Gasman

Gasman was filmed in 1997 and directed and written by Lynne Ramsay (a Scottish film director). It was produced by Gavin Emerson. It won a Cannes Grand Prix Du Jury award as well as a Scottish Bafta for best short. Since Gasman Ramsay has gone onto many feature films that have been just as successful for example Ratcatcher. A music video entitled Black and White Town. Ramsay also has another feature in the pipe line for 2011 called We Need To Talk About Kevin, which is currently in production. Gasman is a story of two children who react with native simple emotion to a situation imposed upon them by their father’s secret. The themes and issues raised in this film are adultery, favouritism, child rivalry, neglect, capacity in upbringing, responsibility and jealousy.

We can assume that the film is set around Christmas time as decorative mise-en-scene is used to convey this to us. We can also suggest that the time period that the short is set in is the late 70’s because of the music playing; the classic hit Christmas hit by Noddy Holder which was released around that time. Gasman is set in Glasgow, this is represented through character codes and their accents, through diegetic sounds and picture. At the start of the film the family do not talk unless they are arguing or shouting at one another. The mother being out of control with the children suggests a lower status, poverty and a lack of education. As today parenting is considered something that we learn and is educated to us. As they speak in an abrupt fashion it also suggests to us pressure, economic strife and social disenfranchisement.

The shots are the start of the film are only those of the human anatomy. This was strategic on the directors behalf because with any film at the start we expect to see the main character where as in this short we aren’t, therefore we are forced to continue watching. We see generic things like, a bored child, a man getting ready to go and a women helping. This is a typical gender representation of that time period where equality between men and women didn’t exist and it remained a patriarchal society. This relates to the attempted realism of the short and in this case we can say it is being correct compared the history and the facts.

There are a few shots of the father smoking and drinking from a cup. The character codes of the mans voice is droning with a deep pitch and slow pace which represents a low self esteem, depression, fear and vulnerability. The close up shot of film polishing his shoes have a cold blue temperature with high contrast which suggests various adjectives. His smoking addiction could be to mask his nerves as we know he is going out. This is a character code, Dutch courage a release of pressure for him. Although the shots aren’t revealing they are intimate. For example the skin on the mans back, it has a humanising element, his skin looks soft in contrast to the harsh shoe polishing before. This shows that the director has an infinity for her people. As a the man exhales, the deigetic sound of this communicates the dads turmoil.


As close up shots of limbs continue there is a sustained shot of one of the characters anatomy and we are lead to think that the revelation of the main character is upon us through the media language. As the girl stands, and we know it is a girl through the character code of her voice being high pitched like a young girls, she rein acts the classic Dorothy moment from the film Wizard of Oz. the use of intertextuality here represents the girls rights of passage and loss of innocence. In term of colour physiology Dorothy’s shoes are red compared to the girl in gasman who’s shoes are black which represents are lower class and status.

It is then we receive the first shot of a face, and it is of the main character, except the angle of the camera is down as well as the characters head. The facial expression is subdued and annoyed which suggests trouble ahead as she is getting ready to go out. When then see a suit hanging up on a hanger on a wardrobe. The high angle shot establishes a higher status. The soft plastic protection is almost a representation of the families protection when they are together inside the home, but as the plastic comes off is suggests that the families protection as one is being unleashed.

So far there has been no dialogue of the young boy. The sub text of this could be I know something is wrong here. This is an example of when children are seen and not heard which creates chaos. As the jolly music is playing, he pours out white salt onto the work surface, a representation of the white Christmas which he isn’t going to get, as salt connotates bitterness. The pouring drowns out the music, and the scrapping of the toy car communicates to the audience a sense of discomfort.

As they go to leave the home we see that the mother is staying at home. Leaving the hose looks like a dark tunnel or prison, like something negative is being bottled inside it. There is no sense of home is where the heart is. As the camera pans to the window we see the mum looking out as they leave. The expression of concern of her face is a referential moment as they children leave but we see a subdued way through the reflection in the glass which is used by the director and cinematographer to represent a mask of emotions and/or her persona.

As the family and there father walk we have established that they have no car which reinforces the economically challenged presumption made before. The wide shot of them walking off into the distance has a light background where the characters are being shown as silhouettes, this creates a sense of misplaced hope which relates the negative aspects of adventure unlike the way in which adventure is represented in The Most Beautiful Man In The World.

This then moves onto a slow tracking shot which is behind them and then moves in front, as they walk along disused railway lines. The way in which the shot is structured creates a sense of hopelessness of being on the tracks forever. The side of the frame has the pin hole effect, the sides are black just like in a silent movie. As the daughter is given a piggy back the sun represents a movement of optimism for them unlike the boy who is walking ahead doing his own thing. The dysfunctionality of the disused railway lines could represent the families genes and connection which creates a sense adultery which is later confirmed as they continue to walk and meet a women.

The dull clothes that they all seem to wear creates a juxtaposition within the time of year which is supposed to be a cheerful time for the family. The father and another women talk in the background whilst the children stare at each with caution. The boy says “She looks like you”, this is foreshadowing for the storyline and reinforces the suggestion that the man committed adultery. The two girls are in fact wearing the same style hair band, the teasing is just like sibling rivalry. Compared to the two children that arrived with their dad the two children with the female look dirty. The girl in particular who stands close to the other girl in yellow tights, her knees are very dirty. Also the females children look as if they are wearing school uniform. This could suggest that she cant afford other clothes for them, or that the two who arrived with their dad are uneducated and didn’t go to school.

This then moves on to a shot reverse shot of the father talking to this other female. Through dialogue our presumption that he is economically challenged is reinforced as he hasn’t got enough to give the woman. Furthermore this creates a sense of adultery as this could be the child allowance that he owes her. The close proximity represents the intimacy between the two, however when he goes to stroke her cheek, just like his wife she pills away. The aphetic communication between the two shows that there is an issue somewhere.

As they continue to walk the female leaves her children with the man and heads off. They all begin to walk. The boy however picks up a stone and aims it to hit his father. A stone connotates hardness which relates to the hatred that he his towards his father.

As they arrive at the Christmas party in the pub, we see the father hold the door open for the girls but lets it slam back into the boys face, this shows a lack of respect for him. The father didn’t have the curtsy to hold open the door for him. The reinforces the theme of resentment. The pub looks dilapidated which represents a low class. The dirty walls and messy floor creates a health and safety issue for the children, especially as they are also surrounded by a vast amount of alcohol.

The slow panning of the room represents the little girls boredom as they close of up on her face suggest so through her slouched and tired facial expression. The wide shot then shows her alienation from all the other children. Compared to the quick editing shown before and after which creates a sense of chaos in the room.

The camera style then changes to hand held which could represent some one being drunk and vulnerable, this could either be the girl or the Santa. The jump cuts also create a sense of a loss of consciousness. The slow editing on the men drinking and the brunette girl standing alone shows boredom and child neglect, which seems to a continuous theme and issue throughout this short.

We could say that the dad is being selfish as he has just left the kids to play. However some people may argue that fathers do need their individual ‘me’ time. The brunette girl then goes to sit on his knee, which is a typical convention of something and father and his young daughter do. It’s not to long though before the girl in the yellow dress sees what is happening. The close up on her face allows us to see the tightening of her eyes and lips, is suggests anger and jealousy. They both argue and the brunette girl says that it he is her daddy too!, which helps us reach further to the conclusion that the child is also his.

As they head home from the pub it is dark but the streetlights help create a silhouetted of a family portrait as they walk towards the train tracks to head home. The girls still begin to petty fight other who gets to hold his hands etc, but in the end her picks them both up and an attempt to comfort them. The two children going room back to there father, this time they don’t talk and she just leaves. As the girl in yellow dress looks back at them walking away the father and the boy have walked on further in the direction to their home. The low angle close up on the girl shows her to be quite subdued and confused. This time she picks up a stone, and again goes to through it at her dad. The stone is a symbol of hatred. She sighs and throws it back down with force, with a deep sigh and begins to walk home, ending on a fade out to black.