1. How successful have your chosen texts been?
This is England was no blockbuster, in fact it took a very modest sum of money –
responses to this question are obviously dependent on how you define ‘success’.
In your answer, refer to a variety and don’t just list a bunch of facts – discuss the
implications of the successes that you discuss.
Things to write about...
Things to consider...
• Commercial/Financial success (compared to production budget)
• The role of the UKFC in getting it funded and how the film raised the
profile of this body
• Critical Reviews
• Audience responses (was the preferred reading met)
• Raising profile of stars/director/issues/genre
• Awards
• Spin-Offs and influence on other texts
This is England was made on a shoestring and managed to make a profit. Not many films actually
do this – you can begin by discussing how relative and subjective the word success is.
Make sure you know how the film was funded and helped through the UKFC – has the high
profile success of the film helped them? What are the implications of the Film Council being
closed?
The film has some very specific messages, some are political, some are thematic – does it
succeed in getting these messages across? Consider both critical reviews and audience
responses.
The film did win lots of awards – don’t just list these awards but discuss the implications they
have, particularly regarding the actors and the director – and the spin off TV series.