9 Minutes | Directed by Brian Percival | Social Realist Drama | 2001
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| 'About A Girl' |
This short film directed by
Brian Percival in 2001 adopts a fractured narrative structure as a method of
aligning spectators with the focal character of the plot; a thirteen year old
girl who goes unnamed for the entire nine minutes of the movie's duration.
Throughout the film the audience witnesses the protagonist delivering a
dramatic monologue about her life; with witty remarks and light-hearted jokes
about her family being carefully intertwined with the leit-motif of the Britney
Spears' song' 'Stronger' and clips of her happily interacting with her friends
- all of which work to construct a deceptive foreground made to conceal the
intense and uncomfortable nature of the situation she is actually in. With
subtle references to key themes such as domestic violence, material
deprivation, poverty and family troubles hinted at through seemingly innocent
memories and symbols such as her favourite ice cream flavour and her naivety in
wanting to become a famous singer, 'About A Girl' successfully conveys the difficulties
of growing up in a poor and disadvantaged community as well as the bleak
outcomes of doing so.
The genre of this short film works to enforce the comments being
made to the supposed underclass of society; those who are unemployed and seek
support from the state in order to maintain their lifestyle, with the social
realist elements of the short film being most notably reflected in the
depiction of social class - a concept that all audiences are able to easily
recognise and, upon watching the film, question. It can be said, however, that
the stereotypical approach within the portrayal of this underclass in society
only works to allow spectators to sympathise with the main character more -
putting forth the idea that her predicament within the movie is not as a
result of her deviancy or desire, but more as a consequence of her lack of
appropriate role models and the social oppression she has experienced. This
idea is further supported by the way in which she remains nameless; placing
perspective upon the events that unfold to highlight the overwhelming scale of
the issues explored - this young girl could be any young girl in the UK and
that is what makes the messages of the short film so poignant. Her problems and
experiences, despite how awful they are, could belong to anybody;
thus making her a rounded and relatable focal point of study for spectators to
consider.
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| 'About A Girl' |
Even the utilisation of the
protagonists clothing, as well as the careful hair and make-up choices that
have been implemented, help to portray her character as one of complete
cultural repression. The jacket that she wears throughout the short film is neutral
in colour, making her almost indistinguishable from the destitute urban streets
in which the narrative unfolds, with her cliché image matching that which is
commonly associated with youth delinquents on council estates. It can also be
inferred that this jacket is a symbol of her furtive nature and silent
compliance to the trauma that she has went through, aiding in presenting her as
a product of the society in which she lives. It is also relevant to
consider the reasons why the narrative unfolds only on the streets; why her
character is only ever seen outside walking by the canal or at the football
field or sitting outside the pub or at the shops or in a cafe and never in her
own house itself. This can be found to implement the theory that her home life is
unpleasant, giving yet another reason for why she is incapable of forging a
relationship with someone she feels she can be honest with - something that is
only glimpsed at during her brief interims of silence and the short spurts of
knowledge shown through flashback. As well as this, the way that Percival has
distanced the character proxemics within the narrative can be found to heighten
the growing intensity and destruction of the relationships between the main
character and her family members. This, alongside the utilisation of a
hand-held camera in the filming of her dramatic monologue allows the audience
to view the things that occur throughout the movie from her subjective
perspective - thus making their alignment with any of the other characters somewhat
impossible and heightening the enigmas for the end of the film. The choice of
soundtrack within the movie, a Britney Spears song made popular in 2000, just
one year before this short film's release, can be regarded as a method of once
again highlighting the marginalisation experienced by the main character and
give a sense of irony for the audience to acknowledge. The lyrical content of
the song itself was made to be empowering for young women at the time, greatly
contradicting the seemingly profound and inescapable suffering of the
protagonist despite her off-beat acceptance of it. The use of colloquial
language and dialogue can be seen as a cultural link to Manchester, the
place in which the film is set, and once again goes to support the concept of
the main character lacking in opportunities to change her life for the better.
As well as this, the
presence of props within the film also hold a morose impression of levity for
the main character; most obviously through her continuous holding of the
plastic bag which carries the dead baby inside. This creates a distinct
transition and development in her role within the narrative - having before
been possibly labelled by spectators as a disadvantaged young person
contributing to the gradual atrophy of society, as opposed to an equal human
being with issues far greater than her age should accommodate.
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| 'About A Girl' |
This saddening sense of loss at the end of the movie,
propelled by the narrative twist of the girl's hidden teenage pregnancy, only
works to further dramatise the isolated and lonely nature of the lifestyle that
she has; which is thoroughly presented as the primary factor contributing to
her lack of social mobility, and works to foreshadow her eventual
self-destruction. The presence of mobile phones and technology within key
scenes can additionally be regarded as a method used by Percival to show the
audience that the young girl's downfall is somewhat inevitable - simply the
collateral damage of how little her family understands and cares for her.
Similarly to the role of music and the fantasies she conjures within her
monologue, her mobile phone is depicted as a source of protection from the
pressures and challenges of everyday life, as well as an object that influences
her to the extent where it can be regarded as somewhat of a reprieve from the
world of broken ties and false promises to which she is seemingly accustomed -
her only way of feeling able to successfully connect with others; emphasising,
once again, the levels of seclusion that she faithfully endures. Despite this, it
is important to note the way in which the main characters earphones are
identified as a more positive and uplifting symbol within this short film, and
draws attention to the theory that pop culture and music are used as a coping
strategy for youths in modern society; allowing them a sense of personal
self-expression and giving them hope even amidst the most hopeless of
circumstances.
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