Andrea Arnold wrote and directed a short film called "Wasp." It was released in 2003 and she won 8 awards including an Oscar for Wasp in the short film category and went on to produce 3 feature films: Red Road, Morvan Caller and Fishtank. Short films don't have to be profound as they just show a little slice of life.
Wasp:
Wasp:
Throughout the film, there are many aspects that connote danger on the children and emphasises their vulnerability. One of these aspects is the low key lighting which creates a dark and spooky atmosphere, which indicates danger. This is used when the children are left outside the pub on their own as this is a dangerous act. Also during this scene there is diegetic sound of traffic which indicates danger as it makes it clear to the audience there is a risk of the children getting run over. Other aspects of danger throughout the film are the dog that approaches the children, crossing over the motorway, the mouldy bread and their bad diet/malnourishment. The lighting and the set pieces in locations such as the pub and the estate provides a sense of realism which allows us to place ourselves in the action. Point of view shots are used often throughout the film from the children's perspective which makes the audience able to feel their vulnerability. The fact that a lot of the shots are hand held and are quite shaky brings a sense of realism to the piece and makes the film like a documentary.
The film may be called "Wasp" because the Mother, Zoe, is like a wasp. This is because wasps are good for nothing and their worth is questionable, when challenged and provoked they lash out and sting unconcerned about the consequences. When Zoe gets aggravated by someone e.g her children she hurts them in some way (by shouting at them.) Also she seems to not regret when she hurts people, like how a wasp doesn't regret stinging because they both do it over again. Also when there is a wasp in the flat she sets it free, just like she becomes free when she goes out as she says she hadn't been out in a while, like she is relating to it. However another view is that society could be the wasp and it is putting the Mother at danger. for example the fact that she is poor puts her at danger because she cant fund for herself or her children. Also leaving her children alone could lead to them being took by social services.
Class and status is highly represented throughout the film. The family are from a lower class and this is connoted in a few ways. Firstly one of the first shots is a close up of the Mother's feet when shes walking down the stairs. She has no shoes on which shows she is poor. Also the estate they live in is very run down and shabby looking which further connotes poverty and low class. She cannot afford the drinks in the pub and food for her children. Low class is also shown by their suburban London accent.
The fact that the way the Mother is treating her children is considered wrong in the film shows that British society has changed and parenting has become more strict and children have more rights than in the past and are more protected. In modern society their are laws and helplines such as the NSPCC which protect children from harm such as abuse from family and poor living conditions. Also the idea of parenting and childhood has changed. For example in the past parents would let their children roam the streets alone and smoking was considered acceptable. Nowadays parents are more strict over what they allow their children to do and this is mainly due to the media publishing information about things like road safety and kidnappers. So when parents go against these norms they are considered a bad parent, like the Mother in Wasp. She allows her children to roam the streets alone at night, and are exposed to environments such as the pub which should be considered part of the adult world. Furthermore the fact she doesn't feed her children goes against their rights.
Todorov developed a Narrative Theory which states that most story lines follow the same pattern or path. There are 5 steps:
1. Equilibrium - the first part of the story will display a happy start, where the majority of characters are content and everything is as it should be.
2. Disturbance of equilibrium - the second part of the story will feature a problem that will disrupt the happiness.
3. Recognition of disturbance - everyone realizes there is a problem and it is chaos.
4. Attempt to repair damage - characters try to restore the problem.
5. Re-installment of equilibrium - final part of the plot where problem is resolved and normality can resume again.
There are ethical issues when using children as actors. If the children are really young then they will not be able to consent fully to being in the film. Even though their parents will have had to have consented, that still isn't consent off the person actually acting in the film. Also an issue is the fact that children will be exposed to explicits such as swearing and sex which isn't appropriate for their age groups.
Legendary British directors such as Mike Leigh and Ken Loach have developed a very different style of film-making and acting to the conventional Hollywood film led by a script where the actor learns it and steps up to the mark when necessary. These British directors ask more from the actors in a collaborative approach where there is much improvisation. This is a risky method of film-making but can arguably lead to more raw and authentic performances.
