'9 Meter' follows the story of a young man whose mother is terminally ill in hospital. He believes that whenever he breaks his long jump record his mother's health improves. Therefore he is willing to go to extreme lengths to break each record.
Narrative
This story conforms to many conventions of the coming of age genre. The main protagonist is a teenager, most likely between the age of 15-18 years old. He is also experiencing the illness of a family member, another prominent theme in this genre. The story also features many conventional locations and settings, for example hospitals, city environments and public sports facilities are all common locations in the coming of age genre.
Character Representation
Daniel is presented as a naive, yet caring young man. His lack of maturity is a key feature in this film, as he continues to run away from his problems in favour of childish superstitions. Although there is no real resolution at the end of this film, the theme of 'coming if age' still stands as we follow him in his attempts to deal with such a difficult and emotional situation.
At 0.32 we are given an insight into Daniel's determined character. In this scene he prepares for his jump. Two close up shots are used in this scene to show the controlled movements of both his feet and hands, suggesting that he is in complete focus.
Mis En Scene
For the entirety of this short film, Daniel wears the the same red sports wear. This may suggest that the film is taking place over only a few days and during this time, Daniel has not stopped in his pursuit to jump 9 meters. The colour red also connotes love and passion; love for his mother and an undying passion to make her well again. His friend also wears the same grey jumper in every scene. This may suggest his stability as a character, as he is always there for Daniel to rely on.
Sound
Diegetic sound is used throughout the film. In many scenes there is no background ambience, which in turn allows the diegetic sounds of the scene to remain prominent. For example, the first scenes with his mother in the hospital have an uncomfortable atmosphere. Along with the one sided conversation he is having with his unconscious mother, there is the constant beeping of a life support machine, thus making it clear to the viewer that she is very ill. However in other scenes music is often used to emphasise Daniel's determination to break a new record. For example at 2.15 Daniel's friend gives him new inspiration. Following this conversation, we see a new spark of hope for Daniel, which is further backed up by the up beat music that begins playing in the background. The effect of this is that it translates Daniel's new found ambition onto the audience as they too begin to feel that there could be a happy ending to this story. This type of music is used again when Daniel attempts his second jump in the film (5.20). This provides a similar effect as the audience is willing him to make the jump.
Camera
A variety of shots are used in this film, often for the purpose of conveying the tone of a situation that Daniel is in. Some examples of these shots are:
This is the first shot of the film, following the opening titles (0.08). This long shot establishes the setting of the film; a city. It also provides us with an insight into the character of Daniel. In this shot he appears to be lost in thought as the world passes by below him. This suggests that he feels both isolated and lonely as he appears to have no connection with what is going on around him.
POV shots are also used throughout the film. These shots tend to correspond with Daniel planning his next jump. By using these shots, the audience is provided with an insight into Daniel's mind before he outright explains his plans. This therefore provides a stronger sense of foreboding as we are unsure for a time of how far he will go.
This shot is also used to create a sense of unease within the audience. It is a long shot showing the pit that Daniel intends to jump over. He throws a can into the pit thus reflecting the danger he is putting himself in, as the hole appears to be never ending. This shot further enforces the desperation of Daniel to make his mother well again.
Once again a sense of unease it created within the audience, with the use this shot (7.08). This is an extreme long shot which reflects the extreme situation that Daniel as put himself in, in order to jump further. This not only makes the audience dread the jump, as he has put himself in a very dangerous situation, but also creates sympathy for the character as his desperation to save his mum is evident.
Editing
Water (director), appears to have adopted a minimalistic approach to the editing of this film. Simple cuts have been used in favour of complex sequences. From 9.30 onwards, when Daniel decides to jump 7 meters again, a quick series of cuts are used. This is an interesting sequence as it reflects the intense emotions that the character is feeling in that moment. For example, in a display of anger he kicks a bag off of the roof, the scene then cuts to the bag landing on the floor below and a concerned man looking up to see what is happening.
Conclusion
Overall, I believe there are manly elements of this film that I can look towards for inspiration. The use of camera in this film is effective in conveying the story and this is something that I will need to do in my own film. The shifts in tone and mis en scene to reflect the mood of the scene was effective in conveying the storyline and therefore is something that I will look towards when planning the shots for my own short film. I also like the fact that this film stands within the coming of age genre, yet there is no resolution at the end. I therefore feel that there is room within this genre to have an interesting plot line that does not necessarily follow Todorov's theory of equilibrium.
This film tells a story of hope and desperation. Daniel, the main protagonist, is learning to cope with the fact that his mother is terminally ill. His method for surviving this sad time is to hold onto childish superstitions. He believes that every time he breaks his long jump record, his mother gains strength, however this is not true. This is a coming of age drama as it tells a story of a young man having to deal with an adult issue, and having to grow out of childish superstitions to face a horrible truth; however he never does. It is for this reason, the film does not follow Todorov's equilibrium theory. The film begins with disequilibrium, which is never truly solved at the end. We are left with a cliff hanger as, in one last desperate act, Daniel attempts to jump 9 meters, in order to save his mother's life.
The telling of this narrative is split equally between dialogue, sound, camera and editing. All of these elements are used to split the narrative in half. There are two major plot lines in this film: Daniel's long jumping and his mum's illness. Thus reflecting the problems he faces and also how he intends to deal with them.
Character Representation
Daniel is presented as a naive, yet caring young man. His lack of maturity is a key feature in this film, as he continues to run away from his problems in favour of childish superstitions. Although there is no real resolution at the end of this film, the theme of 'coming if age' still stands as we follow him in his attempts to deal with such a difficult and emotional situation.
At 0.32 we are given an insight into Daniel's determined character. In this scene he prepares for his jump. Two close up shots are used in this scene to show the controlled movements of both his feet and hands, suggesting that he is in complete focus.
The music also fades away in the scene, thus further enforcing Daniel's concentration during this moment. Upon his landing, a sound bridge is used to link his jump with his mother's life support machine. Therefore, from the very beginning, the key features of the narrative are introduced to the audience, and the real reasons for Daniel's complete concentration are revealed; he is trying to save his dying mother. Thus, from the start, Daniel's caring nature is conveyed to the audience.
In the next scene, with Daniel sitting beside his mother's hospital bed, a high angle shot is used to express their vulnerability. This shot conveys not only his mother's fragile physical state, but also his weak emotional state. Thus, this introduces further layers to his character within the opening scenes of this short film.
The film is also interspersed with conversations between Daniel and his younger friend. His friend offers him advice and thus acts as his support system. This character type is another common feature of the coming of age genre. It also suggests that Daniel is a lonely character, seeking support from those around him during this difficult time.
For the entirety of this short film, Daniel wears the the same red sports wear. This may suggest that the film is taking place over only a few days and during this time, Daniel has not stopped in his pursuit to jump 9 meters. The colour red also connotes love and passion; love for his mother and an undying passion to make her well again. His friend also wears the same grey jumper in every scene. This may suggest his stability as a character, as he is always there for Daniel to rely on.
The locations in this film are also very conventional of the coming of age genre. The characters live in a city, and often visit locations such as hospitals and family homes, both of which are common within the genre. There is also a distinct difference in tone between the hospital and other locations. In these scenes the room appears dull and dreary, thus conveying the emotions of Daniel when he is with his mother. His mother also wears white during these scenes, thus suggesting her purity and vulnerability.
Diegetic sound is used throughout the film. In many scenes there is no background ambience, which in turn allows the diegetic sounds of the scene to remain prominent. For example, the first scenes with his mother in the hospital have an uncomfortable atmosphere. Along with the one sided conversation he is having with his unconscious mother, there is the constant beeping of a life support machine, thus making it clear to the viewer that she is very ill. However in other scenes music is often used to emphasise Daniel's determination to break a new record. For example at 2.15 Daniel's friend gives him new inspiration. Following this conversation, we see a new spark of hope for Daniel, which is further backed up by the up beat music that begins playing in the background. The effect of this is that it translates Daniel's new found ambition onto the audience as they too begin to feel that there could be a happy ending to this story. This type of music is used again when Daniel attempts his second jump in the film (5.20). This provides a similar effect as the audience is willing him to make the jump.
Camera
A variety of shots are used in this film, often for the purpose of conveying the tone of a situation that Daniel is in. Some examples of these shots are:
POV shots are also used throughout the film. These shots tend to correspond with Daniel planning his next jump. By using these shots, the audience is provided with an insight into Daniel's mind before he outright explains his plans. This therefore provides a stronger sense of foreboding as we are unsure for a time of how far he will go.
This shot is also used to create a sense of unease within the audience. It is a long shot showing the pit that Daniel intends to jump over. He throws a can into the pit thus reflecting the danger he is putting himself in, as the hole appears to be never ending. This shot further enforces the desperation of Daniel to make his mother well again.
Once again a sense of unease it created within the audience, with the use this shot (7.08). This is an extreme long shot which reflects the extreme situation that Daniel as put himself in, in order to jump further. This not only makes the audience dread the jump, as he has put himself in a very dangerous situation, but also creates sympathy for the character as his desperation to save his mum is evident.
Editing
Water (director), appears to have adopted a minimalistic approach to the editing of this film. Simple cuts have been used in favour of complex sequences. From 9.30 onwards, when Daniel decides to jump 7 meters again, a quick series of cuts are used. This is an interesting sequence as it reflects the intense emotions that the character is feeling in that moment. For example, in a display of anger he kicks a bag off of the roof, the scene then cuts to the bag landing on the floor below and a concerned man looking up to see what is happening.
Before Daniel decides to jump back, there is moment of calm where the same shot is held for 10 seconds. Then there is a sudden change as he turns and runs to jump back to the other building. A series of quick cuts then begin, showing a varying range of shots and angles, thus making the scene more intense for the audience.
Conclusion
Overall, I believe there are manly elements of this film that I can look towards for inspiration. The use of camera in this film is effective in conveying the story and this is something that I will need to do in my own film. The shifts in tone and mis en scene to reflect the mood of the scene was effective in conveying the storyline and therefore is something that I will look towards when planning the shots for my own short film. I also like the fact that this film stands within the coming of age genre, yet there is no resolution at the end. I therefore feel that there is room within this genre to have an interesting plot line that does not necessarily follow Todorov's theory of equilibrium.
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