Karl Serge Aswad

Art of Film Exam

Big Shave a short film by Martin Scorsese

Background and Story Line.

The big shave is a short film by Martin Scorsese made in 1967 about a man who profusely shaved himself to
the degree where he bled himself to death. In general, it is perceived by critics as the process of killing a
soldier during the time of the Vietnam War as he is constantly bleeding himself to death. This movie was shot
during the time of the Vietnam war and Scorsese and his goal is not to please us but rather unsettle us which
is a reoccurring theme in the movie in order to deliver the anti Vietnam message. He was against the war
movement as he saw that the ending would be catastrophic. The purpose of the film is simple, it is the
willingness to harm himself in exchange for national recognition.

At first everything seemed normal in the film, he looked like an average person doing his daily routine.
However as time goes by, he was trying to provoke our nature by slicing himself constantly, which triggered
me. And what is interesting about this movie is that its 5 minutes, which means that there is nothing after
these 5 min that are comforting. There is no push where you can be at ease. No, Scorsese purposefully made
it 5 minutes in order to deliver his gory message.

To put it in perspective, The Big Shave is an experimental film “formalist”. It has no clear story line, just a
message to deliver. In the beginning there was jazz music playing. There is a specific meaning to the song
and that is the lost innocence, “I’ve flown around the world in a plane / I’ve settled revolutions in Spain”.
This means that the person who is traveling across the world has seen a lot of death. Unlike what we have
today, which is traveling for leisure. Back then traveling would be for the elite or the soldiers.

What surprises me is that the music is incongruent to the message of the story. Considering the story is about
the terror of Vietnam, why isn’t the music more chaotic or “hard”. I think the US portrays the Vietnam as
something that is right to do, so playing this soft music makes you feel like the US is making it look like war
is a normal part of life. If the music was more chaotic, then the United States is on the bad side of things.

Color
Initially, the movie starts with white background, the man is wearing white and his whole bathroom is
wearing white. This can be portrayed as innocence, this could be scene as America’s intent in the war, which
is to protect its citizens. America’s rationalization for going to war is always “to create peace”. However as
time passes more blood is coming out, which is red. This is showing the sacrifice that the soldiers have gone
through to protect the peaceful “white” color. It also shows how power hunger in America affects its citizens
and soldier, that’s why the color red becomes more prevalent as the movie goes by. I like the contrast he has
done from White in the beginning and in the ending with red, which means that it is Peace (white) vs (War)
red.

Although that is my point of view, Martin Scorcese’s view of the Whiteness is the look of terror,
Karl Serge Aswad

Angle and movement

Initially the camera shows the bathroom in details. It could mean self sufficiency “comfort”. Like you
already have everything you need, a roof over your head, a shower, water. Pairing this with the color white,
shows that a person should be content with what he has. The camera’s angle for the beginning of the film
shows is close toward the lense. The angles are all facing the man’s face, it is not showing anything else.
Scorsese is trying to show the blaze attitude of the man as he is bleeding to death. What is odd about the
movie is the non reactivity the man has to bleeding to death. It is like he is saying that the pain he is putting
himself through does not matter and he as a soldier has no say regardless of the pain he is going through.

What is interesting is towards the end when he is shaving his neck as it is bleeding heavily is how the camera
was shot it from the right and the left.
Karl Serge Aswad

Frame composition

Most of the shots made were close ups to his face, they just show the area in which he is shaving his face.
They barely ever show is full face in the beginning, most of the time they are showing him looking through
the mirror. The only time, they show a portrait of him is when he is bleeding a-lot. That is the time where
they show him from a portrait stand.

Also, the interesting frames are the ones where they show the sink becoming redder and redder, I think this
means that they are showing how in-spite of how much he is bleeding, it is America’s denial of anything
negative happening “ denying the pain and suffering of the war hero”.

Overall, this essay depicted the following:

1. The meaning of this symbolism of this film. It being about the war in Vietnam.
2. The angles and the frame and its significance to the meaning of this movie. Blood signifying the
indifference of American leaders to the soldiers.
3. The contrast between the white color and red. Peace vs War
4. Why it was showing the beginning of the bathroom “discontent with having a roof over your head.