Romper stomper were neo Nazi skin heads. In this is England, the group of friends wernt full blown skin heads, The film isn't supposed to be about race, its supposed to be a realistic view of life in 80's. And as for that, I thought very accurate and powerful.

totally agree, people are putting this movie into a race movie and it isn't, its just a movie about a young boy growing up in 80's and race was a small part of it. Woody, milky gadget are not racist or neo Nazi's atall, skinheads like they were, were just what the poor young lads dressed like, movie ended with race being involved but was never intended for it to be a race movie.

You're a fool if you think this was just another skinhead film like Romper Stomper. Did you get confused because they all had shaved heads? Romper Stomper was about racism and the charisma of a flawed leader and the relationship with his followers, it was never about Australian identity. It's focus was Hando. This is England is a rite of passage story and about the war for Shaun's soul (and England's soul) and it's focus was a young boy and the future of England after the nationalism of the Falkland War. Oh and I was there in the 80s and I know what it was like to live through that time. I think you need to think a little more when watching films and not get caught up on the minor details.

I don't concider this is England to be a movie on race, was just one aspect of life in 80's. American history and romper were pure neo Nazi's and hardcore race movies. This wasn't, so comparing them is hard

i cant believe i just wrote that whole essay above & didnt mention american history x.
momentary lapse, i apologise.
american history x is up there aswell as 1 of the best.

personally i dont see what anyones problem is with this film, or romper stomper.
i own both, think both are classics in their own right, & over the years have watched both at least once a year, being a big fan of skinhead related films. there are other skinhead related films out there e.g. pariah, the believer, 16 years of alcohol, that are still worth a watch, but nowhere near as good. my top 3 would be this is england, romper stomper & made in britain. this is england being my favourite, excellent actors/actresses, brilliant director(check out dead mans shoes & a room for romeo brass if you havnt already seen them),awesome soundtrack,awesome storyline,awesome build up of the characters,awesome climax, awesome follow ups in '86 & '88 etc. i cant fault it. i know its obviously down to personal taste so its not for everyone, i wouldnt recommend it to me mother,shes more a mamma mia kind of woman,but it seems like people try to find faults with it. just enjoy it for what it is, a good solid honest realistic movie.

I would not agree with you. It could've ended in a various different manners but the way it did end was perfect. The symmetry with the character's crisis of things so stupid being able to separate such good friends. The independent part of the film was vouching against the war and at the same time showing it was not alright to be on the polar end (and how many where just confused at this end). For the ending of the movie not knowing what happened and leaving it up to you to decided, I think is the best way to end a piece a literature or a film letting the audience decide with there own imagination instead of just being mildy entertained with instant gratification of everyone being happy and giddy at the end.

I really do not think you can compare this movie to romper stomper.
Romper Stomper is about a mindless group of neo nazi thugs. Yes they are rebelling against the influx of immigration in Australia but it seems to be more for the pure hatred of immigrants and lust for violence rather than they have a national grudge over jobs or anything. This Is England is a much more potent film in terms of its themes and the way it depicts Britain and british culture in the 1980s.
I do agree to some extent that the ending was cliched but the imagery of Sean throwing the st georges flag into the sea accompanied by that beautiful cover of an 'please please please let me get what i want' made for a great finale. I think it was a great way to end the film, however i would have liked more resolve on the combo/milky situation. However This is England 86 and 88 have made great dramas on tv as well. if you havent seen them i greatly advise it.

I didn't really have a problem with those plot points, they were effective and, for the former, disturbing (even if the throwing-the-flag-into-the-water is a little melodramatic). What my problem was that it just ended right there. It felt like the movie wasn't really over, that there was some resolution to it, or what maybe Woody would come back or something, that maybe Shaun would go with them again. I really liked the film a lot, and even understood how broken a man Combo was. It's just that it didn't feel like an ending to me, or one that was proper.
My official blog:
http://cinetarium.blogspot.com/

"i saw romper stomper. it's a good flick but it has nothing on this is england. i was an american skinhead and i could easily relate to this is england. romper stomper was just an excuse for street fighting action stuffnot that it's an unworthy film. romper stompers characters are very one dimensional as well. "
Yeah.
I'm a skin and I've lived alot of this too, and I've never been to UK.
Funny, all the posts on other "skin" films by people who don't know anything but beep they've seen on talk shows and Gangland, pontificating about skinheads, and this is the closest to accurate flic out there and no one is here spouting their theories except to call it "soft."
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Those scenes in the beginning especially, like when the kid gets his first sherman, or when they smash up that abandoned house, were just great. My experiences here in the US were pretty similar. But we were alot meaner to freshcuts!

u were a skinheadlol

When I was 13 I was 5'10 and 18 stone. Shaun just small for his age, smell is big for her age, Taller than other girls and is younger than them. Concidering girls mature faster at that age, most relationships in schools had height gaps if girls older.

My first 'serious' relationship was almost exactly the same as the one between Shaun and Smell.
I was 13, the girl was 16 and about 14 inches taller than I was, to say nothing of the fact she was rather well-developed whereas I looked about 8 years old.
No doubt it was pretty weird (I'm not ashamed to admit that), but sometimes it happens. Attraction is a funny thing.
Never defend crap with "It's just a movie"
http://www.youtube.com/user/BigGreenProds

Kudo's to you!!!!!! I freaking love this film.
I might as well enjoy my life and watch the stars play..

As soon as Combo asked Milky for the weed, I expected/waited for him to crack and beat the beep out of him
Congratulations.you predicted something in this movie was going to happen mere minutes before it did. You must be clairvoyant or something.

Are you a bug Bill Murray?

Yeah, that was weird, I don't think it was a film that needed a "romance" in it at all. I think Smell was supposed to be a bit simple, though. Since a lot of it is based on the director's own experiences, maybe he'd seen a relationship like that in real life?
Or maybe the actor playing Shaun was a little Hollywood-style tyrant - "I won't do this movie unless I get to suck her tits! Speak to my agent!" lol
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I think the story of being bfriend - gfriend of Shaun and twice bigger than him Smell was ridiculously incredible.

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You can watch both films. It's easy. Only have to sit there with your eyes open.
And that is exactly what you did. I hope everybody else will do the exact same. Both these films are good, both are very enjoyable, and both should be seen. No point telling people to go watch one over another.
TIE had more life in it, though. Soft, weak, predictable, whatever you want to call it, but very real - far more true to most people's experiences. Funny as well.
.

you laugh because it's not a real character standing next to you. i imagine his voice wouldn't be a factor in intimidating anyone in a real scenario and viewers shouldn't be distracted by it in a movie

Romper Stomper was souless
Yup. That was my main issue with it. I turned the movie off 20-30 minutes before the end because I realized that if I hadn't cared about the characters up to that point then it would be useless to continue.

I'd love to see you in the moonlight with your head thrown back and your body on fire.

More importantly, Romper Stomper was souless. And worse, boring.

See Romper Stomper instead .. you are kidding. As mean as Russell Crowe looked, as soon as he opened his mouth with his whiney nasal Aussie twang I just pissed myself laughing. The skins portrayed in This is England were not hardcore but at least they didn't sound like Minnie Mouse.

He threw the flag into the sea because he grew up and rejected the values of other people.