Textual Analysis of a

professionally-made short
film:

Textual Analysis of a
professionally-made short film

Storyline
The Big Shave is a 6-minute short film created in the year
1967, directed by Martin Scorsese and alternatively known as
Viet 67. Peter Bernuth stars as the only main character in the
short, and is seen repeatedly shaving away his facial hair and
then his skin, resulting in an extremely bloody and graphic
bathroom scene. Many critics have interpreted the mans
process of self-mutilation as a metaphor for the United States
self-destructive involvement in the Vietnam War.

Conventions
Setting: Bathroom realistic location, scenes which most people see every day, easily
relate to
Props: Soap, sink and razor classic pieces of equipment used when shaving, use of
fake blood emphasise injury
Camera shots/angles: Vary, appropriate mixture of close ups to show facial expressions,
body movement and significant objects
Lighting: high-key, very white adds element of a surgical scene
Sound: Music used appropriately to create tension and build suspense for the
audience
Casting: Can be taken in two ways: if the character is not supposed to show pain, then
the acting can be seen as very effective by showing although the American
Government continued to send troops out to Vietnam and caused many deaths, they
themselves were not affected. However, if the character's reaction is supposed to be
realistic then the acting is very poor as the main character shows no pain through
shaving his skin and does not even wince, not a confident performance

Positives and Negatives

Positives

Negatives

Good use of special effects to

emphasise use of blood
Graphic imagery used to enforce
the message behind the creation
of the short
Editing is effective and relevant
to the image
Music is used appropriately to
add to the uneasy atmosphere

Without knowing context to the

creation of the short, audience
may feel confused over the
purpose of the film
Character seems immune to
pain, if this is not deliberate, the
acting is not very realistic

Notes for my own short film

Ensure the music is relevant to the storyline and the clips within the
short
Use certain camera angles to ensure the best effect for the audience
Edit the footage so the meaning is apparent to the audience
Ensure that the message behind the short is clear to the audience