This is England ’86 (Shane Meadows) Analysing the Montage

We have been watching This is England 86 for the past couple of lessons and we have been given a clip from the last episode of the first series to look at in detail and analyse. We had to look at camera work, editing, mise en scene and sound design. This particular clip from the programme is effective because it takes each story that’s going on at that second with different characters and puts it together to help emphasize the contrast of their emotions to have a saddening effect on the audience. The whole point of the montage is so display the bitter sweet lives of these characters who have quite a deprived and aggressive up bringing, there’s is occasional dialogue to keep the story going as the montage takes place and sometimes diegetic sound penetrated from the world of the film like a dog barking. All of the characters are included in this sequence to show the group of friends and to display how when they go off to their own lives and homes it gets tough or they are faced with the painful truths of reality. When they are together everything seems good and at ease and its just about having a laugh. This group of friends all seem to have bad or tough lives and they have that in common, so at ties they can share moments with each other either in happiness or in Lol and Trevs case, sadness. Most of the characters have equal time in the montage but it is quite clear who the main focus is on. You can tell Lol and Shaun are the stories we are following and their lives and actions seem to take the spotlight. However no character is favored over another.

Editing

The montage includes alot of cross cutting where videos are cut all together of everything happening at the same time. This makes the montage interesting as one character is filmed with their life then it quickly cuts to another character, either with a life contrast so they might be on a high with their life whereas the last character might have been really upset. This change in mood keeps the audience on their toes and is ensures the programme is entertaining so that you don’t loose interest.

There is a part where the dad and Kelly are filmed in wide shot in kellys bed room, then it switches to Trev being an emotional wreck, it cuts like this to remind us of what the dad is capable of doing and to remind us of what he has done. There is also a bruise on Trevs neck, emphasizing how dangerous he is and how hurt physically and emotionally she is.

Sound Design

The montage includes music over the top which plays for certain characters on screen, unless there is speech in which is either stops or just plays quieter. This music manipulates the audience to feel the same sadness as the character they are watching as it goes slower and deeper when sad, or higher to represent hope for that character. An example of this is when you can see Trev telling Lol she was raped, the music plays over it and you see Trev mouth the word ‘rape’. The music is very slow and saddening as you see a reaction close up shot of Lol and her putting her head down in dismay. We don’t need dialogue in this particular scene because we as the audience know what Trev has to say. Then the next scene is Combo in Shauns bathroom, the music gets higher to display hope for him as he doesn’t seem the dangerous skin head we saw in the film. He seems vulnerable and almost lost as he washes the blood off his face. These close up shots of his eyes screwing up as the water pours over him emphasize how he is no longer a threat, and he has been hurt emotionally and physically and just needs some care and support from someone.

There is a sound bridge where the montage goes from Lol and Trev to woody and and Milky on their motorbikes. The roaring of the engine starts when Lol and Trev are still being shown, this links the shots together so that its a smooth switch to the next characters.

When Combo is in the bath Shaun comes in with some fresh clothes and gives them to him, they exchange speech and this displays how Shaun is there for Combo and their relationship hasn’t disappeared from This is England the film.

Camera Work

When Trev is telling Lol she was raped the camera uses the 180 degree rule as the two girls are sat side by side and not facing each other. The camera makes sure to stay on one side of the conversation which helps it look more believable. The director uses close ups of Lol to define how her reaction is most important, and to display how intimate and fragile the situation is. The close up shots capture the true feeling of what Trev is going through and Lols comforting support for her because she knows what shes going though as they have both become victims of Lols dad.

The next shot is a wide shot of Milky and Woody as they go off separate directions on their mopeds after exchanging some dialogue, the shot reminds us as the audience how deprived the estate they live in is, showing the rusty garage and council houses behind. There’s then a mid shot of Woody and Milky speaking in which the music fades out and they exchange dialogue, this keeps the story going throughout the montage.

There is a part where Woody is filmed motoring past on his scooter. The camera follows him and moves with him to ensure his every move is followed by the audiences eyes.

The camera switches from Woody to Lol and Trev, this emphasizes the contrast in emotion of the two scenes and two totally different moods come from either one. This contrast keeps the audience locked on the screen as the switching emotion is mesmerizing.

There is a Mid shot of the dad in Kellys room talking to her whilst she is fast asleep, the music in the back ground goes deeper to display the danger of the situation because we know what the man is capable of. This shot establishes Kelly as a teenager as she has posters up on the walls and not matching bedding, this suggests her inner child and she is still a kid at heart. The situation she is in puts her at a very vulnerable position but she is fast asleep and doesn’t even know whats going on.

Milky goes to the house of the lady who can do marriage ceremonies and asks her to do one for woody as he decides he wants to try and win back Lol. Milky is filmed looking down at him and the camera moves with him on the scooter, this emphasizes how he plays an important role in Lol and Woodys relationship and without him there would be no wedding.

As the camera goes bac to filming Lol and Trev, the main focus is on Lol because Trevs face goes into the shadow and Lols reaction is closely filmed. She is deeply saddened by Trevs news and you can tell shes plotting some kind of revenge for the man who ruined her and her friends lives.

The camera goes onto Shaun, displaying him in his dark room suggesting how hes feeling slightly lonely and isolated as smell isn’t there with him at that precise moment. He is also filmed three quarters of the way across the screen so he isn’t directly in the center, this is more pleasing to the human eye and also displays the empty space around him emphasizing his loneliness.

There is a wide shot of Woody and Milky on their scooters together motoring along the road toward the camera. In this sequence they high five whilst moving and laugh, this action emphasizes their solid friendship and how they are there for each other, they are all geared up for the wedding and Woody is ready for another try at his relationship with Lol. The tragic thing about this shot though is that we as an audience know that the wedding isn’t going to happen as Lol is wrapped up in the situation with her dad so the emotions on screen contrast as those two lives go from shot to shot.

In one of the last shots Shaun is in the car with Smell and Combo. The overall focus is on Shaun as the camera pans on him for longer and goes from different angles so you can see his point of view looking at Smell and see where Combo is in the car. Combo is in the back seat, this could display how he is still quite fragile and not the person he used to be. He is not in control and his vulnerability and sadness is emphasized. Also his tattoos on his face no longer look sinister, they have gone fuzzy and have lost their dangerous effect, however they do display his past as they show how edgy he used to be. The camera also uses close up shots of his face, yet shadows play about on him so you cannot see him as clearly, this emphasizes how he is still quite mysterious, but he is no longer any threat, and maybe lost inside himself.

Mise en Scene

The scooters that Woody and Milky have define the gang culture of deprived Britain at that time and display their self identity. They also help put the programme into context because they are a typical gang equipment.

When Combo is shown in the montage he looks vulnerable. Hes grubby and has blood on his head, he looks rough and hungover, however he looks no threat to anyone anymore. His hair has also grown which could emphasize how he is no longer a dangerous skin head and he has grown out of his old disturbing ways.

Shaun has a part in the montage which shows him sat in his room looking down and upset as he is thinking about Combo and trying to work out why hes come back. His room has peeling paint and is fairly dark and unwelcoming, this displays again the poverty and puts the programme into context. Shaun is filmed smelling a shirt which is presumably his dads, this shows he treasures his dad and everything he owned has been preserved and kept safe. Shaun gives Combo the shirt to wear and this could symbolize how much Combo means to Shaun, and how he is doing what he can to care for Combo and help him erase his past and move forward.

When Woody decides he is going to get married to Lol again he rushes to the lads to tell them. they are all sleeping on the sofa half naked looking crumpled and hungover. This shows how close they are as to wake them up Woody slaps them.

When Lol and Trev are in shot together their relationship is displayed as they both share a sadness. They grow closeness and this is displayed by Trev in Lols arms lying on her. It also shows how Lol is the dominant female and she is going to do something about it, whereas  Trev seems fragile and desperate to keep it secret.

This is England 86 (Shane Meadows and Jack Thorne) The effects

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.