Cubs

Cubs

The short film Cubs written and directed by Tom Harper looks into the life of youths. The film won the British Independent Film Award and was nominated for a BAFTA. Various themes and issues are developed throughout the film; Peer pressure, violence and cultural divides. The film follows two main characters who want to become part of a gang they believe is cool.

The film begins with the diegetic sound of shouting and see a group of teenagers playing football. This type of scene may be considered as a normal environment for youths to be in as its common to see them in this behaviour. The fast paced editing and the quick transitions give a sense of high energy atmosphere which could be a reflection on the pent up energy that teenagers have.

We cut to two people sitting on a wall together; these are our primary characters, Ben and Davis. From the way they are sitting and the conversation we hear between the two we understand that there is a relationship of some sort between them and also the gesture of the gloves. The way the character of Davis says that she should have been home ages ago, allows us to assume that the film may have something to do with rebellion and defiance.

From the mise en scene we can see that the film is set in a lower class area, with the graffiti walls and dull grey lighting along with the concrete ground instead of the usual grass pitch. There is a mixture of youths from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds playing together. The diegetic sound is kept natural to give it a sense of verisimilitude.

Our attention is drawn toward a new character, when Ben and Davis jump off the wall saying ‘Hes here.” The way in which they jumped up when the other boy entered the shot, makes it feel as if the two of them are standing to attention. From the reaction the boy receives we can tell he is of some importance and from his clothing we may stereotype that he could belong or be the leader of a gang. As he gets closer the youths who were playing football go quite and run and stand in a line, somewhat like a military exercise, showing the characters high status and authority. The boy walks along the line of teens as if judging them like animals and then selecting someone.

As the boy walks down the line he acknowledges Ben but carries on walking, this doesn’t please Ben as he obviously wants to be picked by him. This reaction is shared by the other youths who haven’t been picked, where as the one who has steps out of the line looking smug and proud of himself. This makes it clear to the audience that being chosen by the boy known as Karl is an honour. When Karl walks away Ben runs after him yelling his name. In frustration Karl answers Ben, but the way the two are positioned in the shot, Karl being higher than Ben commutates that Karl has a high status and more power. Karl agrees to let him and Davis come along and meet him later.

We then cut to a shot of Ben and Davis standing by a metal gate, which looks to be separating them from the gang of youths, bellow them. There is a clear ellipsis of time shown in the darkening of the light but this could also convey the dark atmosphere and situation the two characters are going in to. The use of a high angle shot looking down at the gang of youths communicates that the two characters still have a have a high moral status instead of those bellow them who are obviously up to no good.

When the two characters enter the tunnel full of youths the lighting changes and turns really bright and is lit by fire. The light coming from the fire causes shadows, this type of lighting is chosen for the use of shadows as it shows the dark side to what they are doing, expressing the fact that they aren’t supposed to be doing what they are doing. This is backed up as the group are smoking, drinking and most probably taking drugs, however we may consider this extremely stereotypical as youths are seen as experimental at this age. The fact that most of them are under age and drinking and smoking shows how they are pushing the boundaries and expressing themselves in some of the only ways they can, which is by rebelling against the rules. After the characters stand together looking around them anxiously, Karl enters the scene with two ravening dogs.

When he comes into the scene the chatter of the group dies down and they all look toward Karl like a leader. He then walks over to Ben and hands him a cricket bat, the relationship we saw earlier in the film between Karl and Ben turns cold as he tells him to not fuck up. From the expression of anxiousness on Ben face we can understand that he is starting to feel the pressure.

With the environment that the group are in and the use of a cricket bat we can tell that they are up to no good and violence may be involved. A reason for this thought is that it may be considered ‘normal’ for youths to use cricket bats or baseball bats as weapons. The editorial pace starts to speed up as we get a mixture of close up shots and wide shots of the dogs, of Ben and of the group of youths. The diegetic sound of the teenagers start to get louder and the dogs barking increases and becomes more brutal. This continues, getting the group riled up until Karl shouts and they all start running, like they are charging something. We then change to the non diegetic sound of a present day urban culture music.

Whilst running we notice that they are chasing a fox. The camera follows the chase with multiple tracking and wide shots. They end up cornering the fox and Ben goes to hit it with the cricket bat, however he loses his nerve and the fox gets away. This moment of the film makes the audience think he has a conscience and realises that what he’s doing is actually wrong. This is shortly thought as he walks away from the group then spots the fox again and calls for the attention of the gang. The chase then continues.

The use of the diegetic sounds of dogs barking and the youths shouting give an almost predatory feel to the chase, as they are running after their prey. This makes what they are doing animalistic which dehumanises the youths who are doing it. We are drawn straight back into the chase and we see the dogs from earlier attack the fox, the camera changes to handheld and has very jerky movements showing the chaos of the moment. We hear the sound of the fox in pain which may make the audience uncomfortable as it’s not an action that would be considered morally correct.

Ben is then given a gun by Karl and is ordered to shoot the fox; this is an obvious theme of peer pressure as its clear in the close up shots of Ben’s face that he’s anxious about what he’s doing. This is a moral dilemma for him as the character has to choose between doing the right thing and not killing the fox or shooting the fox to impress the gang.

We get a close up focus pull from the gun to the injured fox on the ground, showing violence and a brutal environment and also building the tension. Like earlier in the film we as an audience begin to feel uncomfortable as we are witnessing firsthand what happens when people hunt foxes and that’s something we usually try to ignore rather than embrace.

After a long period of thinking Ben pulls the trigger and shoots the fox. The volume then increases as we hear the diegetic sound of the gang cheering Ben, which is a form of acceptance. Karl tells Ben that he’s one of them and then smears blood on his cheek as a sign of respect. They then disperse when they hear the sound of sirens and they flee the scene and return to in their original place in the tunnel.

Back in the tunnel the group celebrate what’s just happened but between the two characters of Davis and Ben the relationship has turned cold. From the look of disappointment Davis gave Ben when he shot the fox shows that she doesn’t approve of his actions or the person hes become. While people are celebrating they sit together but instead at the beginning of the film when they talks to each other they are both looking away and not speaking. This shows an emotional separation as the characters have changed.

Davis then gets up places the gloves into Ben’s hands and walks away. This leaves Ben on his own which is a reflection of his current state and the loneliness he’s feeling emotionally due to the guilt. Karl then calls him over to his group while they play with the dead foxes tail, showing no care or concern to just killing an animal. Ben ignores his call and wipes the blood off of his face. In the final shot of the film we see him starring into the camera showing no emotion as we hear the group in the background cheering. The use of him staring directly at the camera is him connecting with the audience.

The films main aspect is the focus on fox hunting, this is very controversial as it bring up the opinions on whether it is right of wrong. However in this film the main question within this theme is the class and status. In the past fox hunting was a popular sport among the upper class, but in this film we are seeing fox hunting from a low class urban group of teenagers. This is extremely unusual as its not what you would expect and not associated with lower class teens. Even with the class and time differences there is still the underlying issue of violence and peer pressure which is tied in throughout the story line.

Soft

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.

Gasman

Lynne Ramsey’s short film Gasman created in 1997 is centred around the lives of Scottish families in the late 1970s during Christmas time. The film won a BAFTA in 1998 and several other awards like the Cannes Jury prize. Lynne then went on to making her first feature film Rat Catcher.
The film follows a Scottish family, as they get ready for a party. The setting of the film is Christmas because of the decorative elements of the mise en scene. The only dialogue we hear between the family, is when they argue or shout at each other. The film continues with the father and his children leaving the house and starting of on their journey down a railway track. After a while the father stops and a woman arrives with two more children. It becomes obvious to the audience that this is the first time the two sets of children have met by the curiosity in the children’s expressions and how the brunette haired girl greets the other girl. The girls become friends and run hand in hand down the railway tracks. The family then arrives at a shabby looking hall with children running around. We see the fathers sitting on a table together drinking and smoking and having nothing to do with their children. The second girl decides to sit on the mans lap. The brunette girl sees this and becomes jealous and tries to get the girl off her dads lap saying repeatedly ‘That’s my daddy’. The other girl fights back saying ‘He’s my daddy’. The brunette girl feeling betrayed and confused continues to argue until a tipsy father pulls them away from each other and leaves the hall with the two sets of children. The family returns to the railway tracks, but what was once happy and hopeful has now become a darker and bleaker atmosphere.
Throughout the film there are representations and themes and issue. An important representation is age, the story revolves around the two young girls, and their reactions to each other and their behavioural patterns are all based around the age of their characters. The fact that they are young means they have an element of curiosity and have the means to explore and question things, which is prominent in this film. If the ages of the girls were to become older then the motives and the reactions of the girl would become more dramatic and more violent.
At the start of the film we see the older boy is playing with sugar and a toy car, using it like snow. This introduces the audience to the time of year that the film is set in and also the imagination and elements of curiosity in the film. In this scene we have a sense of irony, as the white of the snow represents the innocence and purity; which is something that is absent in the situation of the father.
We see vibrant imagination in the scene where we see the young girls legs and the girl tapping her shoes together saying ‘There’s no place like home’, from the film The Wizard Of Oz. As well as showing imagination of young minds this also represents the girls want and idea of an ideal home and family. At this young age family is one of the most important part of a Childs life as the structure of the family shapes the future character of the girl. From seeing this audience feels empathy toward the girl, as we know the father has been cheating and has not been there for his children.
In the film there are themes of neglect, alcoholism, depression and also lack of responsibility. In a later scene we see this themes present when the group of drunken fathers sit together ignoring their children instead of enjoying time with their children and paying them attention. This short scene shows the lack of responsibility and the neglect of the children as well as the introduction of alcoholism. Making the children’s needs second to their own happiness.
Regional identity is another factor in the film as it reflects the working class situation of the family. The accents of the characters indicate their Scottish nationality. Through close ups of the house we see that its quite shabby and then the shots of the railway tracks relates to the industrial era which was home to working class people. Many people would recognise that in the past there has been economic issues within northern areas such as Scotland. Using the railway tracks we have a symbol of industrial revolution, which creates a link to the economic climate. The tracks could also represent the space between the two families and the fact that we never see the end of the tracks could be interpreted as a long ongoing journey.

In this next scene we get a feeling of nostalgia. The shot with the father and his daughter on his back is the centre of the audience attention, because of the pinhole effect the camera is using. This is an old style technique, so it blends in well with the time period of the film and also does the main objective of having the relationship between the father and daughter as a main focus. Behind the characters in the shot we see the Glasgow skyline, the lighting is clear and bright. This is the only moment of the film that is positive. The reason for this is that so far we have seen issues of a depressive nature such as poverty or social alienation, so seeing this bright skyline makes you think that Glasgow isn’t all terrible and that only people of a lower class or status is being represented in this film.
We see a father and daughter moment between the characters as she is on his back and he is carrying her. The scene shows that the father does care about his daughter although sometimes in the film he doesn’t seem that bothered about his children.
The father then moves out of the frame and we seen both his son and daughter alone on the tracks, the children look as if they have been stranded and is a symbolic meaning that the father is not always there for the children. The scene then changes to a slow motion shot of the girl stepping into the line of the camera and looking at the scene in front of her. The expression of the girl is that something is dawning on her and that she is seeing something new to her that she doesn’t quite understand.
The two children see another two children who are unfamiliar to them. The girl insults the other girl by calling her a ‘tramp’. This suggests to the audience that there is a rivalry between them that could be related to siblings. There is a reverse shot between the two young girls as if they are eyeing each other up. The girl we have been watching throughout the scene has an expression of distain where as the newest young girl has an expression of shyness, this difference shows that there is a minor rivalry between the two girls.
We see close up shots between the father and the other woman in the scene, which is the first time there is a close up shot that is to do with his character and another. The director has done this to show that the man has his entire focus and attention on someone, which is a first in the film so far for him. The expression on his face is pained and troubled as if he is dealing with some emotional conflict inside of him. For the second time in this film we see a slow motion shot of the father reaching out to touch the woman’s hair in a tender gesture. The camera angle goes from a close up shot to an extreme close up shot of the mans fingers and the strand of her hair that slips away from his fingers. The reaction the woman has to this is a rejection to the man and it is backed up by the expression of distain and bitterness on the woman’s face and the sombre expression the man wears. The sequence of these shots between the close up and extreme close up build up a higher intensity and more importance between the characters. The fact that the woman pulls away when he tries to touch her makes it seem as if she is out of reach and goes with a reoccurring theme of wanting what you cant have. The rejection and awkwardness of this scene could be a symbolism of their relationship.
After what happens between the two adults we go back to a shot of the young girl standing and watching what’s happened. There is symmetry between this shot and the one just before we meet the others as the girl still looks lost in thought and is taking in all that has happened. The father then turns and walks along the tracks with all four children in tow. The young girl (the protagonist) runs after her father as to assume number one position with him, leaving the others behind them both. The gesture of the young girl running after her dad shows she has adoration for the man and wants his attention for herself and to stay as ‘daddy’s little girl’.
The girl then pulls back to talk to the other girl, she asks her questions about who she is and if that was her mother, to the audience this could be seen as harmless talk between the two girls but could also be perceived as trying to get information from the other girl to figure out why she’s here or if she is in anyway a challenge to her number one position. Whilst this is going on the two boys in the background start playing and messing about, this could be a stereotypical representation of boys of a young age as they just get on with the situation and try and enjoy themselves.
When the girls are walking along the train tracks together there is a high angle shot directed at the girls legs and feet, in this we see the hem of the dresses which look delicate and the choice of costume that the dress is white highlights on the idea of innocence within a young child. The hand holding of the girls in this part of the film shows happiness and the innocence of the two girls, but later on in the film this changes. This scene could be considered as ‘the calm before the storm’. By this point the audience click onto the fact that the two girls are in fact sisters and that there is a potential in this shot that the two could get along and have a good relationship with each other. The diegetic sound of laughter and joy and to the effect of happiness and relate to the idea that ‘ignorance is bliss’, as the two character get along best in this part of the film than anywhere else.
The father and the four children enter social club where there is a Christmas party going on. The father enters first followed by the two girls, who look excited then the two boys walk sluggishly into the room separately as if they would rather not be in the situation they are in right now. This tells the audience that the boys have knowledge about what’s to come, whereas the two girls have no knowledge, which relates to the situation they are all in.
There is a panning shot of the father with a pint of beer walking towards his friends with his back towards the camera and his children, showing no wanted interest in them. An issue within this short film is endemic poverty. There is a thought that the drinking culture among people is an aspect of endemic poverty and they both go hand in hand. The saying ‘drinking away your sorrows’ is relatable to this type of environment and situation, as the man has issues of marriage, children and poverty to deal with, which are his troubles that he tries to deal with in the film. But when we see that he is happy when he has alcohol and his friends the idea that the drink helps with his problems is right for this scene.
As the night goes on we see a medium wide shot of the mans son sitting in a big armchair alone. The armchair is so big that it makes him seem very small in comparison, the chair is pushed of into the corner of the shot, showing the level of importance he has with his father. On the other side of the shot we see a cheap and scrawny Christmas tree, this reflects the poverty situation the people in this social environment go through. We see the two girls dancing together and enjoying themselves, blissfully unaware that they are related. The next shot shows a close up focused shot of the mans face looking lost in thought, from this we understand that he knows the family situation. The behaviours of the man shows that he’s miserable about the truth, whereas the two girls are happy and excited even though they don’t know the truth of everything. This is seen as dramatic irony.

There is a continuation of the possible stereotypical representation of young boys, especially when they become bored and start throwing food around the place. Favouritism and the difficulty of giving both children attention comes across clear when we see the young girl dancing with a Father Christmas. In the background of this shot we see the other girl standing alone looking lost. We get candid shots and angles of the people in the social club, the style the director has done lets the audience know that the situation is going from order to chaos. The dancing between Father Christmas and the young girl continues and becomes in some way inappropriate. However the film was set in the 1970s when there wasn’t such a taboo or classification on what is deemed appropriate and inappropriate, giving a sense of verisimilitude to the film. So this part of the film can give off conflicting reactions toward what is going on depending on how you view it.
In the background we see the boys fighting with each other, showing the starting of out of control behaviour. There is a similarity between the behaviour of the fighting boys and the drunken behaviour of men, letting the audience see how the social environment the children are brought up in has an affect on how they act.
Jealousy plays an important part in the film. We see this when the youngest girl is starring at the dad and his daughter from a distance; this shows a longing to be involved in their closeness, bringing out the feeling of jealousy toward the people.
The camera changes to handheld at this point of the film and does various sweeping motions around the room. Most of the shots are off balance and in slow motion, indicating that the people in the room have become heavily intoxicated. The mess that the room is in reflects the social situation that these people are living in and how easy it is for chaos to start and for events to go wrong.
The father in the scene turns around in a nonchalant motion as if the surrounding events don’t bother him and is normal behaviour. The audience then sees that the social norms of this class of people are widely different to the normal behaviour of other societies, highlighting the major differences.
The scene swaps around when we see the girl who was standing alone watching her father, comes to sit on the dads lap. The girl who was originally sitting with her dad sees this situation. There is a slow motion shot of the girl starring at her father and the girl in recognition of what is happening in the situation. This is a moment of symmetry in the film between her first shot of recognition and her new shot of recognition, showing that she’s put the pieces together and now sees what’s really going on. The editing then changes to quick cutting, which relates to the feeling of aggression and loss of control that is going through the little girls mind. The two girls continue to fight with each other, creating a growing distance between the two of them. There’s desperation in the brunette girls voice, which is aimed at the father. The father doesn’t reply to the girl’s pleas, instead he reaches for a cigarette and is disappointed when it’s empty. The empty packet is a symbol of the fathers hopeless situation and no way of getting comfort.
The family then leaves the shabby hall and ventures into the darkness, there is a sense of irony as the characters are holding hands and walking together showing solidarity, where as we as an audience no that this is not to be the case and that the family is really falling apart.
A metaphorical idea is shown through the close up images of the girls hands. Earlier in the film the girls are holding hands in a friendly way. This is then contrasted when they start fighting and their hands become clawed. The hands are then clasped together in a vicious way showing that there is no chance of reconciliation between the two girls and also a loss of innocence. The father separates the girls and each grab onto one of his hands; this shows the story and their feelings toward each other.
They head of into the darkness shrouded by fog, showing the confusion and difficulty of the situation the father has gotten into. When the two children split and go in different directions we see lighter paths in the distance, showing that when they are all together there is only pain and sadness but apart there is a slim chance of happiness.
As the mother and the two children walk away into the distance, the brunette girl stops walking with her father and brother and turns to face the backs of the retreating figures, out of anger she picks up a rock; just like her brother did earlier in the film. The difference in this part is that instead of throwing the rock like her brother did, she instead drops it and walks away. This action shows maturity in the young girls character, and we see that as a person she has grown.
This is quite a harsh short film, which deals with the mundane aspects of life.