Back in the 70s, something special was happening. No, I don’t mean platform shoes. I mean the punk movement. It was a period of upheaval, a sort of hyper teenage rebellion, a sort of romanticising of anarchy in the hope of affecting something, anything. And I missed it all, too busy being unborn. Yet the records remain, from the three-cord thumps of the Ramones, to the social-minded reggae inspired Clash, and beyond.

But how did punk affect film? Well, sometimes I wonder if it did. There’s no punk movies as such. Wikipedia has a list, but they are mostly documentaries, or films coming from a much later period. 24 Hour Party People has so far been the best attempt to bring punk and new wave to the cinema, for it not only charted the music (by focussing on three bands from Manchester), but it was also playful and angry with its narrative style. I had a lot of high hopes for This is England, a story set in the early 80s, about a group of punks. And fortunately, despite some flaws the film is one of the strongest dramas I’ve seen all year.

The plot focuses on a young lad called Shaun, who gets bullied, often the jest aimed at his father who died in the ongoing Falklands war. Shaun gets involved in a group of punks, led by the charismatic Woody. Only, the real charisma is in Woody’s brother, Combo, just released from prison. His aim is to unite punks in a effort to strengthen the National Front, a far-right political party bordering on fascism. Considering one of the main members of Woody’s gang is Milky, a young black man, obviously tension arises.

Director Shane Meadows is the understated king of English drama. He made the excellent Twenty Four Seven, and more recently, the dark and violent Dead Man’s Shoes, his first film for experimental film company Warp Films (an offshoot of Warp, the electronic music label). And while This is England is far from experimental, it’s thoroughly engaging.

This comes mainly from the performances. Lead actor Thomas Turgoose is only 15, but he manages to dominate the screen, far more than any other child actor I’ve seen. He is helped by Meadow’s method of directing. The lines are natural enough to sound ad-libbed (and I believe many were), but like some ad-lobbing attempts, they don’t ramble on for ages. The films manages to be both realistic and direct, a combination difficult to achieve. The other great performance comes from Stephen Graham as Combo. He manages to be charming (especially in convincing Shaun to join him), convincing, and the ability to maintain a presence of violence and rage without having to bat an eyelid.

The story is really about Shaun’s entry into this violent world, where he feels he can vent his rage, while also being accepted. Combo acts as his father-figure, but eventually Shaun feels conflicted when tension rises between Combo and Milky. In the Sunday Times in the UK a while back, the film was criticised for looking back at this racist period, when the real concern in modern times is terrorism. Thinking about it, This is England still feels relevant, for it does create parallels between another group of people, this time defined by religion, who are now receiving unfair mistrust by many. The only problem I do have with the film is that it does attempt to explain Combo’s racism through his lack of family (he resents Milky for having a large, happy family), which is a slightly simplistic view. Sadly, racism is more than pent-up self-loathing.

Another issue I have with the film is its use of music. Plenty of scenes feature punk and ska, defining the times, and there’s a great scene where Milky and Combo pour over a soul record, highlighting the irony of the National Front punks, considering that their tastes stem from foreign sounds. Even the film’s title refers to a Clash song. But whenever we see scenes of Shaun’s naval gazing, they’re usually classical music or gentle tunes from modern band Gravenherst. Punk and post-punk were passionate genres, and I felt as if the film was somehow demoting them as unemotional. Even the closing tune is a cover of a Smiths song, not the original.

However, this is a minor problem with a film that is overall excellent. Strong performances, a harrowing tale that rings true, and a satisfying portrayal of two sides of punk (the Neo-Nazis and the ones who just embraced the style), make this film worth checking out.

This is England is out in the USA on July 27th. If you’re in Ireland or the UK, you’ve missed it, so just rent it.