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Snowy Reflection

 The movie Snowy is quite the interesting short film. It follows a rather simple plot of a dad's fondness of the family turtle. Essentially what happens is that the dad decides to step up the living conditions Snowy the turtle. It may seem like the plot isn't very enticing and well, that's because it isn't. However, that's not why this short film shines. The cinematography and theme are what really give this story its legs.

The editing and camera work of this film is extremely cunning. It's all pretty low budget, yet its execution is near perfect. The shots really bring out feeling very well. For example, there is a moment when Snowy is really struggling to eat a worm. He firstly can't even catch it. Then as soon as he eats it, he throws it back up. Following up Snowy's struggle, is a scene of his family upstairs enjoying a feast. They are laughing and eating without a care in the world. Then the film switches to an outside shot, which pans down to the basement window of which Snowy occupies. This again highlights the separation between the family and Snowy's reality. Another key shot in the film was the conclusion. While the father is outside with his wife and now happy Snowy, the camera pans out of them in a drone shot. You see as they shrink and the world around them grows. It almost scales up in sections. You see their yard, then their block, then the neighborhood and lastly the whole town. This gives a feeling that the family is also just part of their own little habitat.

Moving on to the overall theme, Snowy symbolizes a being that is at the will of the people around him. It is not that the family purposely neglects him, but it is clear he is not at the top of their priorities. This develops Snowy into an underdog character. The father of the family begins to realize that Snowy hasn't been as happy as he could be, with a little help from the film's creator (his daughter). This is really when a solid theme develops giving off the virtue that we should be more mindful of those who rely on us. The father realizes the unintended neglect of Snowy and betters his living conditions.

All in all, Snowy really uses its simplistic plot to its full potential. The creativity of the film drives it, making it a very captivating story despite what would seeming be a flat story on paper.


"Snowy the turtle" via Portland Press Herald


Comments

  1. Anna GawronSeptember 14, 2022 at 8:07 AM

    I had the same reaction to this film! I was not drawn into the film because of the plot, because after all it is a very simple plot. However, I was also drawn into the theme and camera angles. It made the film so much more than it could have been without these effects!

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