Short film analysis

Short film analysis- ‘Gasman’ by Lynne Ramsay 

Made in 1997, “Gasman” was Ramsay’s third short film, and often regarded as the one that earned her the most recognition and credibility. Set in the late 70’s, the focus of ‘Gasman’ is on the themes of adultery and deceit, with the father of a working-class Scottish family leading a double-life with his mistress and their two children together. The 15-minute short raises many complex and controversial themes, including; sibling rivalry, lack of education, economic struggle, social disenfranchisement and alienation. The issue of economic deprivation is brought to the foreground in the opening scene with the lighting and mise-en-scene of the house showcasing this. The grim, grey lighting gives the house an almost decrepit feel and represents the harsh situation that the family are in. Character codes also hint at the family’s financial strain as the family talk to each other in an abrupt, aggressive fashion; however this could be due to the mother’s knowledge of her husband’s affair. Close-up shots of the father smoking and drinking also adds to the strain the family are feeling as the father is obviously nervous, he also exhales in these shots showing the struggle he is facing, either due to the families economic hardship or because he has two families to provide for, although at this point in the film the man’s other family is not known. 

Having studied the work of Lynne Ramsay previously, it is fairly easy to identify reoccurring themes and stylistic techniques in her films (both shorts and feature length). In regards to subject matter, Ramsay often tackles the issues of social class, grief, guilt and death. Her film style heavily conveys these themes, often described as a ‘gritty, realistic visual style that demands attention’. It is this inspired combination of her vigilant, sensuous style with her often raw subject matter thats allows her to create a powerful and enigmatic atmosphere in her films.

In terms of research and development, Ramsay often draws from her own experiences of growing up in a working-class environment, watching and remembering how children deal with the tough, brutality of the world with honesty and innocence. Social realism is supposed to be an accurate representation of real-life, therefore the location and setting of the film had to reflect the the theme of economic struggle. The rough, industrial landscape of the Scottish town, along with the colours and tones of the of the settings have all been carefully selected in order to tie in with the films subject matter. 

Techniques used by Ramsay in this film (and often used throughout others) includes the minimal use of dialogue. Ramsay’s films often rely on the visual aspects to carry the story along; she prefers to show rather than tell, and the small amount of dialogue provides nothing to the progression of the narrative, I find this incredibly interesting, as a majority of films rely heavily on scripted dialogue to drive the story forward. Another technique I find interesting is Ramsay’s use of sound (other than dialogue), the music and other sounds she uses tend to relate and tell us something about the narrative or gives indication of the mood or atmosphere. For example; the christmas songs used in the party scene seem to provide a juxtaposition of the thoughts and feelings of the characters, the upbeat and familiar tunes go in opposite to the jealousy of the one daughter for example, the anxiety and worry of the father, the unsettled appearance of the ‘other’ daughter, and the indifference of the two sons. 

Like much of her other work, I really liked and appreciated Lynne Ramsay’s ‘Gasman’. The stylistic and thematic elements of her work are unlike any other, and the fact that they are recurrent across many of her works indicates it is something she feels very strongly and/or closely about.I find her abilities in visual storytelling very admirable, as without dialogue I normally find it very easy to become confused by what the narrative is trying to tell me, but with 'Gasman' there is no need for a lot of empty dialogue, as the narrative is mainly displayed by 'showing' rather than 'telling'.