Analysis on the Short Film "under"

Hailey Lemos

Introduction to Literature

July 18, 2016

“Under” Analysis

        While watching the short film “Under” I found the film to be quite interesting and kept the viewers’ attention while still wondering what will happen next. The story line being a love story about a city girl named Sydney, who is also an ex- drug addict, who is convinced to journey to a country cabin by her fiancé Tom, so she can clean up her act. The direction, acting and dialogue put you in the shoes of the characters. Not once did I find myself saying “Oh, that would never happen” or “Nobody talks like that!” the film did exactly what it wanted the viewer to feel, to think, and to cry. While on their journey in the beginning, I thought many people could relate to playing silly games or coming up with funny jokes during a long road trip to pass time. Also, the camera angles used while they were trapped under the snow really got the viewers to be able to see what the characters were seeing directly. While the camera angle was down facing Tom, we could see what Sydney was looking at and how crammed the space was that they were in. During the scene when Sydney begins to dig her way out, the camera is facing up looking in Tom’s point of view and seeing the snow falling on him. Also an interesting aspect of the film is how the script writer inspires a character that struggled with substance abuse. This film is all about survival. One can assume a character who struggles with substance abuse would be a great fit for a survival film because if the film is going to end with someone who needs to choose “life” when it really mattes, then they should be coming from a place where they have been choosing “death” up to this point. Which is a great example of a substance abuser.

        Camera angles are very important in this short film because it really captures the viewers’ attention because of how they can relate to the character’s situation. Not only could one feel the characters enclosed, but they could begin to feel it too. When one is so engaged in a scene they can feel as if they feel what the character is feeling. For example, when one is watching a romantic love story and all of a sudden your favorite character dies, you feel your heart break because of that connection you built throughout the previous scenes. Which is how “Under” accomplishes this by using not only the character’s brilliant acting but also their camera angles to make it the viewers see what they are seeing themselves. Another way, short films are such a good way to build the audience’s attention is with the unknowing ending. In the end of “Under” Sydney eventually escapes by digging her way but needing to bury Tom under the snow, who dies. Alone by herself in the cold, Sydney does not know what to do with herself, and we are left wondering what would have happened next. Another aspect of the film I found interesting after watching is the title itself, “Under”. What does the title refer too? Does the title refer to Tom and Sydney being trapped under snow, how Sydney’s’ life has gone completely under with her substance abuse that she needs help, or lastly that by the end of the film Sydney feels her life is under rock bottom because her fiancé is dead, she is stranded, and she can only turn to drugs?