British Film

Question 1

This is England - Combo’ speech

Answer 1

. Combo stood, everyone else sat - power
. Eye level + handheld cam as if we’re there
. Combo spits + gesticulates: violent, passion
. Cuts to characters on floor: disturbed/supportive
. Not everyone follows Woody at the end: new leader
. C is paternal to Shaun when he gets upset

Question 2

This is England - Shop Attack

Answer 2

. Shaun walks/talks like Combo: emphasis on slurs
. Natural light + sound, can hear all the awful lang
. Racists aren’t attractive: cast unglamorous people
. Close up cuts between Combo + shopkeeper: threat
. Shopkeeper given dignity: holds eye contact, angry
. Racists immediately stupid: can’t spell ‘off’

Question 3

This is England - Opening Sequence

Answer 3

. Pop culture from the 80s
. Real footage of Thatcher: v unflattering
. Context: miner’s strike, NF, skinheads fighting
. 54-46 was my number by Toots & the Maytals
. Moving shot of Northern estate: poor
. Establishing 80s, so nostalgic

Question 4

This is England - End Sequence

Answer 4

. Real footage of men returning from Falklands War
. Footage of actual Falklands war, prisoners: grim
. Cyclical: Shaun alone again - wide shots
. Please, Please, Please, let me get what I want - Clayhill
. Chucks flag into water with anger: close up hand held
. Shaun looks at cam: sudden intrusion, challenging us

Question 5

This is England - Shaun’s Establishing Sequence

Answer 5

. Establishing loneliness
. Wide shots of him and the empty space around him
. Normal, dull looking town: no fancy set: verisimilitude
. Desolate scenes, isolation
. Cam moves with him: his perspective
. Working class status, looking at stuff he can’t buy: bike

Question 6

This is England - Combo Gate Crashes the Party

Answer 6

. Demonstrating impact Combo will have on group
. Long shot of room: cramped, confined space
. Close up of C as he speaks: animalistic intensity
. Cuts to liked characters being disgusted: anti-racist
. C’s voice fades out replaced by minor key piano
. What he says doesn’t matter, we know it’s bad

Question 7

This is England - Todorov

Answer 7

1. Shaun joins the gang
2. Combo arrives
3. Shaun joins Combo’s gang
4. Shaun’s journey of learning
5. Shaun rejects racism: downbeat new equilibrium

Question 8

This is England - Propp

Answer 8

Hero: Shaun
Villain: Combo
Donor: Woody
False Hero: Combo
Dispatcher: Combo
Helper: Shaun's mum

Question 9

This is England - Levi Strauss

Answer 9

Liberalism vs Nationalism
Woody vs Combo
Shaun vs Shaun (deep)
Young vs Old
Reality vs Nostalgia (unresolved)

Question 10

This is England - Other Structural Techniques

Answer 10

. Linear and chronological: typical of social realist
. Open-ended: no clarity on other characters
. Privileged spectator status sometimes: see Lol’s rejection of Combo, but mainly Shaun’s perspective
. Montages used to develop Shaun: parallel montages of him in both gangs

Question 11

This is England - Field

Answer 11

. Inciting Incident: Shaun joins Woody’s gang
. Plot Point 1: Combo arrives, Shaun joins his gang
. Mid point: Shaun is complicit with racism
. Plot Point 2: Lol rejects Combo
. Climax: Milky attacked. Shaun realises his mistakes

Question 12

This is England - Ideology

Answer 12

. Anti - racist
. Left wing
. Comments on class system
. Indoctrination of the youth by radicals

Question 13

This is England - Marxism

Answer 13

. Economic power builds society but also divides it, creating class divisions, bringing conflict and inequality
. Division between bourgeoisie and proletariat widened bc of Thatcher
. Conflict in This is England is a result of this
. Racism + rising violent skinhead culture are evidence
. Rejects individualist nature of Thatcherism: gangs

Question 14

This is England - Representation

Answer 14

. Masculinity: gang members typically masc, not heroes, Woody + Milky more transgressive, all a bit hopeless
. Femininity: transgressive: Lol is the strongest character, stereotypical mother figure
. Class: Woody’s gang positively presented, loving stereotypical tough working class
. Youth: good rep of skinheads: welcoming, supportive
. Black and Asian: fleshed out characters, undefeated by Combo, not stereotyped

Question 15

This is England - Production

Answer 15

. Independent social realist films: lots of funding needed
. Funded by: Warp Films, Big Arty Productions, EM Media, Film4, Optimum Releasing, Screen Yorkshire, and the UK Film Council
. Budget £1.5m Made approx. £6.6m since release
. BBFC rating 18, worried under 18s might see behaviour as attractive instead of offensive

Question 16

Sightseers - Ian’s Death

Answer 16

. Season of the Witch by Vanilla Fudge
. Tina imagines dancing with Shamans: freedom?
. Chris in red coat: ‘Don’t Look Now’ dwarf
. Danger juxtaposed: egg crack vs Ian’s head crack
. Meant to seem crazy: black and white memories
. Chris looks at cam smirking at the end: we’re complicit

Question 17

Sightseers - Final Scene

Answer 17

. The Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
. Slow mo long shots of running:faux romance
. Prolonged 2 shot staring at cam, challenging audience
. POV looking down - Chris jumps
. Music cuts as he hits the ground, all an act
. Arguably feminist ending: Tainted Love by Gloria Jones

Question 18

Sightseers - Stone Circle

Answer 18

. Handheld cam moving between Chris & man
. Narration: John Hurt English poem Jerusalem
. Darkly comedic class clash, ironic narration
. Picturesque idyllic nature vs violence and murder
. Chris’ primitive, animalistic nature. Both indifferent
. “Defending my honour” Tina understands

Question 19

Sightseers - Chris’ Nightmare

Answer 19

. Witchfinder General (1968) influence on Chris’ outfit
. Chris’ emotional turmoil about Tina gaining power
. Shadowy figures, misty woods: hammer horror
. Shots of Tina taken away by police - her ending?

Question 20

Sightseers - Todorov

Answer 20

1. Chris and Tina go on holiday
2. Chris kills the litterer
3. Chris kills Ian, Tina accepts him
4. Tina starts to kill
5. Tina is independent

Question 21

Sightseers - Propp

Answer 21

. The Hero: Tina
. The Villain: Chris/Tina's mum
. The Donor: Chris
. The Dispatcher: Chris
. The False Hero: Chris

Question 22

Sightseers - Field

Answer 22

. Inciting incident: Chris kills litterer
. Plot Point 1 : Chris kills Ian
. Midpoint: Chris kills posh man, Tina accepts him
. Plot Point 2: Tina kills bride to be
. Climax: Chris kills himself, Tina chooses to live

Question 23

Sightseers - Levi Strauss

Answer 23

. Working class vs Middle class
. Tina vs Chris
. Naivety vs Independence
. Tina vs Her mum

Question 24

Sightseers - Other Structural Features

Answer 24

. Linear: chronological, one flash back
. Open ended: don’t know what happens to Tina
. Privileged Spectator: see Tina’s mum at home
. Montages: employing music and slow mo. Murders

Question 25

Sightseers - Ideology

Answer 25

``` . Feminism: Laura Mulvey and Liesbet van Zoonen argue that women are to be looked at/be passive in films, Tina goes against this: no female gaze with her . the 'Left Behind': white working class who at a time of past industrial decline find themselves obsolete and ignored. 'Crisis of masculinity' ```

Question 26

Sightseers - Representation

Answer 26

``` . Masculinity: 'left behind' character Chris. Stereotypical masc. Middle class men contrast with him . Femininity: Tina is transgressive, no male gaze. Tina's mother typical comedic social realist construct/stereotypical working class elderly woman ```

Question 27

Sightseers - Production

Answer 27

``` . Independent release. . Funding from: StudioCanal, Film4, BFI, Big Talk Productions, Rook Films . Budget of approx. £1.3m . Made about £1.6m since release . BBFC rating of 15 ```

Question 28

Social Realist genre

Answer 28

. Niche, art house audiences rather than bigger ones . Low budget, doc style aesthetic for 'verisimilitude' . Generally unknown actors . Shot on location - regional settings . Improv dialogue and dark humour . Focus on narrative barriers faced by individuals . Little/no non-diegetic music

Question 29

Black Comedy genre

Answer 29

. Makes light of taboo subject matter . Used as a tool for exploring vulgar issues . Provoke discomfort and serious thought as well as humour in the audience

Question 30

Formalism

Answer 30

The distinction between story (WHAT) and plot (HOW)

Question 31

Structuralism

Answer 31

How the structure affects our understanding and moves the plot along - eg binary opposites, linear structure, open ended, etc