Short Film Media Essay

We begin with a film from Alicia Duffy - The Most Beautiful Man In The World. A year after its release the film won three awards from international film festivals. These were from Chicago, Hamburg and London. One interesting fact about the film is that the main character, a little girl named Lacey was played by two different actors who are twins.

After watching the film with a keen eye, I was able to establish a clear set of themes which the film constructs in various different ways. One of which I find most interesting is the theme of 'Saftey or Danger' - this has been constructed through proxemics and props. The first instance of this is a wooden fence which stands between Lacey and the outside street. This is almost like the first line of defence keeping Lacey from danger whilst also being a danger itself. How can a fence be perceived as a danger? Take a look at the shape of the fence - it almost looks as if it is a wall of spikes. This representation is perfect for portraying the theme of 'safety or danger'. In addition to this, we could also consider the beautiful man a danger but at the same time a form of safety for Lacey, after all, he does remove a bug from her shoulder and shows a level of care for her dog but he can also be contemplated that he could be a very dangerous person - if we viewed the situation from our society which frowns upon older men being kind to young girls. In addition to this, we cannot forget that this is a young girl, alone, away from anyone she knows. Sound familiar? How about we link the film to a tragic event in society - such as the disappearance of Madeleine Mccann - the event where a girl was left alone without protection due to the lack of her parent's supervision and later went missing due to this. A child should always need protecting but at the same time needs to investigate and explore for themselves in order to develop feelings of wonder. Thus our society is stuck in a cycle where we are constantly trying to find a balance.

Moving onto issues which are implied by the production,

I find that neglect and boundaries are the two most emphasised by the short. The issue with the boundaries is that it can be difficult to determine when the limits go too far; for example, some would say that just passing the 'spiked' fence is too far - Lacey is supposedly out of her depth way before the film had even got to the half way point, but we know this not to be true. In fact, the majority of viewers will have different opinions on where the boundaries were broken. Due to this, we all begin to question where it was that Lacey should have stopped which thus, in turn, provides us with the depth and detail required for this to have a deep impact on the audience; challenging how they perceive things and raising our awareness to such issues. On the flip side, we find the issue of neglect which could be understood to be the complete opposite of boundaries. A parent who neglects their child will not enforce boundaries leading to the child being able to roam free to explore which doesn't sound so bad however with most things there is always a risk. In this case,  the lack of attention given to Lacey means that she grows very bored very fast thus kicking in her drive to explore and re ignite her mind with new and wonderful things. some would say that the neglect of a child can force them to almost be inspired due to the shock when they are finally coaxed out of this shell however in the situation of the film, Lacey forces her self out of this shell which her mother built around her, as well as surpassing all obstacles in her way only to be called back inside where she is soon back to a similar state that she was in at the start of the film. When the mother called Lacey back in, she could have used that moment to realise that her child is begging for some sort of differentiation to her life but decides to ignore it leaving the film with a rounded and cyclical end but with a bewildered audience.

About a Girl is a nine-minute short film directed by Brian Percival. Released in 2001, the film won a BAFTA award the same year for 'best short'. The short is about an unnamed girl who speaks to the camera as if there is actually someone there, similar to a documentary (although she could potentially be narrating her own life.) As the film progresses we learn more and more about the girl, her likes, her friends, her family along with one other rather dark secret which she keeps away from her mother and only tells the audience at the end.  Key themes include nature vs nurture and class & status. Whilst the most predominant key issues include neglect, isolation and young pregnancy.

Class & status can be represented in a number of different ways such as the environment which surrounds the main character, the way the character speaks and reacts with other people and much more.  The main dominating elements which provide us with the knowledge that our protagonist is a lower class are; her environment and her language. At the start, we are shown a typical estate where it is established that she lives - stereotypically speaking the majority of people who live on an estate are of a lower class and this enforced by a number of other elements such as her costume - a puff jacket along with long hair.  Continuing with the developing element of the environment,  as our protagonist walks down a canal carrying a plastic bag we begin to notice that her surrounding is beginning to deteriorate - perhaps to represent her life?  The fact that the surroundings have been neglected is shown through codes such as graffiti, debris in the canal and along the pathway.

The issues of this film are similar to those of other short films which I have analysed; this is because these films are all classified under the genre of social realism which offers viewers like us a sneak peek into the lives of others which have been made ultra realistic by its directors due to their decisions to select such life like issues and themes.  Child pregnancy is no joke and without a doubt, a very serious issue with today's society; and this darkness is emphasised by this film with its ending. As we know, the protagonist is walking along the side of the canal, informing the audience with details of her life. As she reaches her destination she tosses the carrier bag (which she has been holding for the majority of the film) and tosses it into the canal along with all the other litter. An underwater camera then reveals to us that inside the bag was, in fact, a dead baby. Our society believes such stereotypical things about the lower class -  that they like to drink a lot, they are very rude, and that some have 'teenage pregnancies' due to their lack of care.  It is this lack of care which we believe the protagonist is feeling and thus we are left with an audience with rather mixed emotions. Should we empathise or criticize the protagonist for her actions? Or do we simply not care and feel nothing as this is what we expect from someone of a lower class?

Gasman, released in 1998, was directed by Lynne Ramsay who is arguably one of the best social realism directors. Within months of its release, the film had won five awards including the Scottish BAFTA. It is unclear where the film takes place, however, the film is set around Christmas which is an event which almost everyone can relate to, thus already reeling in the audience for a story told through the eyes of a little girl. Note that the little girls mum is, in fact, the director her self, this shows true dedication to the film, however, we do not see her actual face in the film due to a reflection on the window which she is looking out of. Key themes would yet again be class & status along with the issues of neglect and the challenges of growing up.

During the start of the film, we hear a well-known Christmas song which as mentioned before, fills us with a kind of familiarity as it is something we can all relate to. Another key thing to mention during the introduction to the film is that we are not shown any of the characters faces. This was chosen by Ramsay in order to inject a level of intrigue into us so that we would continue watching. Directors each have their own way of keeping their audience interested and this is how Ramsay does it, through showing us the actions of the characters but leaving out their faces so we are left a little bemused as we cannot completely feel as if we are on the same level as the characters. Class & Status is one of the biggest and most common themes for a social realism director to focus on, and they each have their own way of representing it in the world which they have built. In Ramsay's case, she represents the theme through props and setting - an example being the boy who is playing with a toy car in some sugar. A child playing with a toy car is nothing out of the ordinary, however, we can begin to question why is he playing with it near the sugar? Is it meant to represent snow? This would make sense since the film is set during the season of winter however the boy then proceeds to get sugar inside of the car. This would be a nightmare for a child who cares for their toys as it would be near impossible to get back out so does this show a level of carelessness in the boy?  The reason why this was brought up is that we are yet to question why the sugar is even spilt over the work surface. Did he pour it over? Has it just been left there because the mother is so busy sorting out all of the others for their evening out? This additionally raises an interesting and unexpected issue; could the fact that the children and the father going out - leaving the mother at home be a sign of patriarchy? Potentially.

Along with this potential issue, we are also left to decipher how the issue of neglect is represented throughout of the film. The majority of the time, the neglect is through the children however it is possible that the neglect could also be linked to the father drinking so much around his children - knowing he will have to take them home. To start us off, as the children and father enter the pub where the Christmas party is being held, the father holds the door for his daughter, however, he lets go, letting it slam, into his son as he is about to walk in. This lack of respect is rather unusual, especially since if we believe that the family live in a society of patriarchy.

Soft (2006) is a very likeable, satisfying film whilst at the same time, a very gritty and truthful documentary about life.  It begins by showing its setting, a time where "happy slapping" was all the craze. We see a boy getting slapped numerous times before the films cuts to a man pulling up outside his house and walking in. We are introduced to him and his son who we realise is the boy from the start of the film. The father walks down to the shops to go and get some milk, it s at this point the film plays on a very different tone. The sun is out, the birds are out - it is a very idealistic moment where it seems nothing could go wrong...  Theme wise I would say that the main theme is gang intimidation whilst the key issue the film focuses around would be the fear of confrontation.

Gangs have to be a growing issue with our society, they bring danger and violence and are always linked to lower class. In addition to this link, they also stereotypically wear cheap outfits such as track suits and wear gold chains. Some people, such as our main character here aren't looking for a fight or anything; all they want is to get on with their lives. Their brash actions are what brings hate upon them thus making them stronger and more likely to pick on such innocent people. We know this gang is one of the more stereotypical kind as it is depicted through their costume. The gang leader wears a full, white tracksuit along with a chain and a cap which he wears at a slight angle. The other members wear dark clothes which helps us to determine which is their leader.

No one really likes an unnecessary confrontation. And that is exactly what gangs use to their advantage. In this case, the gang spot an innocent man and decide to toy with him before resorting to violence; such as popping a balloon in order to scare him as he enters the store. It is made clear that the father really dislikes confrontation through his emotions, the way he speaks and the way he reacts to things the gang do. When the gang follow him home and begin to deface his car, his son asks him what they should do. Being a fatherly figure he should show his son how to deal with such people however his fear gets the better of him and replies merely saying "just pay them no attention, they'll go eventually". Something that a typical scared person would say. Even his own son later realises this fear and calls his father a coward. This ignites his father's fury which is almost immediately extinguished as he is met with the gang in the street.  Some people would agree with the fathers fear as even they would be unsure of what to do in that situation; so it just goes to show how life like social realism films can be.

Two cars One Night was released in 2004 and has won over 10 awards, and is personally my favourite film out of all of those I have analysed. It is highly realistic and plays out a very unusual story which almost no one would ever come up with or had ever seen before as it is just something a bored child would do.  Although the film was released in 2004, I believe the film was set between the 50s and 60s. I was able to determine this through the car in which Polly arrives in. I believe it to be similar to a mustang around that era; in addition to this, the fact that the film was shot in black and white also gave me an idea that the film is set a few decades ago. The main theme of the film I would definitely say is young love.

The films' description even says "first love can be found in the most unusual places, such as a car park" which immediately gives us an indication that the main character, Romeo, and Polly definitely like each other but won't admit it obviously since they are kids. Admitting love is something even adults can struggle with hence why he finds other ways of saying it. In this case, through the ring which Polly owns. In addition to the description, there is a slight nod that the film is about young love since our main characters' name is in fact, Romeo. A name is known globally for being linked to a very romantic person. Personally, I could not find any issues which the film highlights on.

I do air (2009) started as I expected it to start. A girl who I assumed was afraid of going underwater and having to hold her breath. But then I got to the locker room scene and everything changed. The room wasn't filled with water, however, the girl was holding her breath and then begins to float around the room. The dreamlike moment is broken when a group of women walk in, disrupting the girl's thoughts. The girl then later sees two professional swimmers and jumps in with them only to have conquered her fear. This is, again, one of those films which I find has no issues, only themes which we can all relate to - this being fear.

Her fear is made clear as she stands atop a diving board and is hesitant about jumping in. As she climbs down two boys make a comment which leaves our main character feeling worse and almost small. To emphasise on how she feels, the girl walks through a group of ladies who have just finished swimming and the height difference definitely shows us just how insignificant she feels. We all have fears but conquering them is what makes us great and we almost feel that greatness just from watching this short film.

Finally on our list of short films is September. Believed to be released in 2009 this BAFTA award winning production is probably one of the most emotional films I have ever seen. Emotional in the way that I almost felt as if I was the main character, feeling everything the Main character could. The way I described it was that this isn't a film. It is an experience, one where you are made to feel what our character feels as if you are in complete synchronisation with him. Yet again, no issues with the film only one theme - Loss of a loved one. The majority of us have experienced losing a loved one however as the narrator continues and comments "how you will never see her again" it is made clear that this was definitely someone very close to his heart. Perhaps a wife or someone he was engaged to. Thinking about how Milgrom gives us ideas about how to make good films, she recommends to us that we link our film to an event in order to provide something which almost anyone in the audience can link to. This provides the film with a way of having the audience connect on a very close level; September takes this concept to a whole new level and uses the theme of death to reel in its audience. And once that audience member is reeled in they are in for a metaphorical punch to the stomach - The harsh reality of life... and death.