Gasman Lynne Ramsey

Lynne Ramseys short film Gasman was released in 1998, and garnered her international
recognition, winning her the Cannes dury prize for best short film at the Cannes film festival.
Micro elements in help communicate a deeper macro meaning, through which much of the
films key themes and issues are conveyed.
Low key lighting throughout: communicates a sense of gloominess, toughness.
Intertextual reference: girl taps her shoes glossy shoes and says theres no place like
home referencing the Wizard of Oz, a classic and hugely famous fantasy film
theme: fantasy, (being kept in a kind of fantasy) comfort, happiness, feel good
home is where the heart is a happy family atmosphere. Contrasting with the
brittle imagery of the sugar grating against the toy car, perhaps symbolic of the
grittiness of the film and the economic situation here.
Series of close ups open the film, creates a sense of ambiguity and also a sense of
entrapment, cramped locations perhaps the real information we get is from the
sound design: shrill regional accents (Scottish, regional identity) talking about
being late, going on a trip.
Costume: man standing in a vest, smoking indoors. Indicative of a working class,
particularly when paired with the set design: ugly floral patterned ironing board and
curtains, cramped, small kitchen (cameras confined helping to communicate this)
Shot of the mother: from the outside, the blinds lining her face. Entrapment,
imprisonment. Denied access to the
Outside environment: the children and their father walk across the bare road, done
in an establishing shot the low key lighting adds a tinge of gloom a sense of
wasteland, almost post-apocalyptic desolation.
Shot later on in the film: father and daughter are in a single frame, he is giving her a
piggy back. Background: the city, urban: a symbol of richness, wealth, which is paired
with the barren landscape that immediately, surrounds them. Ramsey making it
clear that the urban, rich landscape is not their world, but the baron, hard working
class landscape is. Father and daughter, they are very close, enclosed in the same
shot a kind of singular intimacy.
This is broken by the other girl, we can see. The editing and camera work
communicate this. Already established girl in one shot, the new one in another, flicks
back between them; creates different worlds, one world for the protagonist and one
for the girl. They arent meant to merge, at least not in the eyes of the girl (long take,
reaction shot showing a key moment in the film: realisation that her father is not
just hers). Also in part communicated by actors performances. Set against a very
pertinent theme: that of
Now they are in the same long-shot characters positioned randomly, perhaps
indicative of chaos/disorder. The girl has disrupted the natural order of things.
Girl running to her father wants to make it as it was before. Trying to hold on to
former idea of their relationship. Rejects her somewhat, looks for nurture elsewhere
(childish, we recognise particular childish needs in the protagonist.
Girls holding hand a sense of unity, of sisterhood. Juxtaposes with the girls hostile
initial reaction to the girl, creating a sense of foreboding and tension. Something will
happen between them.
However, we still recognise this sense of sisterhood. They dance at the disco
together, laughing. There is a relationship being built, which perhaps even is
indicative of a future relationship, beyond the hostile reaction to the girl we see in
the end of the film.
Disco: set design helps communicate the run down nature of the place)
First girl being nurtured by father, second girl does the same: handheld camerawork
exacerbates the fact that this will cause unrest.
Reaction shot on the girl: all of the other things are blurred out besides her, adding
an intensity to the shot.
Jump cut as they fight (editing) - represents the violence of the situation sharp
editorial sensation represents the viciousness of the attack. Pulling hair: nastily
attacking.
Full shot: all the children together a sense of unity again. More indication that
there is hope for their relationship.
Final important shot: the girl picks up a stone as the girl and their mother walks
away. Cuts to father looking onwards thoughtfully close up almost traps him within
himself introversion. We perhaps see this symbolically: as the fathers negligence
being the main cause for this conflict, considering he is neither acknowledging nor
even noticing his daughters intentions.
Long take of her standing with the children walking away. Long take suggests
contemplation, inner conflict, and it soon becomes obvious that she is not going to
throw it. A moment of realisation for her: it is not these peoples fault. Ultimately,
this conclusion is one of hope, that although her immediate actions are very much
vicious, she is a child, and actually she has made a significant change from the
beginning of the film. Growing up another key theme of the film, knowing that the
world is not entirely a place of comfort, growing out of selfishness, knowing that
other people exist besides ones self. A very universal concept: one sharp change in
life Milgroms idea that short films should revolve around a change in the
character, which in part can manifest itself into a journey. Ramseys film follows this
formula closely.