This Is Where We Stand. This Is England.

Explore how one or more of mise-en-scene (including lighting), performance, cinematography, editing and sound construct meaning and provoke response in a film extract.

Film: This Is England
Director: Shane Meadows
Year: 2006
Sequence Chosen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeQu9K8Ut9M

I think this sequence is quite astonishing and was a rather interesting choice of scene for me to analyse. In this essay I will talk about the three most vital micro elements in the sequence. The three most important micro elements in this sequence are mise-en-scene, performance and cinematography.

The sequence starts with a close-up head and shoulders shot of Combo. This type of shot allows us as an audience to get a good look at Combo’s facial expressions at a rather daunting and disheartening moment in the film. Immediately the audience know that the mood has changed. Graham quite cleverly uses fine eyebrow movements and eye staring to indicate his unstable mood. We get a sense of ambiguity as Graham looks sad but then he gives a hardened stare. The choice of actor to play Combo was quite a unique selection as his eyes big and brown and they seem to look quite sad, and he looks upset, which makes us think that there is actually something quite endearing about Combo which counteracts with the element of fear he poses.

As part of his performance, Graham chews on his nails in a determined rather than nervous way – his hand almost acts as a blockage preventing him from saying too much; insulting Milky, as his anger worsens as the scene develops. From this, as an audience we are warned that Combo is agitated and we are always wondering what’s going to happen next. Watching this sequence may make audiences feel nervous thinking about what could happen next and they could possibly be 

chewing their own nails in anticipation.

Watching this sequence, it is noticeable that Combo has some tattoos on his face and hands. With some of the tattoos being placed on his face we immediately close in on them as it is unusual for someone to get a tattoo on their face. If you look close enough you can make out that on Combo’s forehead in between his two eyebrows he has a fairly rough looking tattoo of a crucifix. Immediately this tattoo would suggest that Combo is a religious man and that he is a Christian. This may confuse audiences as they think something may happen to Milky yet audiences will know that Christian’s are often pacifists and don’t believe in fighting so it gives some assurance that Milky will be okay. It is clear that the tattoo is homemade as he made it when he was convicted inside prison. This would suggest to the audiences that prisons are quite rough but also they allow stuff like that to happen so it suggests that Combo will have had a rough time in prison. This implies that Prison hasn’t really helped him but in fact was just holding grounds for Combo. Also the homemade tattoo could be related to the era that people didn’t always care about professionalism and wouldn’t abide by the law.

In the first shot we are immediately intimidated by Graham and we assume that he is a threatening character. This is because Graham’s hair is unshaven which suggests that he is quite rough or that it adds to his image that he doesn’t really take pride in his appearance. Also the first shot allows the audience to see the top that he is wearing and also that he is wearing braces. This already is an indicator of his subculture. We can see just by looking at his outfit of a polo top and braces that he belongs to the ‘skinhead’ social group. Audiences will assume that he is quite rebellious just from what they know of ‘skinheads’.

In this sequence low-key lighting is used and I think this is quite interesting for Meadows to use as it gives Milky and Combo some shadows which connote that something gloomy might happen, or that the atmosphere between the characters is quite tense.  This type of lighting helps us to ensure we see both Milky and Combo’s facial reactions during their conversation.

3 Seconds: in the background of the shot of Combo the walls are completely blank and plain, just painted blue. I think Meadows chose to do this so that we understand the sort of lifestyle that Combo lives. It suggests that he doesn’t really care about where he stays as there is clearly a lack of effort in his flat, but this also could suggest a shortage of money. As a result of this our attention is directed to Combo’s facial expressions.

There is a reaction shot to see who Combo is talking to in a quiet tone but with very direct questioning which makes the audience feel a little uneasy and we find this quite threatening. Milky’s appearance seems to be very similar to that of Combo’s with them both wearing polo’s and braces. As an audience we assume that this is stereotypical for ‘skinheads’. The difference between Milky and Combo is probably their presence and they way they are sat/laid. Milky seems to be a lot more laid back and open whereas Combo seems to be quite nervy and tense. As an audience we see that Combo is getting agitated and both of the characters presences add to what is being said and the mood and atmosphere in the room. It ties in with what they are saying because Combo is giving very direct questioning which connotes his tension, yet Milky is quite laid-back with his responses like ‘yeah man’. Also behind Milky there is a curtain behind him. I thought it was interesting to place the characters where they are sat because it’s almost coincidental that Milky is talking about everything he has got and Combo has nothing which could be connoted from the backgrounds which are situated behind them (there is nothing behind Combo except a plain background and there is a curtain behind Milky).

Combo’s facial expressions differ greatly from Milky’s as we hardly see Combo smile at all, as we realise the jealousy and envy is gradually building up, and when he does smile, the audience see that it’s a rather effortless smile or possibly a fake smile. Just by looking at Milky we see that he is a nice friendly person and this is certified with his big eyes and kinder face. We presume that Milky is quite vulnerable.

At 15 seconds in it cuts to Sean and he is wearing an outfit very similar to that of Combo’s. We understand that if Sean continues to hang around with Combo he will emulate him in every way and become a miniature version of him. This is quite distressing because he is only young and innocent. In the background there is a large England flag. I think Meadows chose to place that firstly to reinforce the title of the film but also to suggest that Turgoose (Sean) wants to stand up for his country as the audience know his Dad died in the Falklands. His Ben Sherman shirt reflects his attitude towards Britain that he wants to stick up for it. The shirt reflects the Union Jack and therefore represents the message of national identity. When you look at Sean’s facial expressions you can see that he is listening to what is being said but he looks quite scared for Milky as if he can see the tension building between Combo and Milky.

When we cut back to Combo his hand starts to tremble as he is biting his nails and this helps to tell the audience that something is going to happen between Milky and Combo. With his hand trembling we see that something might happen because he is getting more and more nervous, suggesting he is thinking of something. When we cut back to Milky, it’s clear that both Milky and Combo are different moods. We get the sense that Milky is still stoned and drunk and that Combo is completely sober. This is assured when we see that Milky’s speech has slowed down and he is smiling and looks quite merry. This contrasts with Combo who is now mumbling his questions in a dissatisfied way. He chews his nails in an aggressive manner and then Milky turns to him and smiles to him and smiles in a passive way.

It is quite intriguing when Milky invites to Combo round to his Grandma’s for some tea and talks about his family. We see that Combo is all over the place emotionally. His hands move in a way that would suggest that he doesn’t quite know what to do; that he contemplating what to do. You can see that Combo is agitated yet his eyes are almost tearful. This suggests that what Milky is telling him is quite sad because we presume that he didn’t have the privileges in his life that Milky was fortunate to have. You sense that Combo was probably neglected and isolated as a child or maybe abused so he seems to be emotional because it’s sad he didn’t have Milky’s childhood. Audiences understand why Combo feels jealous at this point.

This suddenly turns more aggressive as the conversation between them becomes quite violent and we see the introduction of some swearing. We are immediately put on alert that this is the start of something bad.  He then stops smiling and stands up, and we are wondering what is going to happen and it arouses our curiosity of why he has stood up. When Graham stands him he appears to be stretching his arms which suggests that he is going to produce large movements with his arms. He walks around the room as if he is still quite nervous but also quite eager and ready for something to happen. When he’s stood up the light is right above him and makes him stand out as if he is in the spotlight which suggests he is powerful and strong. I think Meadows decided to direct it like this so that we can see just how angry he is.

Every time the camera cuts from Combo to Milky and then back again, the camera seems to have homed in even closer to Combo’s face. Every time this is done we are allowed to look closer into his emotions and we know when we have a big close-up of Combo’s face that he is absolutely irate. The envy and jealously can be identified just by looking at his big, tearful eyes. Every time the camera cuts closer to Combo we feel slightly intimidated. When the camera cuts to the big close-up, the camera appears to be slightly lower than Combo. This helps to imply that combo is superior and that Milky is looking up to him because he is powerful; this suggests that something is going to happen to Combo, as the anger is already there and he has now stood up, and limbering up. The audience almost feel as if they are under attack, and feel quite sympathetic for Milky.

When Combo verbally begins to attack there is a reaction shot to show Sean’s facial expressions.  This shot of Sean’s facial expressions allows us to see that he is shocked that Combo has started to racially insult Combo (as at the start of the party it was put behind them) We then see a look of terror from Sean as he knows something bad is going to happen to Milky. His reaction is very similar to any viewers because we know what is going to happen isn’t right.

At 2:19 there is a long shot of Combo’s living room and this shot shows Combo towering over Milky. This reiterates that Milky is vulnerable and weak but it also makes him look inferior to Combo, in terms of culture and strength and we immediately know that something is going to happen to Milky. Looking at the shot Milky is almost framed by the white people in the scene and this helps to imply that he is trapped and that he is the odd one out from all of them. Again this suggests his inferiority amongst the group.

In reaction to Combo’s racial insults, Milky smiles back at Combo and this infuriates him as he wants Milky to be afraid of him and wants to be deeply affected by the insults but in fact he smiles to show he’s not scared or maybe because of the alcohol his confidence has increased. We then feel even more scared for Milky as he has clearly just annoyed Combo more and we almost feel like we are in Sean’s shoes. Combo’s mood has abruptly changed or so Milky might think and this is enhanced when we see Graham’s face snarling as he talks.

When Combo starts to physically attack Milky, we are given a subjective shot from Milky’s point of view. This shot demonstrates a shallow depth of field as the background is all blurry and unclear. This has been done to highlight Combo’s frustration but also to show how horrific the beating is from Combo. This enhances our viewing as we have been enabled to see the beating in every detail and we feel more sympathetic for Milky as we know that what is happening is wrong and that everyone should get equality and that there shouldn’t be any prejudice.

At 4:52 after Combo has thrown Sean out and attacked all of the other people there, Sean re-enters the room and it is highly evident that Combo’s mood has changed. The way he is positioned suggests a lot about his guilt and remorse for what he has done to Milky. He is on his knees as if he is praying that Milky will be okay and that what he has done was just a spur of the moment. His voice is very different and is a lot quieter and it almost sounds like he is crying.  We can see from Combo’s reaction that he is extremely guilty for what he has done. This helps to show that he is vulnerable. We know that Combo is sorry for his reactions as he repeatedly says ‘I didn’t mean it’.

Then after about 15 seconds Combo takes on a leadership role again for Shaun and tells him to stop crying. We are confused as he has changed his mood to two completely opposite roles within the one sequence. This helps to enhance his instability and vulnerability. However, audiences could possibly suggest that his actions may be due to the fact that he has been drinking. This arouses our curiosity of whether Combo should be allowed out on the streets or should he be kept in a solitary confinement.

Meadows has throughout this sequence successfully built up tension. This is through each different Micro-element which I have focused on being cinematography, performance and mise-en-scene. Personally, his positioning of the camera is exquisite and helps to show Combo’s superiority. Choosing Graham to play this role was effective as it helped to show Combo’s extreme animalistic behaviour and his regret. Graham’s performance helps to communicate the confused state of mind of Combo. The audience are allowed to feel very sympathetic, shocked and disturbed with each micro-element as they are given a deeper insight and feel they are in Sean’s position. Overall, Meadows has beautifully constructed this sequence to demonstrate Combo’s instability.