PARALLELS: BEGINNING/END OF “I’M NOT SCARED”
Exposition
Resolution
- The slap; Skull slaps Barbara. B. turns to face
camera after slapped; C.U. (audience
complicity/empathy?) Male to female.
- Slap; same positioning of characters: Michele and Mother, M.
turns to camera after slap; C.U.
Reversal: female to male violence, (complexity of power
dynamics?)
- Bird motif; crow focussed on. Predatory, allusions
of death etc. Setting day.
- Bird motif: owl focussed on. Same associations. Reversal:
night setting, nocturnal.
- Opening shot: black screen, emerging sound.
- Climactic after M. shot: white screen, emerging sound. On
one level signifies death, also though idea of being in the dark,
secrets vs. seeing the light; realisation.
- Storytelling; M’s stories foreground bravery, when
walking plank tells stories of heroism reminiscent of
comic book characters. Parallels action, also alludes
childish naivety?
- Storytelling; M’s story on way save F. also foregrounds
bravery but heightened gravity of situation; almost
supernatural invocation for protection
- First sight of F=foot.
- First sight of F=foot.
- Match trick (wine) Pino initiates and loses.
- Match trick (murder) Pino initiates and loses.
- Title depicted
- Title depicted with heightened significance (F. and Pino
mention fear directly in last sequence)
- Pecking order/hierarchical power dynamic of
children; Skull=bully, not averse to violence.
- Pecking order of adults; Skull’s brother reluctant murder F.
At the beginning M. looks up to his father in an emotional sense, figuratively. This of
course changes. At the end there’s an interesting subjective shot from M’s point of view,
he’s in his father’s arms looking up at him physically, literally. This change is facilitated
through M’s realisation of his father’s fallibility/culpability.
At the beginning M. craves his father’s attention and affection: the only real contact they
have is macho and competitive (arm wrestling etc). Ironically, the last shot is of an
affectionate embrace that is generated only because of an act of violence.