Two cars one night

synopsis Two cars on night begins with two boys sitting in the front of a parked

car at a hotel, waiting for their parents. Time passes and another car pulls up beside them. A girl who, also jumps into the front seat of the car, is left waiting for her parents too. The boys and girl then begin to talk. At first there appears to be some sort of rivalry between each other, however over some time it develops into a friendship.

This short film was released in 2004. it was written and directed by Taika Waititi, with the cinematography done by Adam Clark. It won and was nominated for a number of short film awards at AFI Film Festival, Birling international Film Festival, NZ Film and TV awards etc.

Directors Aim Taika Waititi - ‘There are a few moments in childhood

that have a lasting impact. Not because they change the course of your life, or because they arrive with any great fanfare, in fact quite the opposite. Those are moments where an unexpected joy is found in the everyday, a moment of beauty in the ordinary’

Here the director explains his intentions for the short film. His aim was to capture the very small things that happen to everyone in life, representing its peacefulness and innocence against all the other mayhem we face. His objective was to capture the subtle things such as rivalry, friendship and kindness which makes us human however go unnoticed. Waititi does this through the eyes of children to show how moments which have a ‘lasting impact’ doesn't have to be significantly large in action of forcefulness, but can occur through the purity of heart and mind.

Narrative The narrative of ‘two cars one night’ seems to conform to Todorov’s Theory of

Equilibrium and Disequilibrium at the beginning of the film, however it drifts away from the theory half way through.

1. Equilibrium: The boys are in the car at an empty car park waiting for their parents. (Everything is as it should be)

2. Disequilibrium: A car pulls up beside with a girl waiting in it. (Disruption of order)

3. Recognition: (Recognition that the disruption has occurred) The boy shouts out to the girl and is rude.

4. Repair: (An attempt to repair the damage of disruption) The girl shouts back and is rude also. They are now even in terms of child-play.

5. New equilibrium: Now that the boy and girl have got each other back, they introduce their self to each other.

The narrative starts by following each step of the theory...

... However it rebels against Todorovs theory by failing to repeat each step over again. Instead the narrative expands on the new equilibrium – ‘Everything remains as it should’ be for the rest of the narrative. There is no significant turn of events, twist or happy ending to the film. It simply just ends. This choice of narrative method creates an effective naturalistic ending to the film. It portrays real life accurately, as life doesn't always seem to go to ‘plan’, we don't always get the ending we want, its not something we can predict. The narrative also supports the writers intentions of the film, which is to capture the small things in life which have a big impact on us, as the storyline remains simple but very effective.

Editing

childhood is the main representation in this short film and the audience is able to view life through the eyes of a child by the clever use of cinematography and editing techniques. For example as the boy first meets the girl, who’d been staring, he instantly labels her as ‘ugly'. Just as a 9 year old would only understand beauty as an appearance rather than inner qualities, the film begins to suggest that children have a small understanding of life and view things in its simplest forms. Editing the film in black and white was therefore effective because it reflects how young children see life in black and white – seeing things one way or the other. This makes it compulsory for the audience to view the film through the eyes of a child, in its simplest form. The audience are then able to be involved and relate more to the film, as they view it how children metaphorically view it – in black and white.

The choice of editing was also used effectively to illustrate the passing of time . For example the opening sequence of the film shows clouds moving across an evening sky. This was followed by the coming and going of vehicles and people in the car park where the boys were sat waiting. The time-lapse technique was used to speed up the action of these scenes. Emphasising what little movement and action came from the boys in the car. This worked well in showing the passing of time, in a short film specifically, because it allows the audience to gain understand how much as happened in a short duration of time. Allowing more time for the narrative to develop.

Cinematography Along with editing, cinematography was used well in reflecting life through

the eyes of a child. repetition of a long shot is continuously used by the cinematographer in order to evoke a sense of childhood. A long shot is used to show the separation of the cars, highlighting a parallel division between the boy and girl who sit within. In relation to the ideas behind the editing use of black and white, the use of the long shot suggests that through the eyes of children boys and girls live in separate worlds, or are just completely different. Long shots allow the audience to view the characters and set, gaining better understanding of them and the relationship between the two. Therefore this shot is also effective because the audience are able to get the clear message that the characters live and have separate lives, which may never again intertwine.

The common stereotype that young children wish to be or try to act older then their age is frequently represented in this short film and is highlighted in particular camera shot. A point of view shot is used where the camera shot has been taken from the position of the character. For example in this shot the girl is looking at her reflection through the car mirror. The point of view shot is used to enhance a sense of realism and involvement, so the audience actually view the girls reflection through their own eyes as though they are that character themselves . Adults viewing the girls reflection, in the characters position, suggests that the character views herself through the mirror as an adult. The cinematographer would have chosen this shot in order to involve the audience when representing the stereotypes of children - That they want to be viewed as adults.

Mise en scene Age as a social group, which is represented throughout the short

film, is significantly highlighted through the use of mise en scene. Children behaving more maturely than is expected of their age is represented by the use of props. For example the newspaper which the youngest boys sits reading. This grown-up action, as well as his behaviour when addressing the issue of the staring girl, tells the audience more about his personality/character. That perhaps he is intelligent and mature. It also raises the stereotype, of children wanting to be older, again further.

Another example of the use of props is the diamond ring which belongs to the girl. This prop suggests that she is perhaps quite girly and fantasies’ over growing up and getting married. The prop also represents women as a social group, representing the cliché that ‘diamonds are a girls best friend’. Since she sits alone in a car with just the ring to play with.

So the choice of props is effective in telling the audience more about the character and their personality, as well as representing different social groups, themes and ideas.