The title tells us that the film is
going to be set in a school, which is supported by the by the way it is written
in chalk, with a mixture of capitals and lowercases, they themselves a
depiction of the journey the protagonist faces. The protagonist appears as a
troubled child, he does not talk and seems to be distant from the class in a
more unusual way than that of a new student. His story is slowly revealed
through flashbacks – he no longer knows how to trust anyone (after he witnessed
the father he idolized being shot) which is inferred by his uptight and stiff
posture. The opening over-the-shoulder blurred shot and subsequent out-of-focus
shots infer that the children are nameless face in the crowd and the shadowy,
grey mise-en-scene reflect the lack of joy and pleasure in learning. This
setting is deliberately juxtaposed with that of the protagonist’s (Joseph’s)
previous school, where everything is bold and brightly coloured and the
flashbacks balanced with the music depict a happy and relaxed atmosphere. The
constant change between the settings makes the silent alien sounds and bleak
reality of Joseph’s new school more evident. There are various shots that
depict Joseph’s loneliness, for example the slow pan in the playground around
the different groups within the hierarchal structure emphasise his place as an
outsider. The music when Joseph is putting on his coat also tells the story and
thus supports the visual – it starts off aldante, as it reaches its climax it
becomes a slower adagio and agitato becoming restless. The ending is
beautifully constructed with the shot of the of the three boys smiling in unity
which stays in the audience’s mind and leaves this upbeat message from a
seemingly bleak narrative.
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