https://padlet.com/jonesaiden15/7qvlxlp1om94 en-us 2017-01-16 10:55:38 UTC 2025-11-20 21:49:40 UTC hello@padlet.com calbo2000 https://padlet.com/jonesaiden15/7qvlxlp1om94/wish/147330615 In the movie 'This Is England', Combo presents various key messages and values throughout the film such as masculinity, violence and nationalism. 

Shane Meadows portrays the value masculinity had on society in the 1980's through Combo and his impact on the gang. Firstly, Combo conveys masculinity through his violent and aggressive behaviour whenever altercations occur; for example when he beats Milky due to his own jealousy and envy of Milky's life, he keeps telling Shaun that "Men don't cry", although Combo himself is crying. This contradicts the fact that Combo tries to promote himself as a manly man and the image of a pure, British man. In addition to this, Combo also asserts his masculinity through violence towards the shop keeper. When the gang raid the store, Combo talks to the shop keep directly and informs the others what they should do;This asserts his dominance and influence throughout the gang. 

Secondly, Shane Meadows further conveys nationalism through Combo by Combo's constant indications of racist beliefs. This is shown when Combo is first reunited with the gang at Woody's party, and finds out that there is now a non-white person in the group, he begins to explain to the group how all of England's altercations and problems are the fault of Non-British citizens living in England. He also indicates violent connotations whilst he is talking by using words such as "N*gger", which further show his nationalist opinions. Furthermore,  ]]> 2017-01-16 11:06:14 UTC https://padlet.com/jonesaiden15/7qvlxlp1om94/wish/147330615 lauren1001 https://padlet.com/jonesaiden15/7qvlxlp1om94/wish/147330726 In 'This is England', Meadows presents Shaun as a character who conveys many of the messages and values seen throughout the film, such as isolation, nationalism and masculinity. 

Shaun as a character is used to present multiple themes seen throughout the film such as masculinity and what it means to be masculine. This is especially presented by Shaun in the beginning of the film when he attacks the boy at school after he talks negatively about his father. We could suggest that Shaun, even despite being a child, feels that he needs to be hyper masculine in order to make his father proud who died in the Falkland war. This suggests that Meadows has done this to show how Shaun, because he is the only man in his house, feels he needs to protect his mum and the memory of his dad due to many believing that he died for nothing because he was in the Falkland war. This belief was shared by many during the eighties, especially from participants of the skinhead movement, as Margaret Thatcher, the Prime Minister at this time, sent soldiers off to fight in the Falklands war over land that we didn't actually even need. Many soldiers died from this war and it stands as one of the reasons why many skinheads during the eighties disliked Margaret Thatcher and the decisions she made whilst she was the Prime Minister of Britain. This therefore suggests that Meadows has used the Falkland War and Thatcher in order to convey why Shaun feels he needs to be hyper-masculine so that his father is not seen as just another soldier and one that 'died for nothing'.

Another of the messages and values seen throughout the film is isolation and towards the end of the film, Meadows uses Shaun as an example of this by using lots of establishing shots, which makes Shaun appear small and lost. This therefore presents the notion of isolation seen throughout the film, which relates to borders and belongings and how Shaun at the end of the film feels he does not know where he belongs due to him now discarding the nationalist beliefs that he followed previously on in the film. This is further shown at the end of the film when Meadows presents Shaun throwing away his St. George's flag into the ocean. By presenting Shaun doing this, Meadows is showing that Shaun as a character has returned to the same feelings he felt at the beginning of the film and also highlights how he now is questioning where he actually belongs in society.]]> 2017-01-16 11:06:56 UTC https://padlet.com/jonesaiden15/7qvlxlp1om94/wish/147330726 jonesaiden15 https://padlet.com/jonesaiden15/7qvlxlp1om94/wish/147330770 Key scenes for Renton:
"Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?" is an incredibly valuable quote when analysing Renton's behaviour in Trainspotting; the scene which accompanies the quote shows him falling down this could be considered a metonym as it could represent him hitting rock bottom, and putting no worth into life as shown by him in later scenes stealing a TV from Retirement home, as well as when Renton supplied Tommy with Heroin even after he himself wanting to get off it at one point and realising how bad it is.

 Another message of Trainspotting is struggle with addiction. In this film every character has their vice whether drugs, sex or violence. Begbie is addicted to adrenaline shown through his love of fighting and how easy it is to get him riled up. Tommy is sex as shown through the Club Volcano scene where his girlfriend denies her friend's offer to give up sex with her as that is the only thing Tommy is good for to her. This is further exemplified through as soon as Tommy is without sex for an extended period of time he turns to heroin, trying to recreate that high of intimate companionship. Obviously, Renton, Sickboy and Spud are obvious in their addiction with drugs but Renton, is another subject entirely as he is addicted to irresponsibility. He loves the idea of being able to blame everything else other than himself for his problems for example he blames Scotland for how his life turned out saying "It's shite being Scottish!" where a beautiful landscape of the Scottish countryside cascades in the background. This could also represent the lack of patriotism in these so-called degenerates as they believe they have been wronged by the system they had no choice in being a part of

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