Colette Kingston Martin 10802 NEA Evaluation

‘Crystalline creations of precise, prismatic intensity’ is Gareth Evans’ definition of a short film. They
involve the realisation of one idea, with less focus on the background of each character. The
filmmaker often has more creative freedom, meaning that short films can be associated with
‘alternative’ film, due to technical and narrative experimentation.

In short, ‘Mother’ depicts a tense environment, where our protagonist is awaiting her unpredictable,
possibly dangerous mother’s visit, to meet Dorothy, her new friend. However, the protagonist is an
unreliable narrator and we see that Dorothy is one of her many dolls in a twist at the end. There is
an ambiguous ending, after we see the doll turn to look at the camera. The name Dorothy was
chosen as it can be shortened to Dolly. The title sequence features a small animation, of a music-box
horse spinning, working as a symbol which appears later on and creates a creepy tone. The film has a
simple, one word title. Others I tried did not have the same subtlety and ambiguity. It also
immediately suggests the mother is a significant, dangerous character. It was inspired by ‘Operator’,
a short-film portraying the intense experience of working in a call centre, by Caroline Bartleet. The
title leaves the character nameless, as her personal identity is not what’s important.

Graham Burton states that genres are ‘created through a process of repetition and recognition
leading to anticipation and expectation’. ‘Mother’ is a ‘Psychological thriller’. Pre-production
inspiration came from the car sequence in ‘Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?’ by Robert Aldrich,
the mysterious ‘mother’ in ‘Psycho’ by Alfred Hitchcock, and David Lynch’s expressionistic visuals. ‘…
Baby Jane’ also inspired the striking visual binary-opposition of the blonde vs brunette of Mother
and daughter. Considering there is no violence, ‘Mother’ does not completely conform to ‘thriller’
conventions, but suspense and uncertainty, which are present, are driving forces of the genre.

In particular, this uncertainty is due to ‘Mother’s’ cold, bleak aesthetic. Aesthetic is the film’s look
and feel. The green/blue colour grading stops the viewer from finding comfort in the flat.

Likewise, ‘Slap’ (Nick Rowland, 2015) has a drab

aesthetic, portraying Connor’s unsatisfaction, due to
the masculine, conservative values in the society he
lives in. ‘Slap’s’ greyness contrasts with moments of
bright colour, such as the red when he is boxing,
showing passion. Comparably, in ‘Mother’, I edited
the red to be isolated and bright, especially on
Mother’s accessories, symbolising danger and
warning. In ‘The Ellington Kid’(TEK) (Dan Sully, 2012),
the cold colour grade, portraying memory and fear,
contrasts with the red blood.
Colette Kingston Martin 10802 NEA Evaluation

Furthermore, the chronological narrative in ‘Mother’ is crucial in building the suspense. The editing
is inspired by ‘TEK’, which cross-cuts between two boys in a kebab shop, and their story of a boy who
was stabbed. ‘Mother’ also has two parallel narratives, creating two cases of dramatic irony. The
audience know what is being said about Mother, but she is oblivious. The audience are also aware
how close Mother is throughout, making us more and more fearful for the protagonist. Continuity
editing is also used, to immerse viewers in the dialogue and world according to the protagonist.
However, the more we cross-cut, the more expressionistic the editing becomes. For example, the
superimposition of Dorothy’s watch and Mother walking highlights the time passing and the ticking
emulates Mother’s footsteps. Later, the editing breaks the 180 degree rule, disorientating the
viewer, and losing a sense of ‘reality’.

After the twist, the editing pace slows and the camera lingers on the moving doll, similar to the last
shot in ‘TEK’. Both films make us doubt whether the character’s story is so unreliable after all, acting
as a double twist and open ending.

The film roughly conforms to Todorov’s three act structure. The first act is our introduction to the
characters through the perspective of the protagonist, with slower paced edits, creating
verisimilitude. The close-ups and naturalistic monologue align us with the protagonist, so that we
believe what she says about Mother.

Dorothy’s face is mostly shown from the angle of the protagonist, as we only see the version of
Dorothy she sees. One sequence where this was done creatively is when a doll in the foreground
obstructs our view of Dorothy. Rack focus is used, as the protagonist in the background pulls focus,
disorientating the viewer and hinting the truth of who she is talking to. If I refilmed, I would always
show Dorothy from the POV of the protagonist, making the hint even more powerful.

The second act is where disequilibrium is created, after she acknowledges

Mother is almost there. After a location recce, I knew the flat would
achieve suspense, as the isolation from the real world elicits the feel of
entrapment. The view causes spatial continuity, as we see the same sky-
scrapers from Mother’s car and from the balcony, meaning the viewer
knows Mother is on her way there. Diegetic sound includes the ticking
clock motif, loud buzzers and doors slamming, which immerse the audience
Colette Kingston Martin 10802 NEA Evaluation

in the environment and keep them on edge. Mother’s impatience, such as frantically pressing the lift
button, support the protagonist’s description of her.

The non-diegetic score is Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ from ‘The Nutcracker’, a
ballet about a girl who’s new toy comes to life. The sugar plum fairy is said to be symbolic of
childhood dreams, which the protagonist seems to be lost in, as a form of regression. The music is
edited to increase suspense. The music in the apartment should feel sharp and high-pitched like a
music box, whereas, Mother’s music feels dark and obscured.

The climax in act three is when Mother walks through the door and sees the doll, supported by the
frantic score and door creaking. Our new equilibrium is reality as Mother sees it. However, the
audience should not feel restored to mental balance, due to the unsettling, open end, so equilibrium
is not fully restored.

Natural lighting did propose challenges. Initially, I filmed in a warm light. However, refilming on a
more grey day created a more sombre and uneasy mood. One sequence with expressionistic lighting
is a close-up of Dorothy’s profile in a captivating silhouette. This was heavily inspired by ‘Operator’,
when her profile is shown Infront of a computer screen emitting blue light which reflects on her face.

Toying with Propp’s spheres of action, each character roughly fits a trope; hero, villain and ‘princess’,
but at the end we realise they are far more ambiguous. While not conforming to the ‘male gaze’, we
do watch through the eyes of someone influenced by societal ideals, shown by the Vogue magazines
on the table and the Playboy plates on the wall. In ‘Echo’, Lewis Arnold, 2011, the protagonist is
lying, but we deduce that there is an underlying truth; perhaps her dad really did die. In ‘Mother’,
she says ‘You’re just the kind of daughter she would want’, hinting she feels there are conditions to
her mother’s love. ‘Mother’ deals with femininity, as ‘Slap’ deals with the expectations of
Colette Kingston Martin 10802 NEA Evaluation

masculinity. Dolls are placed around the room, and the colour and style to Dorothy’s costume is
similar to theirs, hinting she is one of many in a big collection. Dorothy’s performance is subtle but a
crucial hint. Her first head turn is mechanical and inhuman. Later, her blink is accompanied by a
single ticking sound, showing her as artificial.

Art works were considered, due to the girl’s preoccupation with

appearance. Paintings further away from the girls do not pull
the gaze, due to their simplicity. One painting, by Jo Bruton, is a
red and white spiral, based on a cheerleader pompom, another
cliché of femininity. The painting above Dorothy is by Dan
Coombes, mirroring her rigid position. Pink is associated with
femininity and prettiness and the silhouetted figure symbolises
her ambiguity and lack of identity. Splashes of red in the room
remind us of the danger approaching.

As a result of the ambiguity and hints, the film encourages an

active audience. When screening the film, viewers made
comments about Dorothy’s character, saying something
‘doesn’t feel right’, with one individual guessing Dorothy is a
doll. Although the ending should be a shock, I was pleased that
viewers picked up on hints and searched for answers while
watching it. ‘Mother’ has no male representation, as I wanted
an oversaturation in unrealistic femininity. The recognition of
female relationships and symbols may mean the film attracts a
more female audience.

Therefore, I believe I was able to create an unsettling, ambiguous atmosphere, similar to that of
‘Echo’. I feel the visuals are especially strong, with the setting, expressionistic use of colour, inspired
by slap, and captivating shot compositions, inspired by Operator. I felt less confident with the editing
and sound but feel the jarring diegetic sound was significantly powerful in creating the suspenseful
atmosphere. Overall, I feel parallel narratives, most comparable to ‘The Ellington Kid’, keep the
audience engaged and gradually increase suspense.

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