Filmic Pulp

So I know a girl who had to write an essay for film class. And she did a really good job–a job that I wish I could do more consistently on here. I really liked the essay, so I’m going to post it in lieu of me writing a shitty review. Enjoy it.

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Entertainingly dysfunctional would be the best way to describe the Berkman family from the movie The Squid and the Whale. This dark comedy is one of my favorite films because I can see my family in the movie’s characters. While having a broken family can be painful at times, this movie also presents the humor of things, such as parents trying to keep up appearances and the odd ways children cope with the situation. Though this is only an eighty minute film, the strong use of mise en scene, cinematography, editing, and sound make this a very dense and powerful picture.

The first element of film that the viewer notices is the sound. As the movie begins, the viewer can only see the title of the movie on the screen, but they can hear the sound of people playing tennis and a young boy, Frank, saying, “Mom and me versus you and dad.” These opening sounds essentially set up the main conflicts of the film. Tennis is an important factor because it is often seen as a snobby sport played mostly by upper class, well respected people. This is exactly what Bernard wants his two sons to be, even though it’s not what they want. Frank’s statement sets up the second conflict of the film, which is that Walt, Frank’s brother, always sides with Bernard in arguments while Frank takes his mother’s side. The problem with this is that Bernard has brainwashed Walt into believing everything he believes.

As the movie continues, the soundtrack remains pertinent to the film‘s conflicts. There are many scenes where the characters are arguing, screaming, and cussing at each other. The best example of this would be about ten minutes into the film when Joan and Bernard start fighting. Their screams can be heard in the background as the film cuts back and forth between Walt laying at the edge of the stairs, trying to listen, and Frank in bed, covering his head with a pillow. Even though the kids cannot actually see their parents fighting, just the sound of it is enough to affect them.

Another important thing I noticed about the film’s soundtrack is the fact that music does not play a very important role, as it does in most movies. For the first twenty minutes of the film, only instrumental music is used that can usually only be faintly heard. Through out the rest of the movie, music is used sparingly and usually only has humming, not actual lyrics. In my opinion, I think the film would be just as strong without music because the actors do a great job in letting the viewer know how they should feel about certain situations, and the music is not needed to influence the viewer’s emotions. The only scene that is an exception to this is the final scene when Walt is at the Museum of Natural History, looking at the squid and the whale exhibit. The music has a triumphant feel to it and makes the viewer feel cheerful because Walt has finally escaped his father’s grip. Without the music, I think the ending would feel a bit unfinished and unresolved. Instead of leaving the viewer feeling pleased, it would probably leave them feeling angry and perhaps confused as to why Walt left his father at the hospital.

The second element of film noticed during the movie is the editing. While the film maintains continuity and does not use jump cuts, the editing is still noticeable because the movie contains many cuts. In the first scene alone, which is only a minute long, there are twenty four cuts. This fast-paced cutting continues thorough out the entire movie, and is probably one of the reasons why the film is so short.
The majority of the cuts that make up the film are shot/reaction shot cuts. The most powerful of these cuts, in my opinion, occurs about eleven minutes into the movie. Bernard and Joan have gathered Walt and Frank together for a family meeting. As Bernard is trying to tell his kids that he and his wife are separating, the film cuts to a close up of Franks face. In this shot, the viewer can see Frank’s face begin to quiver and eyes begin to well up with tears. This is an extremely important cut in the movie because the viewer begins to empathize with the kids and dislike the parents.

There was only one cut in the entire movie that I thought to be a little out of the ordinary. It occurs three and a half minutes into the movie as Bernard is folding up the couch. The camera zooms into the couch and the shot becomes blurry, then there is a match cut which is a blurry close up of the sidewalk that zooms out and becomes clear. This is the only moment of editing in the entire film in which a normal viewer would notice it because of the blurring.

The next element of film that I noticed was the mise en scene. About two minutes into the film the action moves to inside the Berkman house where the viewer notices the very dull and muted colors of the décor. This may suggest the parents’ fading relationship that they have given up on. Another noticeable thing about the house is the cluttered and full bookshelves. Through out the movie, Joan and Bernard fight over who gets the books when they separate. Naturally, Bernard thinks he should have them, but Joan hides them one night while Bernard is sleeping. In my opinion, I believe the books represent success, and Joan stealing the books could be a metaphor for Joan stealing Bernard’s literary success and taking the spotlight.

Later, when Bernard moves across town into his own house, the mise en scene reflects the current state of his life. The viewer notices the paint and wall paper peeling off the walls. It almost looks as if the house is falling apart, as his marriage and relationship with his children are also falling apart. Bernard also has very little furniture in his house, suggesting that this divorce has stripped his life of many things he used to have, such as success.

Another symbolic thing I noticed about the mise en scene was the colors red and pink being associated with Sophie, Walt’s girlfriend. About twenty minutes into the film both the viewer and Walt are introduced to Sophie, who is wearing a red sweater. It is obvious that Walt is sexually attracted to her. The next time the viewer sees Sophie, she is wearing a pink sweater, and she and Walt are in her pink room. In this scene, Walt is not interested in having sex with Sophie, only innocent kissing. But as the movie progresses, Walt’s feelings change. He begins to only want to have sex with Sophie, not a relationship. This is reflected in Sophie’s wardrobe. In every scene Sophie is carrying a red purse, which is symbolic of passion and sex, but not necessarily love.

The final element of film I noticed was the cinematography. The entire movie is filmed at an eye level angle with a medium shot camera distance, which makes for a more realistic feel for the viewer. The film also appears to be shot with a handled camera during some points because it gets a bit shaky. An example of this would be the opening scene where the family is playing tennis. The camera follows the characters and the tennis ball as they both move across the court. This creates a sense of action, but it is also a bit bouncy and shaky. The reason for this may not be intentional, but perhaps because of the fact that this is an “indie” film, and the director probably did not have enough money to buy an expensive steadicam.

The most notable component of the cinematography in this film was the lighting. There are two significant scenes that come to mind when thinking about the lighting. The first scene occurs about forty five minutes into the movie, when Bernard and Lili, his student, are having dinner in Bernard’s dinning room. In this scene, the entire room seems to have a red tint to it, and the lamp shade over Lili’s head seems to cast an even deeper red aura around her. Obviously the fact the Lili appears to be radiating red is a metaphor of her radiating sex. It is very apparent that Bernard is only interested in sleeping with her.

The second scene in which the lighting is very prominent is the very last scene of the movie where Walt is in the museum looking at the squid and the whale exhibit. The entire frame is filled with a soft, blue tint that makes it appear as if the exhibit itself is shining a blue light on to Walt’s face. Like the color red, the color blue is also very symbolic. In this scene, the blue suggests a calm and relaxing state, which Walt feels after escaping the control of his father.

While all four of the elements of film are significant in making The Squid and the Whale a great movie, there is one element that I believe stands out above the rest: sound. The dialogue in this film is very well written, and the actors show a lot of emotion in their voices. The viewer grows to despise Bernard’s character not because of his actions, but because of his words. The soundtrack also lends a hand in creating a humorous effect in an otherwise sad situation. For example, hearing a twelve year old call his father “ass man” and other derogatory terms is funny and makes light of a difficult situation.

Overall, I think The Squid and the Whale is an excellent film. Although there are many films that explore families being torn apart, this film approaches the issue from a different angle. The Squid and the Whale takes a comedic approach in dealing with a broken family and avoids being overly dramatic and too sentimental about the situation, making for a realistic and enjoyable film.