FRICTION NYC

This Is England

Over the weekend, I caught This Is England, a semi-autobiographical film written and directed by Shane Meadows (A Room for Romeo Brass and Once Upon a Time in the Midlands). The film is centered on a group of young skinheads in 1983 Thatcherite England and also touches on the The Falklands War and the rise of the white national front. The story is both beautiful and unsettling in its imagery and themes. There are parts of the movie that had me laughing and reminiscing about my childhood and other parts that had me cringing in my seat, head turned peeking out the side of my eyes. Newcomer Thomas Turgoose plays coming-of-age “Shaun Fields,” a 12-year old who has just lost his father in the war and is being bullied at school, brilliantly. Stephen Graham, who plays “Combo,” a bad skinhead, also delivers a powerful performance.

Getting to the point of this post, since this is a music website and all, the film’s soundtrack is incredible. It contains a bunch of reggae from Toots & The Maytals, The Upsetters, Al Barry & The Cimarons, along with 2 Tone ska from bands like The Specials. The music fits the film perfectly and merges wonderfully with Ludovico Einaudi’s melancholic piano score. There’s also some new wave stuff, including Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” and a cover of The Smiths “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want.” The opening of the film pairs news clips depicting UK riots and (sometimes brutal) footage from The Falklands War with Toots & The Maytals “54-46.” It really sets the mood for the rest of the film.

Check out the trailer below and I highly recommend picking up the soundtrack too. Oh, and thanks Nghia for introducing me to the movie and letting me crash on your couch over the weekend. You too Gypsy.

[MP3]: Toots & The Maytals  ”54-46″
Single, Beverly’s/Pyramid/Trojan; 1968