Stutterer (Cleary, 2015)

Narrative Structure

A man with a speech impediment talks to a girl online for 6 months, but when she asks to meet in person he panics almost pushing her away, but decides eventually to meet her and finds out that just like him, she has to use sign language because whilst he has a stutter, she is deaf.

Genre

The film fits into the drama category

Cinematography

One of the most notable cinematography aspects in the film is the use of the BEV shots in moments of pressure and feeling alone such as when he is trying to type an excuse not to see her and when he is lying on the bed after she hasn’t contacted him for days. This gives the impression that he feel as if there is a huge weight on him, applying pressure and also makes it seem that as the audience we are are watching him closely but from afar, making him feel uncomfortable and nervous as he is a recluse.

Sound

Because of stutter, main diegetic dialogue from others whilst non diegetic narration for what he thinks. This makes other noises more noticeable such as phone

Due to the main characters stutter, diegetic dialogue mainly comes from others whilst non-diegetic narration plays over what he is thinking and feeling which has the added effect of making other noises such as the alert from his phone and the sound of typing and traffic even more prominent as they are the only noises he frequently hears because he chooses to avoid talking to other people, with the only times he does being his distant father and a lost tourist.

Mise-en-scene

After doing a bit of research, I discovered that the book he buys for her at the end of the film titled “Franny and Zooey” written by J.D. Salinger who was known for being a recluse just like Greenwood her entire life.

Performance

Greenwood’s face is often motionless and distant due to his reclusiveness and his unfamiliarity with interacting with strangers

His distant nature from his father is often shown by his sitting on opposite sides from him and at the furthest points from each other on the couch

Meaning and Response

I very much appreciated the focus on people who are deemed as different in society. Its become a common topic within film to express these differences and give them a happy ending but I believe this one accomplished this better than most. Whilst it was uplifting for those who might have felt differently because of a personal trait, it was also inspiring for those either with something not mentioned or without as its a film that extends to a greater meaning for everyone for their own reasons.

Representation

The main representational group in the film is those with disabilities, specifically people who are unable to communicate normally with other people due to either a stutter or deafness. This representation helps to show that people struggling with such problems should know that they are still able to everything that everyone else can do.