 | Category: | Movies | | Genre: | Drama |
Most of the movies that make it over here from the UK are wacky comedies. Nearly all, in fact. So I wanted to check this one out. It is also a nice addition to the canon of skinhead films -- American History X and Romper Stomper being the other two that come to mind.
This movie isn't quite as dark as the other two, although it has its tense, uncomfortable, and even violent moments. This could be because unlike the others, which were basically cautionary morality tales about bigotry, this is semi-autobiographical.
The story traces a period in the childhood of the main character, whose father was killed in the Falklands War during the early 80s. Living alone with his mother, he is befriended by a gang of local skins, a relatively harmless if rowdy bunch of guys. He is initiated into their gang by having his head shaved and buying clothes to fit in -- and I have to say the clothes at least are an improvement.
There are two major dramatic arcs, one involving his character and his development from a (relatively) innocent and naive child into, well, something short of a man but less naive certainly. The other involves the degeneration of the gang into violence -- this thread mirroring the other two films I mentioned.
Having not grown up in England, I couldn't say for sure that the details in the film are accurate, but they smack of authenticity to me, and there is a considerable eye to detail. The clothes, the makeup, the hair (oh my god the hair) ... this movie will take you back even if you weren't there.
Unlike the other two movies, it ends on an upbeat note, and manages not to seem too contrived while it does it -- the bad people in the movie do get a bit of a pass on their indiscretions, I have to say -- and was a very interesting (and presumably fairly accurate) look at the skinhead movement during the 1980s.
Recommended for film buffs, Anglophiles, and Gen X'ers.
 | The number of actual skinhead neo-nazi types in the UK is quite miniscule, (I lived there a while, I can't remember even seeing any) however, they're held up as an all purpose boogeyman for the socialist media to portray any white person with conservative beliefs as knuckledragging, violent thugs. Of course, they also ignore or excuse the hordes of violent, intolerant thugs if they happen to be muslim. |
 | I am still just slightly stunned by that entire comment down there.
LOL @ "hordes of violent, intolerant thugs if they happen to be muslim" |
| There are predominantly muslim neighborhoods in the UK as well as other parts of Europe that are dangerous virtual no-go zones for non-muslims, especially for women not wearing a headscarf. A prominent British church leader got raked over the coals by the media the other day for daring to point this out, something that many ordinary citizens already know. Political correctness has taken deep root in the UK and "hate crime" laws can get you arrested for even criticizing certain groups. Orwell saw this coming a long time ago. |
 | Don't you know that violent people are never Muslim, and politicians who get caught in scandals are never Democrats? I think they teach that in journalism class.
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| Here's a mind-boggling piece of pc idiocy and dhimmitude: many people including elected officials want to ban the English flag because it might be offensive to muslims. (It has a cross on it). |
| Well.. that's a little silly.. Clinton was a democrat right?
I honestly cannot believe that you think the media is THAT biased. |
| Muslims thugs have also smashed up butcher shops that sell pork in England as well. Don't expect that to make headlines. |
| the cross thing is a bit stupid though. Extremes on either sides are stupid.
Idesofmarch: do you hate muslims in general? |
| Actually, the press spiked the Lewinsky story then Matt Drudge got a hold of it and let the genie out of the bottle. Were it not for the internet, we wouldn't have heard about it most likely. Also thanks to the intenet, Dan Rather wasn't able to get away with using fake documents to smear George Bush just before an election. If you're interested in media bias, Bernie Goldberg's book "Bias" is an eye-opener. |
| Clinton was a Democrat, yeah, but every time a Congressman gets caught doing something, if he's a Republican, that is all over the story, and every time they name him he'll have an (R) next to his name. Democrats they never do that with. Don't take my word for it, check out cnn.com when it happens. :)
I doubt he hates Muslims, but people who go smashing things up for no reason are annoying and if they're doing it because they're Muslim, I think that's news. If Presbyterians were going around doing that, you can bet everyone would be speculating about why and what could be done about it. We are fortunate that we don't have that over here yet. Much.
Although there was that taxi driver in Texas last week... |
| 1998.. I wasn't even online, I heard it on our News. |
|  Clinton was a Democrat, yeah, but every time a Congressman gets caught doing something, if he's a Republican, that is all over the story, and every time they name him he'll have an (R) next to his name. Democrats they never do that with. Don't take my word for it, check out cnn.com when it happens. :)
I doubt he hates Muslims, but people who go smashing things up for no reason are annoying and if they're doing it because they're Muslim, I think that's news. If Presbyterians were going around doing that, you can bet everyone would be speculating about why and what could be done about it. We are fortunate that we don't have that over here yet. Much.
Although there was that taxi driver in Texas last week...  Yes, people who smash things are annoying, but people who do anything extreme like that under any faith are obviously extremists. I'm sure it's not a daily occurance and it annoys me to see generalizations and smearing. That screams racism to me, not unbiased fact.
Maybe less toe tapping under stalls from the republicans ;) |
| right, and this is where I come back and call you a skin head for (I think) being white and conservative? heh.
Nothing you said challenged my world view, instead it reminded me of the importance of looking at things as a whole, instead of labelling one culture because of what some extremists do. |
| J. do you actually believe that the media/gov't/whatever ignores or excuses " hordes of violent, intolerant thugs" that are apparently roaming the streets of England because they are Muslim? I am struggling with the fact that you are in such agreement with IdesofMarch. |
| Yeah, you're saying it's perpetuating stereotypes of Muslims as being crazy to say that crazy people blowing stuff up are Muslim. I agree it's not good for Muslims. I just disagree that the press should be complicit in covering up the fact that it's going on, EVEN IF that damages the reputation of the religion.
And no I don't think it's the government that does it, I think the press ignores it because they don't want to be seen as intolerant. It's all part of the PC movement, where you can't say anything if it might offend somebody.
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| And for the record, I don't think most Muslims agree with the violence, but I think they are scared to death to denounce it because the people doing this stuff really are crazy.
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| No, I'm not saying that and I'm irritated that you are not even trying to see my point. |
| I thought I did see your point, but maybe I didn't. :)
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| Where in this thread did I say that the press should be covering up the fact that they are muslim?
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| I lived 10 years in England. I know what I'm talking about from first-hand experience.
I had no internet in 98 either but enough people did that the Lewinsky story could no longer be buried. |
| You didn't, I thought you were disputing the fact that they were. But they really do carefully avoid mentioning it. They do it with the riots in France all the time as well. And the DC sniper, and it looks very much like we had an "honor killing" in Texas last week, though they haven't confirmed it yet.
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| It was online for 3 days before the Washington Post wrote about it. |
| I don't think the Lewinsky story could have been buried either way since they appointed a special prosecutor over it. Or was he already investigating? It seems like Clinton had someone investigating him the whole time he was in office. (Which I viewed as a complete waste of money by the way.)
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| I see a lot of stories about muslims online, on the news, a lot of places. Most are not positive. |
| I remember watching the riots in the predominantly Arab banlieu near Paris on CNN, it was obvious from the footage none of them were white so the dimwitted reporter decribed them as "African-American." |
| Well to be fair it must be exhausting to have to come up with brand new PC labels for people on the spot like that. She must have not got the memo that the rioting people in France are "youths" regardless of age. |
| The American part was obviously stupid, but from what I'm seeing, that area has a growing populations of African immigrants. Maybe some were there. :P |
Comment deleted at the request of the author.
| Yep the trouble is they refuse to assimilate, and the French just keep giving them whatever they want whenever they throw a temper tantrum. It's not a good situation for anybody, including the immigrants.
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Comment deleted at the request of the author.
Comment deleted at the request of the author.
 | I would say the same probably hold true here also, however, the media loves racism and bigotry, so..... I'll have to check this one out. Thanks partner. |
| Was a really good movie. Also check out "Romper Stomper" if you have not seen that. (Much along the same lines.)
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