We have been watching This is England 86 in the past few lessons and it has been very interesting but shocking as some of the scenes in it are so abrupt and serious. Every episode is packed with emotion, mainly upsetting and you instantly feel a connection with the characters on screen.
In the last couple of episodes we watched there was more than plenty of sex scenes and a rape scene which seemed to have an impact on everyone in the class, everyone looked a bit disturbed and shook up when sir switched it off. I found it painful to watch and even felt angry as to what was happening, even though it wasn’t real. I think the reason to this is because the characters personas are so strong and also the setting of the programme is the rough areas of England where a lot of crime and domestic violence takes place and there is poverty, therefore these characters have more frustration and aggression in which they take out on each other. For example characters such as Lol have extremely strong emotions and she gets alot of the focus on her throughout the series as she is one of the main characters, in This is England the film she isn’t really shown that much, but in this programme you see a whole new side to her and she comes across as very angry and aggressive, you soon understand why though and find out the reason by the last episode. This is the clever thing about the programme, you understand why the characters are the way they are by the final episode because all the loose ends have been tied up.
Another character who you feel emotion towards is Trev, she isn’t often shown in the episodes until the awful rape scene where her character comes into the light. This particular scene created anger and shock in my mind when I watched it. I was horrified, as part of the audience watching the programme you feel as though you have a duty to try and stop whats going on in front of your eyes, then you remember its only a film, and not real. However this shows how cleverly the programme has been directed and filmed. Its so realistic and the characters have such strong stories and emotions they pour onto the audience and you quickly feel empathy for them. I found it particularly painful to watch the scene where Trev gets raped, it has been filmed so that the audience feels helpless to the situation and all you can do is watch as Trev get abused and mistreated. At this point you feel a connection to Trev, she is the vulnerable one and seems most delicate as she has just been a victim of Lols father. From then on in the series she is filmed on a step by herself with her hands together looking pale and lost. Its upsetting because she is so fragile, and also lonely as she feels she cannot tell anyone accept Lol, and Lol is sworn to secrecy.
Another character who gets pulled back into the limelight is Combo, he is introduced back into the programme when he stumbles into Shauns house drunk and beaten up. He is no longer a skinhead and seems slightly more down to earth than in This is England the film. You see him in a totally different light because in the film hes quite dangerous and you don’t trust him, whereas in the programme he seems more vulnerable and harmless. This is because of his slow movement and caring persona to lol. I feel like he is quite a delicate character, even though he has a hard exterior and is a criminal, he is no threat to anyone, and you feel a warmth to him as he comforts Lol after she murders her father.
Combo is affectionate towards Lol, he knows her and knows what her dad had been doing to her all this time. He holds her tight to demonstrate his protection towards her.
In contrast this is him as a skinhead, he is slightly more sinister and not as warm.
Combo is also a hero, he decides to take the blame for the death of Lols father, putting his finger prints on the hammer and wiping blood on his face. He also kicks the dead body of Lols dad as he knew what he had been doing to Lol. The death was seen as a relief and Combo wraps his arms around lol to comfort her and show her everythings going to be okay. From him turning himself in for the murder instead of Lol, you have a respect for him as he is being totally selfless, yet he realises he has nothing left to do with his life so he might aswell go to prison as the police have always wanted him locked up. He does Lol a favour, the police and himself. We as an audience feel warmth towards him, he is finally doing something to benefit someone else, unlike in This is England the film. Also, when he is filmed in prison he seems to accept the fact that he is being locked up and doesn’t resist or try to get away. This is a sign that he has changed.
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