Sian Williams

Analyzing ‘Smashed’

‘Smashed’ (2009) directed by Peter Snelling, is a short drama portraying the negative effects and possible outcomes that surround alcohol misuse. I will be analyzing the short film using technical terms and explaining the codes used in order to relate to the audience and cause effect. The first establishment of setting is a low angle shot, looking up at two blocks of flats and a street lamp; the shot is largely dominated by a dark grey sky, and accentuates the dull colours of the brick and concrete. The following shot shows a concrete path and the shadow of a street lamp; all the previous codes signify that the film is going to take place in an urban residential area. This implies that the characters will be working class, and suggests that alcohol misuse is a common occurrence in normal, everyday places. The series of shots also sets the time of day for the audience, which we figure to be morning. The first character to appear in the film is a young woman called Estelle, who is staring at her reflection in a mirror; this encodes that she is in a reflective mood, and suggests she is judging what she sees. Estelle holds a paper bag and fingers the opening; this is also a signifier that whatever is in the bag is the cause of her reflective mood. The first sign of excessive alcohol use is seen when Estelle takes a large swig of a wine glass; this is seen as odd by the audience as we know it is morning and are lead to question why she is drinking so early in the day. This suggests that Estelle is using alcohol as an escape from her problems. Cory, the first male character presented in the film, is also reflective. This is encoded by his actions- looking through photographs and letters that we assume to be from an ex-girlfriend. The use of pathetic fallacy emphasizes the character’s moods and accentuates the gloomy atmosphere. The second female character, Sam, is juxtaposed with Estelle, as she seems very confident and outgoing; it is made clear from the start that she is ready for a good time, as she is holding a bottle of wine, and dressed to go out for the evening- even though it is only morning. When Sam and Estelle are side-by-side, the differences in the characters are much more apparent. Estelle is dressed in black winter clothes, which signifies her mood and contrasts with Sam’s colourful dress. The women are drinking in the morning, which is unusual, and the camera cuts to show the two male characters drinking also. This is a code for the underlying problem existing in the UK and presented by the film, which is the idea that young people use alcohol as an escape from their problems. It also highlights the fact that alcohol is increasingly being used excessively instead of sensibly. The most recurring prop in the film is alcohol, which is shown consistently. Another less obvious prop is the boiled egg used in the first shot of the film; this symbolizes fertility and the fact that the egg is trodden on, may signify that Estelle does not want to keep her baby. The food on the floor in the first shot suggests a cycle of nights like these and provokes the audience into thinking about how large the problem with alcohol actually is. The brown paper bag is an important prop, as we do not know what it contains until later on in the film; it keeps the audience intrigued. When Sam asks Estelle what is wrong, Estelle touches the bag as if she is considering telling Sam the problem, when she doesn’t, the audience is left wondering what the paper bag could hold and keeps us interested.A rather disturbing yet less obvious use of props is the bleach, string and toilet roll in the back of the cab. These items signify that Sam is in grave danger and suggests that the cab driver has something horrific planned. The effect of this is to shock the audience, and accentuate how we can put ourselves in extreme danger when we are vulnerable. Something that caught my attention is that ‘Smashed’ does not contain many impressive edits, just camera cuts that present transitions in time. An example of this, is a shot of a ‘closed sign’ which signifies that the film has moved onto a later part of the day.

Sian Williams

A number of establishing shots are used to inform the audience of the character’s surroundings; a shot which I found interesting was the camera looking through what appears to be a café window, onto an off license with the words ‘Enjoy drink’ written above it. This summarizes the point of the film and cleverly fits into the theme of ‘Smashed’, without being too obvious.As the characters begin drinking, a number of cuts are used back and forth between the male and female characters to emphasize that their evenings consist of similar events; both sets of characters are heavily drinking about the town, and are gradually becoming intoxicated. These quick shots accentuate the quick pace of the evening, and suggest how quickly the characters are becoming out of control. The shots are messy and fluid like the character’s state of minds.When the characters are at the club, Cory makes the decision to ring his ex-girlfriend; this emphasizes how alcohol can influence us to make poor decisions that we later regret. He sits in the stairwell, and a steady cam is used to portray his very unsteady physique; the camera moves when he does and puts us in his shoes. This accentuates his unstable state of mind and lack of control over his body; this relates to the underlying message of the film and presents how alcohol can affect you mentally physically. There are not many lighting effects either, it is mostly natural daylight, however, when Estelle is staring at her reflection in the mirror, she is lit from one side; this may represent two state of minds, or two decisions she is choosing between. This is used again in the pub setting when George is wondering whether to call Estelle. When the characters are in the club, disco lighting is used to set the scene and make Estelle and George’s conversation more intimate; the different coloured lights change frequently and may signify the couples’ mix of emotions.In the club toilets, red lighting is used in the cubicles; this may represent femininity, but could also be an underlying message for what goes on in clubs like these, making a strong link to the red light district. The sound used throughout ‘Smashed’ compliments the scene it is showing, an example being at the beginning when there is a calm, acoustic backing track to accompany the establishing shots. This could signify the calm before the storm. As the characters become increasingly drunk, there is an upbeat electro backing track to emphasize the fast pace of the night and this builds up to the club scene. We know this is non-diagetic as the sound dips before Estelle and George’s conversation. An effective piece of sound editing is when Sam is in the cab and she threatens the driver that she is calling the police. As the phone is ringing, it cuts to Cory who is also on the phone, and reaches his ex’s answer phone; this is an effective edit, and contrasts the different situations the characters have gotten into.The sound is often used to indicate transitions in time, similarly to the camera cuts. These elements overall create a world within the film. We connect with the characters and their individual stories, allowing us to travel with them on their journey. The repetitive use of alcohol signifies how young people are using it as an escape from their troubles and as a means of entertainment. The film portrays how using alcohol irresponsibly can end in you facing a number of negative outcomes. Smashed is effective because the characters are just normal people; the audience can relate to them as they appear to be from a c2de demographic background, much like most of the audience; this is apparent due to the setting and standard locations that the characters visit on their night out. By making the audience connect with the characters, the message of alcohol awareness is much more effective and hard-hitting.