Soft
The film Soft was written and directed by Simon Ellis in 2006 was part of the Cinema 16 DVD. It was nominated for several awards and won the British Independent Film Award for Best Short Film.
The film begins with simple black and white titles, alongside the diegetic sound of male voices shouting. We then see a bunch of teenagers running down an alley screaming, the use of school uniforms as costumes tells the audience the age of the characters and their status as school children. The camera used in this scene is from a mobile phone, we can see this through the pixalated images, the lower quality in sound and the shaky camera movement. With the running of the teens, the shaky camera movement and the constant yelling there is a sense of urgency and angst which may be stereotypical behaviour for that specific age group. As we get closer we see a group of boys that are stereotypical known as Chavs. The ring leader, a boy in a white track suite is an example of a lot of stereotypical connotations. The use of his track suite tells us he is from a lower class and the fact that he is not wearing a uniform could lead us to the idea of a lack of education. The fact that the track suite is white is ironic as white is seen as a colour of purity and innocence, which does not go with his behaviour in the scene.
Through the mobile phone camera we see a boy in a white track suite is beating another boy, from this view it is clear that this form of violence is entertaining to most people as they are recording the scene and also cheering him on. This form of behaviour is common in todays society among teenagers as most of these videos will get put onto internet sites for others to view. The screen then turns to black which signifies the end of that scene.
A high angled shot of a quiet residential street full of middle class house and cars is the next scene we see, taking us to a new location and environment. Compared to the scene before this is a very calm and peaceful environment. From the looks of the cars it is an area with a higher social class. There is a very naturalistic feel to this scene as it uses diegetic sound of birds and naturalistic lighting. We then see a male adult get out of a car from this clothing of a shirt and tie we can tell he has a higher status. As the man enters the house we switch to another high angle shot, but this time from the top of the stairs looking down on the man entering. We hear the thudding sound of loud music and see a pair of legs wearing jeans and trainers. From the style of music and the jeans we can assume that the character is a teenager. When the man enters the house the boy quickly runs out of shot. There is an obvious relationship between the man and the boy on the stairs because when the man enters he shouts for him to move his bag, this comes across as a parental ‘nag’, so we assume that the relationship they have is father and son. However the fact that we only see the bottom half of the boy and that he ran out of shot when his father entered conveys that he is hiding something.
The man goes through to the kitchen and begins the process of making a cup of tea, but he realises he is out of milk so he calls for his son to go get some. However the boys response to this request is turning his music up, this is a symbol of teenage angst, the fact that he is ignoring his parent is an expression of his feelings at this moment in time of frustration. The man then decides to get the milk himself, as he leaves we get our first full length shot of him. From the earlier point of him being middle class from the area he lives in, it is backed up by attire of a shirt and tie. From the work of Mead and Williamson the use of the man’s ties is a symbolisation of the sort of person he is, as we can chose how we want others to see us through our representation, the character may want to be seen as a successful business man. Using a tracking shot the camera follows the man on his journey to the shop. We again hear the diegetic sound of birds setting a peaceful and calm environment at this moment in time.
We then cut to the gang of youths from earlier; the camera has changed to that of a camera phone, representing youth culture. The group are standing outside of a corner shop beat-boxing using a traffic cone. This scene could tell us that there is no stimulation for the youths in this environment, meaning they resort to making their own entertainment by doing things they shouldn’t be doing.
We continuously cut back and forth between the man walking to the shops and the group of teenagers at the shop. The use of these quick cuts combined with the difference in sound and camera build tension within the film but also an ellipsis of time. Also the use of the parallel editing suggests that the man and the gang are going to meet and from the different behaviours there may be a confrontational scene. The youths are jumping out at passersby’s whilst filming their reactions and using language related to the youth culture they are in.
When the man eventually arrives at the shop we see the group of youths, however for the first time they are seen on a normal celluloid film instead of the camera phone. Like with other passersby they harass the man by popping a balloon to see his reaction; however unlike others the man sarcastically laughs back trying to show a higher status above the gang by showing he’s not afraid of them. When the man enters the shop we see the gang of youths peering in at the window, as if waiting from him to exit, this builds tension to the audience as it’s like an animal selecting its prey.
When the man exits the shop, the boy in the white track suite appears in the doorway clearly antagonising him. He then moves away after being asked to and as they stand outside of the shop the camera changes back to the camera phone style. This could mean a change in status as the camera style is a representation of the youths and the fact that the man is now in the territory of the youths. The boy in the white track suite confronts the man again making him drop the milk, as the man bends down to pick it up the boy kicks him in the face and then spits on him. The group around cheers the boy on showing that this type of behaviour is normal for these teens, showing the cultural differences between the group of youths and the middle class man. The clothing and behaviour of the two shows a social divide in the community which could be related to age as well.
The man gets up and walks quickly away from the group showing no retaliation. In a celebration of what just happened the boy in the track suite starts to do the robot. The camera then switches back to the celluloid camera and follows the man on his journey back to the house using a tracking shot extremely similar to the earlier journey to the shop. There is a multiple use of close-ups and wide shots of the man walking showing his reactions and feelings toward what just happened to him. The wide shot of the man walking reveals the gang of teens following him closely. The quick cuts and the loud thumping of a heartbeat convey the worry the man is feeling. The fact that he wipes sweat away and continuously looks behind his at the group adds to the anxiety and tension. When the man enters his house the gang are still around and take up position outside. The man stands in the hallway and breathes heavily; he looks in the mirror and tries to compose himself, as if nothing has happened.
The boy we assume is his son is in the kitchen making a cup of tea, this is the first time we see the father and son interact but also the first time we see the boy. This is when we realise that the son is the boy who was getting beaten up at the beginning of the film by the boy in the white track suite. The fact that the father and the son have been antagonised by the same person is important in the story line. The son is trying to confide in his father about his injuries when the boy notices his father has similar injuries. In noticing this the father at first is concerned by the sons split lip and then starts giving advice about how he should stick up for himself more. Which is ironic as the man did not stick up for himself when he was attacked by the teenager.
When the pair go through into the front room, the boy notices the gang outside the window, the boy panics slightly and tells his father it was them who attacked him. From the close up expression on the fathers face we can see that he is scared of the group of teens outside, which is a reflection of the fear his son has of them. The fact that the camera stays focused on the two of them shows the growing worry the two are feeling.
In an attempt to calm down the father ignores the group outside and sits down on the sofa, taking his son with him. This is interrupted when the group outside start throwing stones at the window. The son stands up quickly demanding that his father do something about it. The fact that the boy is standing and the father is sitting shows a change in status, but when the father makes him sit down again the level of status goes back to normal. Using a fast cut, we see the group outside throwing more stones at the window and we then cut back to the two characters inside of the house. The boy then jumps up again clearly full of adrenaline from what’s happening outside. However the father again restrains him and tells him to just sit down.
This continues, as the gang continue to throw more stones, yell and even jump on the car setting off the alarm. The father and son still battle over what to do, building tension with the audience. The son finally stands up and confronts his father asking if he’s scared of them. The father reacts to this by saying no; obviously trying not to look weak in front of his son even though we as an audience know he is scared of the youths. After the sons accusations of fear the father stands up and prepares to go outside and face the gang.
As he begins to go outside he loosens his tie and walks to the door the editing of the scene changes, to a slow pace and the sound begins to echo and drift off. This shows the fear the man feels and the hesitation he has when thinking about confronting the youths. However the son sees his fathers hesitation and begins to push him aside and heads for the door himself.
The father seeing this swallows his fear makes sure his son stays in the house and he goes out and faces the gang. This is significant as this is one of the only parts in the film where we see the father full filling his parental roll in caring for his son’s safety.
As the father walks out toward the youths we cut back to the mobile phone camera, showing how he has entered their territory and that he has a lower status. The father hesitantly approaches the group and asks for them to go. In refusing the group start to harass him again.
However this is cut short as the son comes rushing out of the house with a cricket bat in hand, going in the direction of his father he holds the bat as a weapon and starts to swing it at the youths. In his anger he hits the boy in the white track suite in the head continuously. In the middle of this the camera goes back to normal conveying the dominance that the boy has at this moment in time. As he swings the bat again the rest of the teenagers start to run off clearly scared of him.
In this we see the boy standing up for himself by using violence to show his dominance, whether its the right thing or not is not a concern the boy as he is getting his revenge on the group.
When the street is empty we cut back to the father standing in shock at what his son has just done. The son turns and goes to pass the bat to his father but instead of letting him have it he drops it on the ground in front of him, showing his defiance and his loss of respect for his father. He then storms into the house and slams the door showing that he has turned his back on his father.
The film then ends with a high angle aerial shot of the street much like the one from earlier, however this time the street is completely empty. It’s not until the father goes back into the house and switches off the car alarm that the diegetic sound of dogs barking starts and people appear in the street, coming out of hiding. This gives a sense of appearance versus reality as the street comes across as calm and having a high social class, but in reality there is a divide in social class which is shown in the darkness of the community.
The film explores the divisions in social class in relation to age and the cultural environment. The use of confrontational scenes shows the different behaviour patterns of the two, as the father rediscovers his fear of youths and confrontation.
