Release Date: 9 September 2005
Brief Synopsis:
Unjustly expelled from Harvard when a stash of cocaine is found in his possession, Matt moves to London to live with his sister and her husband Steve. He is quickly introduced to Steve's chirpy, cock-sure younger brother Pete. Initially, Pete is reluctant to get acquainted with Matt and allow him to tread around the capital city with him because he may be seen by others as an 'outsider', but after a heavy drinking session with him and his mates he quickly changes his opinion of him. On the way back from a football match, Matt is viciously accosted by a gang of Birmingham City thugs, until Pete and his friends step in and save him. It is from here that Matt learns the truth about Pete and his friends- they are football hooligans, operating the GSE (Green Street Elite) 'firm.' Initially afraid of the violence, Matt soon ends up becoming as desensitized to it as his new found friends - but as events roll on, suspicion, shocking revelations and unsettled scores combine to a devastating climax where London's most fierce football rivals - Millwall and West Ham United - are set to go head to head.
Analysis of Opening Minutes:
We get an idea of the location of the film through the very first sound you hear, you hear this before you see any shots and the sound helps to locate the audience as they can hear a rush of trains, and a station announcer through the speakers. Next there is an establishing shot of a train station, and a group or `Mob Gang` and then it changes to them getting into a big fight with another gang, which links to football hooligans and there `firms` which are gangs of fans who roam around the country looking for fights. There is strong language right from the start, which sets out the idea of the film going to be coarse and hard hitting. Then we get a change in location as the focus moves to America where the audience see a lovely river with two rowers on and a beautiful building, which is a clear juxtaposition from London, then we meet one of the main characters and see how he has to move to London, which leaves the audience wondering how he will come from a very posh background, to an extremely poor and tough background in the rundown parts of London. There is match-on-match action which all links together with a seamless flow, making it easy for the audience to follow. We can see the clear contrast in personalities of the Americans and the English, as the American man is very arrogant thinking he has ultimate power and rules over everyone else, he thinks he can get them to do what they want. The narrative is mostly chanting, which links bag to the football fan background. To sum up the opening is a very strong one, which jumps straight into the fast paced action of the film, and gives the audience a very clear view of what the film will be about.
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