Snow on Saturday

In class we watched the short film 'Snow on Saturday', directed by Imogen Stubbs, about a family recovering after the loss of their wife and mother. I liked the film as it alluded to specific meanings through places and iconic imagery, which was something I was trying to incorporate into my own film through cinematic shots and personal settings. In addition to this I specifically liked the technique of flashbacks to narrate the story and give it structure. As 'Snow on Saturday' defies conventions of film structure by using a flashback as an opening sequence, and also throughout the film to structure the story and the resolution at the end. Which reflected similar ideas to my own short film, therefore I deconstructed the film with particular reference to the use of flashbacks as a structural device.

First we see an establishing shot of stone henge, which is reiterated through close up shots of the stones themselves and there composition. The location is bright and colourful, with a bright blue sky and vivid greenery in addition to the lighting being over contrasted, giving the setting an almost dream like feel. This feeling is carried on as sound bridges of laughter can be heard against close ups of typical family moments, such as the two adults chasing the two young boys and running around, smiling and happy. Whilst the soundtrack is happy and upbeat, connotative of a good time the sound bridges of laughter and echoing whispering seems almost eerie, foreboding that this is a past event. In addition to this there is a repeated image of a toy car being thrown into the air in slow motion, giving it a surreal representation of a dream or climactic moment. An image of the car mid flight is frozen and contrast is used to bring about a fade to black. On which embosses the words 'Snow on Saturday' in a simplistic, children font of thick white against the sheer black. After which a pan allows us to follow a car with the older man and the two younger boys we saw the beginning. The atmosphere changes as colour saturation is drab and the location is grey and boring, unlike our first establishing shot. This offers a contrast between the narrative that is suggestive of some sort of catalyst tragedy has taken place. This is confirmed as a voice over reveals that 'mum died' and 'Jamie stopped talking', which is instantly connotative to feelings of grief that mirror the demure grey background. A cut brings us to a close up of the youngest son, Jamie, in the bath playing a harmonica. The diegetic sound of the harmonica instantly disrupts the peace and quiet of the previous scenes and brings the narrative into sharp focus. Over this we hear the same voice over, who we assume is the eldest son, from the first sequence, mention that since Jamie's failure to talk they 'mustn't undermine his confidence'. Which is instantly undermined as we hear the dad tell Jamie to 'Shut up' from another room and thereby adds tension to our already fractured image we share of the family. Cut to a long shot of the three of them outside, walking to the van, composition depicts them as all being separate with large spaces between them, all intimacy has gone. A cut bring us to a shot over Jamie's teacher's shoulder, showing Mr. Snow in a low angled shot as if he is small and vulnerable. This is reminiscent of a child, with the connotations of the teacher and the ruler he is playing with absent-mindedly, indicating he has regressed since his wife's death. In addition to this his vague interest in the teachers concern indicates that he is not responsible for his children and emotional reserved. The teacher mentions the 'social services' as a indication of this fragmented family structure. Long shot to a Jamie being hurried down a tunnel by his brother pushing his back, the low key lighting indicates that there is no enjoyment left in the time they spend together. Cut brings us to an establishing shot of their living room, it is messy with packets of food everything and general clutter and neglect. The dad seems completely uninterested in his two boys sitting at a table behind him, as shallow focus only depicts the dads vacant expression, focused on what we assume is a TV. Camera cuts to the space in the background where the brother is trying to engage with Jamie. An over the shoulder shot shows Jamie turning in towards his brother, as a sign of closeness, as they talk about the family outing to stone henge we saw at the beginning. Close ups and two shots are used to represent the growing intimacy between them as they recreate stone henge out of toy cars, this appears to be a visual link to the opening sequence. Sound bridging is used, on a close up of Jamie, as dad remarks 'So what' to Jamie's efforts as a representation to the dads indifference to the teachers advice to engage and talk to Jamie. The camera's focus is still on Jamie as we see him break their creation and run out of shot before we hear a door slam and the same monotonous harmonica, representative of wailing, issuing from somewhere else in the flat. The brother appears to tell the dad off for ignoring the teachers advice to engage with Jamie, offering a contrast to who the responsible one is in this fractured dynamic. The dad makes some pitiful excuse to which he sarcastically replies, "Yeah like you'll do it on Saturday" which instantly gives us a link to the title 'snow on Saturday'. A cut to a close up of the table reiterates the visual motif of stone henge, as we see that the boxes have been position to look like the stones and painted grey, like they are trying to recreate their last family outing. Another flashback is then used to that particular outing, using close ups of the rocks in particular, to reiterate this theme. Shots of the family all laughing and playing together contrasts to the life they have now, a sound bridge of laughter is used to suggest that they need this back to be a happily family once more. Cut to a close up of the dad smiling as he seems to appear to have come to a resolution on how to get his family back together, the importance of this moment is also highlighted by the incidental string music. A cut to a scrap yard, indicates that time has progressed and that they are moving on with their life, which is shown through close ups of happy shots of them as a family wandering in and out of the market, displaying intimacy that had previously hadn't existed between them. Furthermore the voice over narration states that the dad is "making an effort" and suggests that his efforts have lots of "energy" and "importance". This connotes a positive change, although we are still left unknowing to what the dad is trying to accomplish in buying all these random things, as the narrator describes "the massive fairy lights were a bit bollocks". An establishing shot of a scrap yard increases the tension as we see the dad draw something on the floor of the scrap yard that we, the audience, and the narrator can't understand. Long, high angled shot of the scarp yard depicts a train passing behind it, to which seems to be a visual reference to the journey that the family has begun to undertake. A cut to another establishing shot of their flat, shows it to be tidy and organized now with the use of high key lighting to help emphasise this change. The dad is fixing something on the floor as he determinedly says 'were not going to be so whatters anymore', which reminds us of what he said to Jamie before. From which we get the impression that dad is trying to make amends for what he did and try and bring his family closer together by joining them again. Cut to a long shot looking down a the tunnel we saw earlier in a low key light so as the family look as though they are silhouetted. The darkness of their forms helps to connote the intimacy between them, as we see Jamie riding in dads bike basket whilst his other son is holding on to dad as he Rollerblades beside them, talking. This isn't contrasts the previous shot of this tunnel where the two boys where rushing and not talking as this time they seem to be enjoying it more and they seem to be closer because of it. Cut to a shot from what appears to be an inside enclosure looking out, this creates a sense of suspense as we aren't sure where they are now. The three of them are huddled together looking inside, don't know at what yet, to reinforce this sense of intimacy. Through their brief dialog we are told that it is 'Saturday' indicating a pivotal point in the narrative as we appear to have reached the event in the title 'Snow on Saturday'. Cut to an establishing shot of a scrap yard before a quick secession of jump cuts between happy scenes of them messing around and having fun that mirror the opening sequence. Happy upbeat music also reiterates this theme of family unity and sense happiness, as the lyrics 'happiness is in your hands' represents the struggle they have recently overcome together. Techniques of slow motion are also used in a long shot of their dad tossing Jamie's into the air, which acts as a visual motif of the car being thrown into the air before the title sequence. In addition to this bright colour saturation is used in a geographical match to the picnic scene on their trip to Stone Henge and the picnic they have recreated with AstroTurf. The bright colours also connote happiness as they are bold and cheerful, but also feel dream like, connotative of the trip to Stone Henge. Cut to a three shot of the three of them standing in front of a car, the dad looks serious indicating this is the purpose of their trip. The shot is at a slight high angle suggesting a need for height, furthermore the higher angle also gives us a closer look at the hook dangling in front of the shot. Jamie is centralised as they begin to talk about the way they should lift the car, whether it should be from the top or bottom. Our attention is kept focused on Jamie despite his faraway look. Then a flashback is used of the toy car being thrown into the air before it freezes and we see it is exhaust is facing up, suggesting this is the way it must be now. A cut back to the present scene shows Jamie in a slightly closer shot indicating a pivotal point. Then Jamie suddenly announces "the exhaust must face down", to which his dad and brother simultaneously turn in towards if in a state of surprised happiness, suggesting that they have overcome the last hurdle of grief as a family. Another quick secession of jump cuts is used as they begin to move the cars and machinery. After which a cut to a close up of a sign reading 'Saturday by Jamie, Tom and Bob Snow' referring back to the title in the same childlike handwriting. A cut then reveals a three shot of them all sitting together in a car, looking up at the moon. Calm harmonica music is playing which contrast to the previous harmonica sound Jamie was playing earlier. The camera begins to zoom out and a voice over who we now learn is Jamie's brother 'Tom' says "if mum was watching I'd want her to know we did something". This seems to represent the theme of the message and a cut to flashback of the mum and Tom blowing bubbles mirrors the last shot we saw and the intimacy that has been restored between them.