Textual Analysis and Milgrom Theory Application: Jam Today (2011)

Short Film #2: Jam Today (2011)

Director: Simon Ellis

Issues: Coming of age, Sexuality, Masculinity

Themes: Innocence, Maturity, Pride, Curiosity

At the very beginning of the short film, the boy and his father are looking over to the boat adjacent to it, with a woman sunbathing on top. Long takes are used to create a relaxed mood to reflect the fact that they are on holiday. These long takes also emphasise the silent conversation that the two men are having with the woman, in which she acknowledges the boy and not the man.  Whilst the takes are long for all three characters, they are somewhat longer when the camera is on the woman. Laura Mulvey’s ‘Male Gaze’ Theory can be applied to this scene, especially considering that the woman is sunbathing in front of the men. The long takes suggest that the men are more concerned with her than she is with them. This supports the issues and themes surrounding sexuality, masculinity and coming of age.

Sound has created meaning in this short to support the themes of curiosity, maturity, boredom and coming of age. The dialogue between the mother and son towards the end creates the effect of a little discomfort, as she is using a sweet and patronising tone, and simple language as she would with a child, although the boy is using more colloquial and grown up language, such as ‘hammered’, to show his understanding of more mature topics like alcohol. This creates the effect of confusion between the mother and son in terms of what they understand and what is appropriate for him, as the film explores coming of age.

There is not much sound to be heard at the beginning, although the non-diegetic sound picks up as the narrative continues. This may represent the boy’s understanding of more adult topics as his holiday proceeds. This supports the issue of coming of age, and the themes surrounding maturity and curiosity. It may also be argued that the lack of non-diegetic sound emphasises his boredom and deficiency in entertainment, which exaggerates such themes.

Camera shots, angles and movements are used to create meaning within the short to exaggerate and make clear the themes of coming of age and curiosity. It might be noticed that the camera shots are closer when the boy is feeling like a child, such as when he is talking to his parents. Close ups are more common in this situation to suggest that he is growing up and his parents are unsure as to how to treat him. Wider, longer shots are used when the boy is exhibiting signs of curiosity and preoccupation, which may suggest that he is exploring something new in which there is a lot of space to learn and grow, represented by the literal space surrounding him in the frame. This contrast of situations and shots to resemble the confusion to be had, firstly by the boy, who is in his early stages of puberty, and also to his parents, who are unsure of how much understanding he has for adult themes.

The mise en scene further emphasises the in between stage in which the boy lies, from child to adolescent. In the beginning scene, he waves to the woman, who acknowledges him as opposed to his father, who just smiles at her. His body language here is childish, as he uses an enthusiastic gesture to capture her attention. Moreover, his life jacket is large on him, which makes him appear small and gives him a sense of youth and innocence overall. However, in this scene, he is holding hand grips, which are used to build muscle in the arms. This may support Lacan’s ‘Mirror Stage’ theory, in which he believes that from a young age, children are able to recognise themselves in a mirror and change their appearance to suit them. This displays the pressure he may feel to ‘grow up’ into his ideology of a man, which in his view, appears to be that of a stereotypical hegemonic male. To support this view of a stereotypical male, the tilt of the camera over the woman’s body to imitate where he is looking. This supports the issues and themes surrounding sexuality, masculinity and maturity.

Jam Today can be applied to Marilyn Milgrom’s The Script, as it has a world, a character, and a problem. The world for this short is the body of water in which the family are travelling on in their boat, and the village they’ve stopped at. The character is the protagonist exploring aspects of the adult world. His problem is that he wants to grow up, and build muscle to seem like a man. Milgrom also states that one of three things must drive the character through the narrative; a want, a need, or an obligation. In this case, the boy’s curiosity and want to grow up is what allows the story to progress. She also makes a point that it is important to make the end of the film meaningful by choosing the best point of view to tell the story from. This short film portrays the protagonist as the best point of view, as he has a realisation toward the end that he isn’t as keen to mature as he thought he was.