Come TogetherA short film analysis assignment

ABSTRACTAn assignment about Wes Anderson’s advertisement to one of the most leading clothing stores worldwide, H&M.

By: Sagi GombinerTo: Dor Yaccobi

Part 1 – Editing

Question Number 1: Describe shortly the short film’s plot.

It’s the happiest time of the year as people call it, Christmas. The short film opens on Christmas on a train named the “Winter Express” – “H&M Lines”. Conductor Ralph tells his passengers due to bad weather conditions and mechanical difficulties the train will be delayed elven and a half hours, Ralph also states that he knows it may interfere with the passengers holiday plans as it will affect his and that he is sorry for the inconvenience but he and his assistant will be serving a Christmas brunch and all passengers are welcomed to join them. After approximately 20 minutes all the passengers are going towards the ‘Christmas train cabin’, the last one to walk in is an unaccompanied boy. When he enters Ralph, his assistant and the passengers welcome him, and he helps Ralph and his assistant put the star on the Christmas tree.

Question Number 2: Explain shortly what are: Classical editing, formalism, realism.

Classical editing: Classical editing is a combination of realism and formalism. The Hollywood style of editing is what is considered the classical style, In the Classical Hollywood cinema narrative, would be well written and it starts with the building blocks involving us getting to know the scenery and characters, followed by a first turning point and then a second turning point and then a comprehensive ending which would leave no questions unanswered.

This type of editing has a few rules or a certain type of shots like: “The 180 Degree rule.”

What is the “The 180 Degree rule?”

The 180-degree rule is a rule that filmmakers follow to avoid confusing the viewer about what is happening, to demonstrate that rule better you can look at the following picture down below.

Two people are facing one another having a conversation, they are both talking, and you want to get a shot of them both when they are talking.

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Formalism editing: A style of filmmaking that emphasizes aesthetic elements with a consciously evident style in the delivery of narrative. It focuses on the formal and or the technical elements of a film, for example, the lighting, scoring, sound, film set design, the use of color and of course the editing. This type of editing considers the synthesis of multiple elements of film production and the effects. A formalist might study how standard Hollywood continuity editing creates a more comforting effect and non-continuity or jump-cut editing might become more disconcerting or volatile.

Characteristics of Formalism

Camera angles can move toward higher or lower angles. Sets and backgrounds stand out or draw attention to themselves. Lighting can move to more extreme color, light, and shadow in the

creation of subjective states and visual metaphors. The composition within the “mise en scène” (French) can more

obviously draw on the elements of formality and organization. Scoring is more often used and is extra-diegetic or combines diegetic

with it to create movement between subjective and objects states.

What is “mise en scène”?

“Mise en scène” in English is ‘placing on stage’, it’s an expression used to describe the design aspect of a theatre or a film production, which essentially means ‘visual theme’ or ‘telling a story’ both are visually artful through many ways like cinematography.

Realism editing: Cinematic realism refers to the verisimilitude of a film to the believability of its characters and events. Movies where content is important in form. The expressive means are characterized by the conservative use of the creators. The films are built in such a way that the illusion will be preserved, and no manipulation will be exposed.

Characteristics of Realism

Shots tend to be objective; we view the “mise en scène” without the camera manipulating our perception.

Favors a static, non-moving camera. Music tends to be diegetic. Real locations tend to be used instead of sets. Lighting appears to be natural, neither high contrast nor washed out.

Question Number 3: What type of editing did Anderson use in his short film? Explain.

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Anderson is using a classical type of editing because you can see Ralph at the start of the film ripping down a page out of his calendar which tells the viewer that it’s the start of the morning of the 25th of December.

You can also see in 2:44 that a text appears on the screen indicating that 19 minutes have passed, a thing that also indicates classical editing.

Part 2 – Composition

Question Number 1: Look at the opening frame of the short film and identify two different purposes it has

Railroad car and the window.

The railroad car at the opening shot of the short film tells the viewer that the location of the film is on a train.

The window indicates that there is more than we think and can see beyond that window.

Question Number 2: Explain what a balanced composition is and what is an unbalanced composition

Balanced composition:

Different compositional aspects carry weight, for example, brightness, color, and placement of the main subject. To create a balanced composition these things must be taken into consideration and distributed around the frame for a balanced feel. As with anything in art, a composition does not have to be balanced, but it’s a good idea to understand what this means so you can make a conscious decision whether to use a balanced or an unbalanced composition.

A balanced composition feels right. It feels stable and aesthetically pleasing. While some of its elements might be focal points and attract your eye, no other area of the composition draws your eye so much that you can’t see the other areas. Balancing a composition involves arranging both positive elements and negative space in such a way that no other area of the design overpowers other areas. Everything works together and fits together in a seamless whole.

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Unbalanced composition:

An unbalanced composition can lead to tension. When a design is unbalanced, the individual elements dominate the whole and the composition becomes less than the sum of its parts. In some projects, unbalanced might be right for the message you're trying to communicate, but generally, you want balanced compositions.

Question Number 3 – 5: Select a frame from the short film, explain if the composition in it is balanced or unbalanced. Give examples and explain how Anderson is creating a balance in the frame you chose.

Chosen frame: 0:44

The composition in this frame is balanced because you can see that in this frame everything is symmetrical and organized, Ralph is in the middle of the frame his buttons are also in the middle of his body, the buttons are close. The ice around the window looks well used around the window, the ice adds more detail into the frame and gives us the feeling that its winter. The paper notes on the board behind Ralph are also organized and symmetrical.

Anderson is creating a very well balanced frame because everything seems right and pleasant to see and look at, it doesn’t seem like a mess and gives the viewer a feeling that this is a well thought short movie. He creates that balance by placing the camera and Ralph in the middle of the window and makes sure everything is organized, for example, the colors and brightness are just on point. The use and variation of colors give the viewer a feel like he is on a train on Christmas morning.

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Part 3 – Metonymy

Question Number 1: Explain what a Metonymy is

Metonymy is the use of a linked term to stand in for an object or concept. You can find examples of metonymy used frequently in both literature and everyday speech.

Sometimes metonymy is chosen because it's a well-known characteristic of the concept. A famous example is, "The pen is mightier than the sword," from Edward Bulwer Lytton's play Richelieu. This sentence has two metonyms:

"Pen" stands for "the written word." "Sword" stands for "military aggression."Metonyms are members of the figurative language family, so they serve as colorful ways to take the ordinary and dress it up in something poetic or beautiful.

Another example:

The white house - The White House will be making an announcement around noon today.

Question Number 2: Explain how Anderson creates a metonymic connection between the space and the characters in the end scene

Anderson creates a metonymic connection in the end scene by making us since the start of the short film feel like all the train passengers are alone on the train and are not with their family members yet due to weather conditions, but at the end scene of the short film when Ralph and his assistant decorated one of the cars and all the lonely passengers come together to celebrate Christmas it feels like they are one big happy family. They also give the child to put the Christmas star on the tree as the final decoration.

Part 4 – Sound and soundtracksQuestion Number 1: What are the two songs featured in the movie?

Song number one: The Little Drummer boy - with words and music by Katherine K. Davis. Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone.

Song number two: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – John Lennon

Question Number 2: Describe the poems briefly regarding creators, year, meaning, and cultural and historical context.

Song number one: The Little Drummer Boy is a popular Christmas song written by Katherine Kennecott Davis in 1941 In the lyrics, the singer relates how, as a poor young boy, he was summoned by the Magi to the Nativity of Jesus. Without a gift for the Infant, the little drummer boy played his drum with approval from Jesus's

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mother, Mary. Two lines of the song are: "I played my best for him" and "He smiled at me".

Song number two: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) is a Christmas song released in 1971 as a single by John Lennon and Yoko/Plastic Ono Band. Their song is a protest song against the Vietnam War, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) has since become a Christmas standard, frequently recorded by other artists, appearing on compilation albums of seasonal music, and named in polls as a holiday favorite. The mine purpose of the song is the protests against America's involvement in the Vietnam War – that primarily consisted of renting billboard space in 12 major cities around the world for the display of black-and-white posters that declared "WAR IS OVER! If You Want It – Happy Christmas from John & Yoko"

Question Number 3: Explain why you think Anderson chose these two specific songs in the movie.

Each passenger has a little picture of a dear one, which for a young woman is a dog, meaning that they are all being expected by their loved ones.The short movie features a distant choir singing The Little Drummer Boy, a nostalgic Christmas song that tells the story of a young boy who finds himself witnessing Jesus’ birth and starts playing his drum as well as he can to make up for the fact that unlike the Magi, he hasn’t brought him a gift. Anderson’s musical choice is not casual.

The last scene of the movie shows the passengers having a good time in the dining car, celebrating Christmas around a Christmas tree that was decorated at the last minute. This is when Happy Xmas by John Lennon starts playing, thus suggesting that the war is finally over. It is important to keep in mind that Happy Xmas is a protest song that John Lennon and Yoko Ono wrote and composed to criticize the Vietnam War. It follows that H&M is much more than a clothing-retail company: it is also a lifestyle brand that is close to consumers and aims to keep serving and pleasing them through good and bad times. Unlike its competitors, H&M understands what is going on in the world and is not afraid to take a stance on contentious issues. A previous advert, for example, showed two women kissing in the swimming pool, thus suggesting that H&M supports LGTB rights. Similarly, the ad being analyzed seeks to convey a simple and yet important message: we can easily overcome any difficulties if we cooperate with strangers rather than being afraid of them. Anderson relies on a series of emotional appeals to ensure that the message behind “Come Together” reaches the company’s target audience. The link to the H&M online store that appears at the end of the video is intended to remind consumers that they can buy H&M clothes even while traveling.

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