Wasp (2003) is a short film directed by Andrea Arnold that follows Zoe, a single mother of four young children in a low-income area of England. Zoe loves her children, but her style of parenting is very nontraditional. In the beginning of the film Zoe and her children go to a neighbors house, where Zoe and the other mother brawl over a dispute between their children. After the fight comes to an end an a series of verbal attacks are exchanged not only from Zoe and the other mother, but from Zoe’s children who use fowl language that resembles their mother’s. As they walk away, Zoe prompts the children to flick of the woman on the count of three then they all turn around with their middle fingers up. The beginning of this short film does a great job of introducing the characters and establishing what kind of people they are. Afterwards the film focuses on Zoe’s attempt to meet up with David, a romantic interest from her past. When they first meet she lies about her children and says she is just watching them and agrees to meet him at a pub later. Zoe takes her kids with her makes them wait outside while she talks with David and eventually goes to his car to hook up. While in the car, a wasp land on Zoe’s baby’s face and one of her daughter’s screams which sends Zoe running to her children. The wasp flies away and David takes them to get food and says that her and Zoe need to talk. This film shows the how duality of one’s self can cause conflict. Zoe is a mother, but she behaves like a single woman with no responsibilities. Zoe sees her children as an extension of herself and only parents when it is necessary like when she runs to her baby only after her daughter screams. The wasp serves as a symbol of the dangers of self-indulgence and irresponsibility as a mother.
Wasp (2003) is a short film directed by Andrea Arnold that follows Zoe, a single mother of four young children in a low-income area of England. Zoe loves her children, but her style of parenting is very nontraditional. In the beginning of the film Zoe and her children go to a neighbors house, where Zoe and the other mother brawl over a dispute between their children. After the fight comes to an end an a series of verbal attacks are exchanged not only from Zoe and the other mother, but from Zoe’s children who use fowl language that resembles their mother’s. As they walk away, Zoe prompts the children to flick of the woman on the count of three then they all turn around with their middle fingers up. The beginning of this short film does a great job of introducing the characters and establishing what kind of people they are. Afterwards the film focuses on Zoe’s attempt to meet up with David, a romantic interest from her past. When they first meet she lies about her children and says she is just watching them and agrees to meet him at a pub later. Zoe takes her kids with her makes them wait outside while she talks with David and eventually goes to his car to hook up. While in the car, a wasp land on Zoe’s baby’s face and one of her daughter’s screams which sends Zoe running to her children. The wasp flies away and David takes them to get food and says that her and Zoe need to talk. This film shows the how duality of one’s self can cause conflict. Zoe is a mother, but she behaves like a single woman with no responsibilities. Zoe sees her children as an extension of herself and only parents when it is necessary like when she runs to her baby only after her daughter screams. The wasp serves as a symbol of the dangers of self-indulgence and irresponsibility as a mother.
Alex Cherry: The short film “Wasp” takes an intriguing approach to accomplishing its goals, as it is filmed in a different style than a lot of narrative pieces. The film is intentionally shot to look grainy, almost as if it is representative of what one would think of when recalling a home movie filmed on a cheap camcorder. The style of filming is very shaky, almost reminiscent of found footage style. Often, it appears as if much consideration isn’t given to framing, as the camera often jumps around without any real semblance of smoothness to the shots. Often, the composition of the shots themselves doesn’t seem anything special, as head room is often cut off and characters move in and out of the shot somewhat haphazardly. As far as the story goes, the film drops you into the middle of the action and allows you to use context to discern what the characters are like and how they relate to the world around them. For example, it is never explained that the children actually belong to the main character even though she lies about just babysitting them. We must discern this from the way she interacts with them and the appearance she gives off when she lies to Dave. Overall, the film is shot in an unusual way, presenting the story in a context that it might not normally be presented in, with the style of filmmaking and also the progression of the story.
Mario Cirinese: Wasp by Andrea Arnold, plays an exemplary role in conveying an unease to the audience with a shaky and disorienting camera position throughout the film. Shot similar as archival footage gives the short story a feeling of chaos in this already chaotic narrative. The film never has a shot without any motion making the audience pay close attention to understand the main narrative of the story. Many random shots are included to add depth to the narrative giving a more artistic and associational tone throughout the short film. Framing is a huge concern in this film as there is no clear direction with the added shaky camera movement causing the audience to dissociate what they’ve learned from other films putting it in the genre of abstract. Overall I thought the story was compelling and had an interesting series of events that eventually unfold.
Cameron Panhans: "Wasp" is a short film directed by Andrea Arnold that follows the irresponsible motherly actions of Zoe in her quest to juggle her four small children and her love life. As a whole this film is extremely disorienting to the viewer. This disorientation is a result of two cinematic techniques used by the director. First, the narrow depth of field used almost consistently throughout the film allows the viewer to distinguish very little from the frame besides what is in focus. Also, the director chose to do this film with a rather shaky seemingly handheld camera, and this constant movement from the camera further disorients those watching the work. Furthermore, close ups and extreme close ups are used often throughout the film in order to portray the subtle emotions that both the mother Zoe and her kids wear on their face. This emotion combines with the mystifying disorientation provided by the camerawork and the depth of field used in the film in order to create a work that tells a very compelling and intriguing story.
Zach Andry: Wasp was a short film about a poor single mom who reconnects with a man from her past. Honestly this was a hard one to watch she was very poor and couldn't afford food. However the way she acted with the fight at the beginning taking her kids to the bar spending money on booze and not food was off putting. Over all she seemed a bad parent.
From a production side the acting was good especially from the children the shaky cam and often shallow depth of field gave this uneasy feeling through the whole short which really help play up their situation.
Overall I thought the production value and aesthetic choice was high but I did not care for the subject matter.
Ryanne Whyte: The short film Wasp by Andrea Arnold is a textbook example of how far a filmmaker can get with good writing and a good team behind them. Wasp clearly isn't a big budget production, but it makes up for that in spades with it's storytelling. This film is the result of what happens when a story is cut down to its purest aesthetics. The direction in Wasp is simple enough, but the camerawork gives the film a personal touch. I think choosing that style of cinematography was essential to the story. The film wouldn't have the same feel if it was shot in an overly polished way. The acting was great as well, especially the children. One part that comes to mind is during the climax when Zoe is yelling at her eldest daughter for not looking after the younger ones. The look on that girls face was helpless and heartbreaking. All in all, Wasp was a great and inspirational study in low-budget filmmaking. Props to Andrea Arnold.
Alex Smith: Wasp, a short film made by Andrea Arnold, is a story about a single mother who spends her life like she's a single, childless woman. The mother, Zoe, has little to no care in the world whatsoever. She even lies about the fact that the kids are hers when David comes calling. This film used a very low budget in terms of camera work, giving the gritty and grimy feel that the lower income houses were supposed to give us. The filmmakers did very well using the real homes in the background to give the neighborhood a real feel to it. All in all, the film did very well for its low budget and really showed that money isn't everything in filmmaking.
Dustin Bennett: "Wasp" is an unpleasant short film to watch. It's a story about a desperately lonely woman who leaves her kids in a pub parking lot while she spends time with a not-so-great guy from her past. The constantly bobbing camera only compounds the unpleasantness, making the viewer feel like they're out at sea. This is all deliberate, of course. This film's story isn't one the viewer is supposed to have a good time watching. Between that camera movement and the frequent focus racking and sparsely-lit locations of the short's last half, it's effectively filmed like a horror movie, and in the film's titular scene, it's very close to becoming one. It's a much more impacting kind of horror, too, because it's so possible and it's so easy to believe that somewhere in the world people are definitely doing this, and when you see how tired and anxious and lonely the mother (Zoe) is, you start to sympathize with her, even though no one wants to.
Even in the daytime scenes, there's unpleasantness abound in the tiniest details, like Zoe taking her youngest child out in public with no diaper or pants, or the way that same child keeps dropping his pacifier while Zoe is on the phone with someone talking about David, signifying the conflict between her role as a single mother and her need for companionship. Overall, it's a very well-made and attentively crafted film that I never want to watch again.
Caroline Builta: Andrea Arnold's "Wasp" is one of my absolute favorite short films that I have ever watched. It tells the story of a woman living in poverty with all of her children who runs into an old friend and, desperate for some fun and some company, endangers her children to have a night out. The way that the camera was constantly moving really fit the entire mood of the film, which I thought was important. I also loved the script, and the contrasting soundtrack choice of the song "Hey Baby" that plays multiple times, over and over, throughout the film. My favorite shot was probably the wide shot with the mother and her children walking over the bridge on their way to the pub. I thought that the choice of cinematography and framing was perfect and fit the film. I basically loved everything about this.
Taylor Hendrix: Wasp was a short film about a very negligent mother, who put her needs in front of the needs of her own kids. In the beginning, the filmmakers establish the kind of parent she is by showing a fight between Zoe, the main character, and her neighbor. The character is established to be an aggressive mother, who cares more about her reputation than the kids. When she meets her love interest, Dave, she pretends that her kids are not her own. The camerawork in this film was very shaky and kept going in and out of focus. This was done on purpose to show the instability of the family, and mainly the mother. The mother leaves her kids alone outside of a bar with what seems to be maybe an 11 year old. The bar has dark lighting due to the fact that it is the mother’s dark place because she has left her kids alone. There was one song that had been played a couple of times during the film. The little girl kept singing “hey baby” and at the end she sang it and introduced the real track. This song was how the little girl maintains her happiness and how the filmmakers portrayed a “happy ending.” Overall, I would not watch this for fun because of the subject matter.
The short film Wasp, about a very stubborn and stuck up mother who has four children.From the opening scene of her fighting what looks to be a neighbor of hers to the type of things she involves herself in, she doesn't seem to fit the ideal role of a mother. The mother then dresses up and goes out drinking and partying while leaving her children behind. The shots that I saw were very shaky and had issues with focusing. The movement made me motion sick and the narrative was very vulgar. Her daughter begins singing when her mother goes out to drink and it occurs to me that the mother might be bipolar. I am not quite sure what the film was trying to portray but it wasn't good. For a short narrative film, it was very moody and created that since of urgency to latch on to the situation for the viewer.
McKenzie Miller: Andrea Arnold’s “Wasp” is a well done short film showing the life of an underprivileged family in England. We meet Zoe, the main character and mother of four children. From the beginning of the film, it is obvious what kind of lifestyle they live and that she is not a responsible mother. Her not-so-great parenting is even seen through the quality of the film and the shaky footage. It reminds me of an older home video, which helps portray her character and their life. Zoe puts an old love interest before her children and even denies them as her own to this man, David. They follow her guidance in the opening scene, and has trained them to flick people off and disrespect them. She does not seem to care about them unless they seem to be in danger. This was a very real storyline, and it happens every day which is so sad. It is a hard film to watch because of the subject, but overall, Arnold did a good job portraying their life through the film.
Phillip Spain: "Wasp" by Andrea Arnold is a very interesting short film about a single mother who struggles to take care of her family, due to both bad circumstances as well as poor choices on her part. The choice to shoot the film with a very shakey, at times out of focus camera parallels the story, helping emphasize the out of control, unstable life they're living, as well as how out of focus the mother's priorities are, as she puts her kids to the side while trying to pursue a love life. The film ends with a sense of uncertainty, and leaves the audience asking several questions, such as if the mother will turn her life around and be able to better provide for her kids, and if it'll work out with Dave after all.
Jack Beuckman: The short film "Wasp" by Andrea Arnold is about a young single mom who is having a hard time providing and caring for her family. She's does not seem like she is mature enough to be a mom. She puts her self first before her kids. She has her kids wait out side a Pub for hours while she goes on a date with a guy. Through the film her lids keep complaining that they are hungry and end up eating food that some guy dropped in the parking lot. The camera work was very shaking and added to the emotion of this being a very gloomy film. The color was very bland to and not colorful which also help convey the depressing feel. I think Arnold did produced this film well. It definitely touched my emotions. I felt bad for the kids and did not like the mom very well but i also sympathized with her as well. Overall the film was good.
Victoria Walker: “Wasp” is a film by Andrea Arnold about a single mother Zoe of four kids struggling to balance her responsibilities as a mother with her personal life. Initially, I didn’t know what to think about the film. It started out in a very vulgar manner. The director used symbolism and framing to tell a very interesting story. I was very impressed by the symbolism between the title of the film and the camera shots. The beginning of the film used a lot of quick cut away shots of the two women fighting. Also, most of the film was shot in grainy light. Throughout the film most of the framing was very much like that of a wasp; disorientated and shaky. Zoe can most likely be compared to a wasp because she is very feisty. Extreme close-up shots were a big part of this film too. They were used to show the disappointed looks on the children’ faces as their mother left them, when they were hunger, and as the wasp flew in the baby’s mouth. Also it reveals to the viewers the connection between Zoe and the guy she was on a date with.
Maddie Kennedy: Wasp, by Andrea Arnold, was a hard film to watch. This short film was about a young, single mother juggling her four kids with her own desires. It was filmed in a rough, shaky style, which added strongly to the overall aesthetic of the film. It was difficult to watch the choices Zoe made at the expense of her kids, and just in general her sheer negligence regarding them. However, it was also easy to see that she did love them on some level. She appeared to be someone who had been put in a very difficult position at a very young age, and as a 19 year old who's definitely not ready to be a mom, I felt for her. What her kids were going through was heartbreaking, however. When one daughter ran out to grab the spare ribs from the street, I was crushed. The camerawork really adds to the raw qualities of the narrative. Overall, difficult as it was to watch, I found it to be a really well done little film.
The film wasp by Andrea Arnold was very shocking to me. The short Film details a single mother who probably shouldn't have kids. She avoids her responsibilities and seems very cynical. She didn't claim her kids while trying to rekindle an old flame. The camera quality wasn't the best but I believe it worked for the film. There are situations that happen like this all the time especially in America. The film is very relevant to situations like this. I did like the way the title tied into the story perfectly because if it wasn't for that incident there is no telling what would have happened or continued to happen after. That warning was a wake-up call to the irresponsible mother.
Savannah Stanley: Andrea Arnold's "Wasp" was... interesting to say the least. The close up, violent or lewd shots were contrasted by the wide establishing moments of a quiet English town. The intimacy of the camera with the main character, Zoe, gave the viewer a skewed sense of familiarity- we may not agree with everything she does, but we feel connected to her. The light music added to this contrast of intensity versus frivolity when having pedestrian/casual music playing during scenes such as the initial fight between the two mothers. The use of children actors in this was interesting as well, not only in having them behave as their mother, using stereotypically "adult" language and gestures, but also in how natural they seemed, even in front of the camera. Their introduction, having the camera follow each child down the stairs one by one, allowed the audience a feeling that "they just keep coming" as the mother must have also felt. The stress the viewer feels for the children parallels the stress the mother (hopefully, though from the latter half of the film that is questioned) also feels. The film does an excellent job in giving the story from the mother's perspective without having to be constantly over her shoulder, and the film overall is extraordinary at emphasising the complexity and, at times, craziness of the life of a single mother.
"Wasp" was a strange film in my opinion. It almost feels likes it's a homemeade video with real people. However quickly we can see the varying camera angles and the professionalism behind it. There are very dramatic cuts in between many shots. Something about the close ups and angles makes the cut a hard and obvious one. When looking at people, there are a lot of close ups. A lot of really close shots and extreme close ups allow the audience to see what is important. I did not necessarily enjoy this film, however I think it is an interesting visual and artwork piece, and I respect it.
Hannah Bynum: "Wasp" by Andrea Arnold is a heartbreaking film which unfortunately portrays the life some families live. It features an emotionally abusive mom who puts herself before her kids by dragging them around bars and making them wait outside while she has her fun. She often curses and gets in fights in front of them, constantly leaving her kids at risk. This mother appears to have no regrets about her actions which leaves the audience wondering why she even has kids since it appears she doesn't care about them at all. That is until one of the kids lives, an infant, is in danger when he is stung badly by a wasp due to the mothers neglectful actions, she finally shows some maternal instinct and is worried for her child but at the same time blames her other kids for this incident rather than herself. You would think this would change her behavior but after she knows the child will be okay she goes right back to how she was before. It's a very tragic scenario but sadly there are many families that live just like this and the filmmaker did an excellent job making an interesting film by depicting the sad truth while making you resent the main character.
Jesse Tollison: The Wasp presents a semi-objective look at the issue of balancing personal life with parenthood in lower socioeconomic society. From the very first shot of the pantsless baby and the constant cursing from the kids, we know what that this film will explore a realm of society that rarely gets screen time. It also explores the broader questions of when society should take over parenting and when parents are incapable of taking care of their kids, whether that be through intentional negligence or simply a lack of income.
Louis Lartigue:
ReplyDeleteWasp (2003) is a short film directed by Andrea Arnold that follows Zoe, a single mother of four young children in a low-income area of England. Zoe loves her children, but her style of parenting is very nontraditional. In the beginning of the film Zoe and her children go to a neighbors house, where Zoe and the other mother brawl over a dispute between their children. After the fight comes to an end an a series of verbal attacks are exchanged not only from Zoe and the other mother, but from Zoe’s children who use fowl language that resembles their mother’s. As they walk away, Zoe prompts the children to flick of the woman on the count of three then they all turn around with their middle fingers up. The beginning of this short film does a great job of introducing the characters and establishing what kind of people they are. Afterwards the film focuses on Zoe’s attempt to meet up with David, a romantic interest from her past. When they first meet she lies about her children and says she is just watching them and agrees to meet him at a pub later. Zoe takes her kids with her makes them wait outside while she talks with David and eventually goes to his car to hook up. While in the car, a wasp land on Zoe’s baby’s face and one of her daughter’s screams which sends Zoe running to her children. The wasp flies away and David takes them to get food and says that her and Zoe need to talk. This film shows the how duality of one’s self can cause conflict. Zoe is a mother, but she behaves like a single woman with no responsibilities. Zoe sees her children as an extension of herself and only parents when it is necessary like when she runs to her baby only after her daughter screams. The wasp serves as a symbol of the dangers of self-indulgence and irresponsibility as a mother.
Louis Lartigue:
ReplyDeleteWasp (2003) is a short film directed by Andrea Arnold that follows Zoe, a single mother of four young children in a low-income area of England. Zoe loves her children, but her style of parenting is very nontraditional. In the beginning of the film Zoe and her children go to a neighbors house, where Zoe and the other mother brawl over a dispute between their children. After the fight comes to an end an a series of verbal attacks are exchanged not only from Zoe and the other mother, but from Zoe’s children who use fowl language that resembles their mother’s. As they walk away, Zoe prompts the children to flick of the woman on the count of three then they all turn around with their middle fingers up. The beginning of this short film does a great job of introducing the characters and establishing what kind of people they are. Afterwards the film focuses on Zoe’s attempt to meet up with David, a romantic interest from her past. When they first meet she lies about her children and says she is just watching them and agrees to meet him at a pub later. Zoe takes her kids with her makes them wait outside while she talks with David and eventually goes to his car to hook up. While in the car, a wasp land on Zoe’s baby’s face and one of her daughter’s screams which sends Zoe running to her children. The wasp flies away and David takes them to get food and says that her and Zoe need to talk. This film shows the how duality of one’s self can cause conflict. Zoe is a mother, but she behaves like a single woman with no responsibilities. Zoe sees her children as an extension of herself and only parents when it is necessary like when she runs to her baby only after her daughter screams. The wasp serves as a symbol of the dangers of self-indulgence and irresponsibility as a mother.
Alex Cherry: The short film “Wasp” takes an intriguing approach to accomplishing its goals, as it is filmed in a different style than a lot of narrative pieces. The film is intentionally shot to look grainy, almost as if it is representative of what one would think of when recalling a home movie filmed on a cheap camcorder. The style of filming is very shaky, almost reminiscent of found footage style. Often, it appears as if much consideration isn’t given to framing, as the camera often jumps around without any real semblance of smoothness to the shots. Often, the composition of the shots themselves doesn’t seem anything special, as head room is often cut off and characters move in and out of the shot somewhat haphazardly. As far as the story goes, the film drops you into the middle of the action and allows you to use context to discern what the characters are like and how they relate to the world around them. For example, it is never explained that the children actually belong to the main character even though she lies about just babysitting them. We must discern this from the way she interacts with them and the appearance she gives off when she lies to Dave. Overall, the film is shot in an unusual way, presenting the story in a context that it might not normally be presented in, with the style of filmmaking and also the progression of the story.
ReplyDeleteMario Cirinese: Wasp by Andrea Arnold, plays an exemplary role in conveying an unease to the audience with a shaky and disorienting camera position throughout the film. Shot similar as archival footage gives the short story a feeling of chaos in this already chaotic narrative. The film never has a shot without any motion making the audience pay close attention to understand the main narrative of the story. Many random shots are included to add depth to the narrative giving a more artistic and associational tone throughout the short film. Framing is a huge concern in this film as there is no clear direction with the added shaky camera movement causing the audience to dissociate what they’ve learned from other films putting it in the genre of abstract. Overall I thought the story was compelling and had an interesting series of events that eventually unfold.
ReplyDeleteCameron Panhans: "Wasp" is a short film directed by Andrea Arnold that follows the irresponsible motherly actions of Zoe in her quest to juggle her four small children and her love life. As a whole this film is extremely disorienting to the viewer. This disorientation is a result of two cinematic techniques used by the director. First, the narrow depth of field used almost consistently throughout the film allows the viewer to distinguish very little from the frame besides what is in focus. Also, the director chose to do this film with a rather shaky seemingly handheld camera, and this constant movement from the camera further disorients those watching the work. Furthermore, close ups and extreme close ups are used often throughout the film in order to portray the subtle emotions that both the mother Zoe and her kids wear on their face. This emotion combines with the mystifying disorientation provided by the camerawork and the depth of field used in the film in order to create a work that tells a very compelling and intriguing story.
ReplyDeleteZach Andry: Wasp was a short film about a poor single mom who reconnects with a man from her past. Honestly this was a hard one to watch she was very poor and couldn't afford food. However the way she acted with the fight at the beginning taking her kids to the bar spending money on booze and not food was off putting. Over all she seemed a bad parent.
ReplyDeleteFrom a production side the acting was good especially from the children the shaky cam and often shallow depth of field gave this uneasy feeling through the whole short which really help play up their situation.
Overall I thought the production value and aesthetic choice was high but I did not care for the subject matter.
Ryanne Whyte: The short film Wasp by Andrea Arnold is a textbook example of how far a filmmaker can get with good writing and a good team behind them. Wasp clearly isn't a big budget production, but it makes up for that in spades with it's storytelling. This film is the result of what happens when a story is cut down to its purest aesthetics. The direction in Wasp is simple enough, but the camerawork gives the film a personal touch. I think choosing that style of cinematography was essential to the story. The film wouldn't have the same feel if it was shot in an overly polished way. The acting was great as well, especially the children. One part that comes to mind is during the climax when Zoe is yelling at her eldest daughter for not looking after the younger ones. The look on that girls face was helpless and heartbreaking. All in all, Wasp was a great and inspirational study in low-budget filmmaking. Props to Andrea Arnold.
ReplyDeleteAlex Smith: Wasp, a short film made by Andrea Arnold, is a story about a single mother who spends her life like she's a single, childless woman. The mother, Zoe, has little to no care in the world whatsoever. She even lies about the fact that the kids are hers when David comes calling. This film used a very low budget in terms of camera work, giving the gritty and grimy feel that the lower income houses were supposed to give us. The filmmakers did very well using the real homes in the background to give the neighborhood a real feel to it. All in all, the film did very well for its low budget and really showed that money isn't everything in filmmaking.
ReplyDeleteDustin Bennett: "Wasp" is an unpleasant short film to watch. It's a story about a desperately lonely woman who leaves her kids in a pub parking lot while she spends time with a not-so-great guy from her past. The constantly bobbing camera only compounds the unpleasantness, making the viewer feel like they're out at sea. This is all deliberate, of course. This film's story isn't one the viewer is supposed to have a good time watching. Between that camera movement and the frequent focus racking and sparsely-lit locations of the short's last half, it's effectively filmed like a horror movie, and in the film's titular scene, it's very close to becoming one. It's a much more impacting kind of horror, too, because it's so possible and it's so easy to believe that somewhere in the world people are definitely doing this, and when you see how tired and anxious and lonely the mother (Zoe) is, you start to sympathize with her, even though no one wants to.
ReplyDeleteEven in the daytime scenes, there's unpleasantness abound in the tiniest details, like Zoe taking her youngest child out in public with no diaper or pants, or the way that same child keeps dropping his pacifier while Zoe is on the phone with someone talking about David, signifying the conflict between her role as a single mother and her need for companionship. Overall, it's a very well-made and attentively crafted film that I never want to watch again.
Caroline Builta: Andrea Arnold's "Wasp" is one of my absolute favorite short films that I have ever watched. It tells the story of a woman living in poverty with all of her children who runs into an old friend and, desperate for some fun and some company, endangers her children to have a night out. The way that the camera was constantly moving really fit the entire mood of the film, which I thought was important. I also loved the script, and the contrasting soundtrack choice of the song "Hey Baby" that plays multiple times, over and over, throughout the film. My favorite shot was probably the wide shot with the mother and her children walking over the bridge on their way to the pub. I thought that the choice of cinematography and framing was perfect and fit the film. I basically loved everything about this.
ReplyDeleteTaylor Hendrix: Wasp was a short film about a very negligent mother, who put her needs in front of the needs of her own kids. In the beginning, the filmmakers establish the kind of parent she is by showing a fight between Zoe, the main character, and her neighbor. The character is established to be an aggressive mother, who cares more about her reputation than the kids. When she meets her love interest, Dave, she pretends that her kids are not her own. The camerawork in this film was very shaky and kept going in and out of focus. This was done on purpose to show the instability of the family, and mainly the mother. The mother leaves her kids alone outside of a bar with what seems to be maybe an 11 year old. The bar has dark lighting due to the fact that it is the mother’s dark place because she has left her kids alone. There was one song that had been played a couple of times during the film. The little girl kept singing “hey baby” and at the end she sang it and introduced the real track. This song was how the little girl maintains her happiness and how the filmmakers portrayed a “happy ending.” Overall, I would not watch this for fun because of the subject matter.
ReplyDeleteThe short film Wasp, about a very stubborn and stuck up mother who has four children.From the opening scene of her fighting what looks to be a neighbor of hers to the type of things she involves herself in, she doesn't seem to fit the ideal role of a mother. The mother then dresses up and goes out drinking and partying while leaving her children behind. The shots that I saw were very shaky and had issues with focusing. The movement made me motion sick and the narrative was very vulgar. Her daughter begins singing when her mother goes out to drink and it occurs to me that the mother might be bipolar. I am not quite sure what the film was trying to portray but it wasn't good. For a short narrative film, it was very moody and created that since of urgency to latch on to the situation for the viewer.
ReplyDeleteMcKenzie Miller: Andrea Arnold’s “Wasp” is a well done short film showing the life of an underprivileged family in England. We meet Zoe, the main character and mother of four children. From the beginning of the film, it is obvious what kind of lifestyle they live and that she is not a responsible mother. Her not-so-great parenting is even seen through the quality of the film and the shaky footage. It reminds me of an older home video, which helps portray her character and their life. Zoe puts an old love interest before her children and even denies them as her own to this man, David. They follow her guidance in the opening scene, and has trained them to flick people off and disrespect them. She does not seem to care about them unless they seem to be in danger. This was a very real storyline, and it happens every day which is so sad. It is a hard film to watch because of the subject, but overall, Arnold did a good job portraying their life through the film.
ReplyDeletePhillip Spain: "Wasp" by Andrea Arnold is a very interesting short film about a single mother who struggles to take care of her family, due to both bad circumstances as well as poor choices on her part. The choice to shoot the film with a very shakey, at times out of focus camera parallels the story, helping emphasize the out of control, unstable life they're living, as well as how out of focus the mother's priorities are, as she puts her kids to the side while trying to pursue a love life. The film ends with a sense of uncertainty, and leaves the audience asking several questions, such as if the mother will turn her life around and be able to better provide for her kids, and if it'll work out with Dave after all.
ReplyDeleteJack Beuckman: The short film "Wasp" by Andrea Arnold is about a young single mom who is having a hard time providing and caring for her family. She's does not seem like she is mature enough to be a mom. She puts her self first before her kids. She has her kids wait out side a Pub for hours while she goes on a date with a guy. Through the film her lids keep complaining that they are hungry and end up eating food that some guy dropped in the parking lot. The camera work was very shaking and added to the emotion of this being a very gloomy film. The color was very bland to and not colorful which also help convey the depressing feel. I think Arnold did produced this film well. It definitely touched my emotions. I felt bad for the kids and did not like the mom very well but i also sympathized with her as well. Overall the film was good.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Walker: “Wasp” is a film by Andrea Arnold about a single mother Zoe of four kids struggling to balance her responsibilities as a mother with her personal life. Initially, I didn’t know what to think about the film. It started out in a very vulgar manner. The director used symbolism and framing to tell a very interesting story. I was very impressed by the symbolism between the title of the film and the camera shots. The beginning of the film used a lot of quick cut away shots of the two women fighting. Also, most of the film was shot in grainy light. Throughout the film most of the framing was very much like that of a wasp; disorientated and shaky. Zoe can most likely be compared to a wasp because she is very feisty. Extreme close-up shots were a big part of this film too. They were used to show the disappointed looks on the children’ faces as their mother left them, when they were hunger, and as the wasp flew in the baby’s mouth. Also it reveals to the viewers the connection between Zoe and the guy she was on a date with.
ReplyDeleteMaddie Kennedy: Wasp, by Andrea Arnold, was a hard film to watch. This short film was about a young, single mother juggling her four kids with her own desires. It was filmed in a rough, shaky style, which added strongly to the overall aesthetic of the film. It was difficult to watch the choices Zoe made at the expense of her kids, and just in general her sheer negligence regarding them. However, it was also easy to see that she did love them on some level. She appeared to be someone who had been put in a very difficult position at a very young age, and as a 19 year old who's definitely not ready to be a mom, I felt for her. What her kids were going through was heartbreaking, however. When one daughter ran out to grab the spare ribs from the street, I was crushed. The camerawork really adds to the raw qualities of the narrative. Overall, difficult as it was to watch, I found it to be a really well done little film.
ReplyDeleteThe film wasp by Andrea Arnold was very shocking to me. The short Film details a single mother who probably shouldn't have kids. She avoids her responsibilities and seems very cynical. She didn't claim her kids while trying to rekindle an old flame. The camera quality wasn't the best but I believe it worked for the film. There are situations that happen like this all the time especially in America. The film is very relevant to situations like this. I did like the way the title tied into the story perfectly because if it wasn't for that incident there is no telling what would have happened or continued to happen after. That warning was a wake-up call to the irresponsible mother.
ReplyDeleteSavannah Stanley: Andrea Arnold's "Wasp" was... interesting to say the least. The close up, violent or lewd shots were contrasted by the wide establishing moments of a quiet English town. The intimacy of the camera with the main character, Zoe, gave the viewer a skewed sense of familiarity- we may not agree with everything she does, but we feel connected to her. The light music added to this contrast of intensity versus frivolity when having pedestrian/casual music playing during scenes such as the initial fight between the two mothers.
ReplyDeleteThe use of children actors in this was interesting as well, not only in having them behave as their mother, using stereotypically "adult" language and gestures, but also in how natural they seemed, even in front of the camera. Their introduction, having the camera follow each child down the stairs one by one, allowed the audience a feeling that "they just keep coming" as the mother must have also felt. The stress the viewer feels for the children parallels the stress the mother (hopefully, though from the latter half of the film that is questioned) also feels. The film does an excellent job in giving the story from the mother's perspective without having to be constantly over her shoulder, and the film overall is extraordinary at emphasising the complexity and, at times, craziness of the life of a single mother.
"Wasp" was a strange film in my opinion. It almost feels likes it's a homemeade video with real people. However quickly we can see the varying camera angles and the professionalism behind it. There are very dramatic cuts in between many shots. Something about the close ups and angles makes the cut a hard and obvious one. When looking at people, there are a lot of close ups. A lot of really close shots and extreme close ups allow the audience to see what is important. I did not necessarily enjoy this film, however I think it is an interesting visual and artwork piece, and I respect it.
ReplyDeleteHannah Bynum: "Wasp" by Andrea Arnold is a heartbreaking film which unfortunately portrays the life some families live. It features an emotionally abusive mom who puts herself before her kids by dragging them around bars and making them wait outside while she has her fun. She often curses and gets in fights in front of them, constantly leaving her kids at risk. This mother appears to have no regrets about her actions which leaves the audience wondering why she even has kids since it appears she doesn't care about them at all. That is until one of the kids lives, an infant, is in danger when he is stung badly by a wasp due to the mothers neglectful actions, she finally shows some maternal instinct and is worried for her child but at the same time blames her other kids for this incident rather than herself. You would think this would change her behavior but after she knows the child will be okay she goes right back to how she was before. It's a very tragic scenario but sadly there are many families that live just like this and the filmmaker did an excellent job making an interesting film by depicting the sad truth while making you resent the main character.
ReplyDeleteJesse Tollison: The Wasp presents a semi-objective look at the issue of balancing personal life with parenthood in lower socioeconomic society. From the very first shot of the pantsless baby and the constant cursing from the kids, we know what that this film will explore a realm of society that rarely gets screen time. It also explores the broader questions of when society should take over parenting and when parents are incapable of taking care of their kids, whether that be through intentional negligence or simply a lack of income.
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