6 Certificate

THIS IS ENGLAND: CERTIFICATE
The very picture of anti-Nationalism

Three cheers to Bristol City Council!
Last week it overruled the British Board of Film Classifications ridiculous 18 certificate for This Is
England, Shane Meadowss semi-autobiographical portrayal of the 80s skinhead movement, giving it
a much more sensible 15 instead.
The BBFC was apparently worried that young people might see the films climactic race attack scene
in a context where they are not in a position to discuss the issues, and where it may come across as
more attractive than offensive.
Which prompts me to ask, had they actually seen the film? I mean, properly watched it all the way
through? For I fail to see how even the most impressionable offspring of a Daily Mail-reader could
interpret any part of it as advocating racism.
It is a thoughtful and sensitive film which, though it shows how people can become seduced by the
far right, ultimately reveals the bleak and often brutal consequences to which it can lead.
If anything, it could be classed as anti-Nationalist propaganda. I wouldnt be surprised if Nick Griffin
and his BNP cronies are cursing its release and the potential followers it will lose them.
The BBFC usually does a sterling job of protecting Britains youth from seeing things it shouldnt. Or,
at any rate, it sets the rules for them to break. But in this case, it was just plain wrong.
Far from protecting young minds, classifying this film as an 18 prevents the important warnings it
issues from reaching those who need to hear them most.
Lets just hope that the rest of Britains councils follow Bristols lead.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/rebeccadavies/3673381/The_very_picture_of_antiNationalism
/
An 18 for This is England? This is an
outrage
My new film has been landed with a certificate which will mean those who need to see it most will
not be able to.

It's almost two years since we started shooting This is England and at last the film is nearly out,
hitting cinemas here this weekend. I suppose it's my most personal film to date as the main
character, Shaun Fields is loosely based upon me at a time in my childhood.
Shaun is a 12 year-old growing up in Thatcher's England when Rubik's Cubes, Doc Martens and
political upheaval were all the rage. Shaun gets involved with a local skinhead gang after his father
dies in the Falklands war and This is England tells of the repercussions that follow.
Everything has been going brilliantly. Last autumn the film won the special jury prize at the Rome
Film Festival and best film at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), beating BAFTA winner The
Queen. Thomas Turgoose, who plays Shaun, won the best newcomer award at the BIFAs too. We've
had some amazing press and great reviews and everything was looking really positive.
Then, earlier this year, we heard that the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) had decided to
give the film an 18 certificate for its use of "realistic violence and racist language". This means that
the film is now unavailable to the audience it will benefit the most.
It's like I've somehow overachieved. By having one piece of violence and one piece of really acute
verbal violence I've managed to get an 18 certificate, whereas someone else can slay thousands of
people in a single film and that's OK. To be honest I don't understand it because, yes, the film is
affecting but I think it's something that someone of 15 can cope with. It's not like it's a film about the
80s that has no value; it's incredibly relevant politically. It's as much about Iraq as it is about the
Falklands. It's as much as about England in 2007 as it is about England in 1983.
The good news is that Bristol city council has overturned the BBFC's decision, giving the film a 15
certificate. We're hoping that more councils will follow shortly as there is a lot of support for the
movie and incredulity at the BBFC verdict. Whether or not it will be accessible to the audience who
need to see it the most remains to be seen.
As for me, I have a new deal with Warp Films, the production company behind This is England and
my last film Dead Man's Shoes. My producer Mark Herbert and I have just had a great meeting with
Film4 and EM Media about future projects. There are lots in the pipeline and we're all looking
forward to getting started on the next one.

Read the news articles and watch the news report about the BBFCs decision to give This is
England an 18 certificate.
Having watched the film, what certificate do you think the film should have been given?
Explain your ideas.

6 Certificate

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

6 Certificate

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

6 Certificate

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

THIS IS ENGLAND: CERTIFICATE

The very picture of anti-Nationalism

You might also like