘new man’ has developed which no longer bides by characteristics formerly attached to the male, but instead coincides with female characteristics such as sensibility, loving nature and emotions, showing


[26] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masculinity
[27] This is England
[28]
[29] Kaufman, Michael (2001): “A man’s world? Changing Men’s Practices in a Globalized World pg39


that although set two decades ago the representation of men has changed greatly from those films that we see today such as ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ [30] where Will Smith is presented as loving and caring father figure who lives to keep his son happy. Meadow’s has represented typical male stereotypes in order to show today’s society as the emerged form. The past may be constructed in fiction however; the British grittiness holds some truth as skinheads were typically violent racist, with such events such as the Notting Hill riots (1958), but also skinhead groups such as the ‘national front’ and ‘neo-Nazi’ also arose from the 1980’s were rebellions against ethnic minorities and the government were in action.

As a whole it is clear that Meadow’s ‘This is England’ conveys some truth of White British males involvement in violence and racism, as it holds facts and presents reality rather than a typical Hollywood oversized over budgeted blockbuster. This is England shows realness through the use of average looking teens and colloquial language but also the exposure of an ethical issue which has never before been so broadcasted across a nation which was known for its racism and violence towards ethnic minorities. Meadows has successfully approached a topic and exposed it for what it really is, skinheads have been advertised and explained to audiences. Although Meadow has represented White British males it is questionable whether he has presented the ethnic minorities correctly as they have been placed in stereotypical views for the audiences making their characters truly fictional. As for violence and racism meadows has shown the extent of which a violent racist attack can lead to. The audience are able to identify Combo as the villain although in his eyes he is the hero, as he is trying to clean up the streets of minorities. The text as a whole reflects the zeitgeist of the time and also reflects what attitudes and beliefs were held by a nation which now houses millions of ethnic minorities.



[30] Pursuit of Happiness, Gabriele Muccino (2006)



It can be concluded that the use of British grittiness makes the text effective in being realistic to a serious topic. Therefore the film impacts the audience in the right ways as it educates them about England’s past, and shows how far England has come as a country but also how far men have come and changed for the better. Our societies no longer assist patriarchy as the dominant trait but instead encourage equality and fairness between gender, race and cultures.

By Simran Kohli 13B