Hayden Westerfield

Professor Wolansky

Short film analysis

Analysis of ​Parc Monceau

Alfonso Cuaron​’s film ​Parc Monceau​, a public park in Paris, thrives on strong dialogue,

delivery, cinematography, and pacing.

In the short, we open with a couple establishing shots to essentially tell the audience

about the culture of this area of Paris. We then follow the characters in a walk and talk for the

majority of the shorts run. As the scene progresses, we are slowly brought in tighter on the

characters. This long shot allows the audience to really focus on the dialogue and the

mannerisms of the characters. The audience enters the scene without knowledge of what is going

on and where the dialogue is going. We learn through social cues that the male is late which

shapes the female of the story’s behavior as she is rushed and angry. The relationship between

the characters are unknown. This leaves the audience to slowly interpret what is happening

throughout the scene.

The casting alone tells us a lot about the characters. Vincent has a deep and raspy voice.

Contradicted by his daughter's youthful and sweet voice. Claire also mostly speaks in french

while her dad doesn’t seem to have quite nailed the language down. This language barrier sets

the audience up for an expectation of rising tension. I was touched, you called” followed by

Claire saying “I was desperate”. This dialogue reinforces that the relationship is estranged

between the two individuals. There is then a reveal that Victor has a smoking problem. Through

a twist in the climax, Victor is revealed to be Claire’s father who is late to take care of her baby

son. Claire leaves for a night out with a friend and leaves the dad with a message to not wake up
the child. The smoking problem set up earlier then plays out as the father decides to light a

cigarette which of course wakes the child.

The main reason this short is a personal favorite is because of the dialogue and

delivery. The lines flew very natural and the actors conveyed the father daughter sentiment

successfully. I found the dad charming in a burning out father figure demeanor. The audience is

engaged from the start as the camera literally follows them to this unknown destination. Leaving

a lot unknown and jumping right into the dialogue is a more enchanting approach.