EDEN317 Assignment: Comparative Film Study

Question 1:

In Greens idea to mirror the short story there were inevitably scenes that were cut or altered while
keeping the original story intact. In the short story for example the entire story was seen through
Josephs perspective, in contrast the short film which did away with the inner monologue opting for an
Omniscient 3rd person perspective, this was done to better show the relationships between the
characters. The short story also contained a large-scale massacre scene however due to filming
locations and budgetary restrictions this scene was cut in the film. The short story also contained a
private scene between the teacher and Joseph however no such scene existed in the film. The film was
able to mirror the humor very well to that found in the short story though. With all these we see the
differences by way of creative expression and similarities to keep the story alive.

Question 2:

The reviews by Ballington and Knight have both similarities and differences which need to be
compared. Both reviews similarly do great in covering the basic synopsis of the film, however it does
seem Ballington goes in greater depth in contrast to Knights review. Knights review does contain a
movie similarity/ movie recommendation unlike that of Ballington’s review. Knight also has a star
rating (rating of 4) for his review while Ballington does not have a star rating. Ballington similarly to
Knight speaks on how the film brings awareness to Dyslexia. Knight later speaks on the effective
montage scene and how impactful the music is in assisting it. This idea is mirrored by Ballington’s
review. Overall, both reviews speak to how wonderfully director Yew Weng Ho captures the audience.
Essay Question 3:

Short stories and films are made to provoke emotion, explore character development and dive into the
intricate layers of storytelling. By examining the short films New Boy produced by Steph Green and
Mical by Yew Weng Ho, I cannot be helped but be struck by the similarities that exist in their literary
and production elements. When I read the statement, I can only strongly agree; despite having unique
settings and plot lines, the films share similar elements of themes and conflicts as well as clever use of
opening shots and editing techniques. In this essay, I will provide insightful evidence and clarity on
why I as a viewer strongly agree with the statement on the short films having more similarities than
differences in terms of their literary and production elements. I will achieve this by looking at the
themes and conflicts within the two stories. Thereafter I will discuss production elements in terms of
opening shots and editing. Finally, I will conclude by highlighting the important points made
throughout the writing piece.

First and foremost, I will be looking at the themes. In the short film New Boy the story revolves
around an African Boy named Joseph who has started at a new school in Ireland. This delves into the
theme of being ‘the other’. Joseph feels isolated in the classroom and not fitting in with the rest of the
class. This is evident as we see him being only the second black child in the class, off the bat showing
us he is a part of the minority. The only other black student Pamela further ostracized him by refusing
for him to sit next to her (since she is already part of the in-clique). This in comparison with Mical
sees a very similar scenario. Mical also deals with the theme of ‘the other’, this is because the schools
he is in are unable to deal with his Dyslexia. He is an outcast in a school and society which sees him
as different simply on the basis that he is unable to read. Another theme dealt with in Mical is that of
bullying. This is shown in the inter-cut scenes with him being bullied on the playground being called
names such as stupid because he cannot perform academically to the same level they can. This all
stems from the teacher. The teacher demoralizes him by calling him names like, ‘stupid’ and ‘lazy’
because she doesn’t understand what it is Mical suffers from. Similarly, Joseph in New Boy also
covers themes of bullying. This is through verbal bullying from Christian when he threatens Joseph
“you’re dead”. Also, through physical bullying by cornering Joseph to a wall (reminiscent of a similar
scene in Mical where the bullies slam him against the wall) and throwing snot at Joseph. It is also
interesting how both directors show their respective protagonist fighting back, with Joseph squeezing
Christian’s finger and Mical punching the bully. The teacher in New Boy can also be considered a
bully with how she picks on Seth knowing full well he struggles with math, mirroring the scene where
Mical is made to read aloud. New Boy has the theme of Stereotypes best shown with Christians
remarks about Live Aid directed at Joseph assuming he must come from a starving country in Africa.
Hazel is another stereotype first shown as a goody two-shoes but is later shown with a more rebellious
side when she confronts the teacher. Likewise, Mical is stereotyped as stupid and lazy because he
suffers from dyslexia. Lastly is the theme of appearance versus reality within Mical. On the surface he
appears quiet and lazy however the deeper you go into his character you realize he is a child shunned
by society dealing with Dyslexia. Yet, by overcoming his learning disorder we see a bright young boy
eager to learn with a bubbly personality. New Boy mirrors this theme; on the surface Joseph is a quiet
and shy boy fighting with students yet in reality he has had a painful past having seen his father shot
and killed in front of him, dealing with this pain alone. With this we wrap up the themes present in
both films.

I will now go over the various conflicts within the two films and how alike they are to one another.
First, I do think it is important to specify there are two types of conflicts, Internal and external
conflicts. In Josephs case (New Boy), his internal conflict is his rough past having seen his father die
in front of him. He tries to handle this conflict alone and in silence not asking for help, this presents
Joseph as a shy and stiff character. Along similar lines Mical also deals with Internal conflicts in his
case being Dyslexic. This causes him great strife as he feels inferior to the other children, believing
there to be something wrong with him. This is perfectly captured in the scene where he has his
outburst- crying and flailing about- after trying unsuccessfully to read a book. Although different for
different reasons each conflict creates the same result. A shy and quiet child feeling isolated and the
other. However, Mical also deals with external conflict by way of the society/ Institute of learning in
general labelling him as a problem child and incapable of being taught. This is seen with schools
expelling him. Mical also endures conflict from incessant bullying as seen by the name calling and
taunting. Similarly, Joseph also deals with bullying seen in scenes where Christian throws the milk
carton on him, flings snot at him and verbally abuses him. Both boys are tormented by bullies, and
both overcome their conflict, Joseph by befriending them over their shared feelings on the teacher and
Mical by sheer determination overcoming his disability and proving his bullies wrong. Overall, both
films deal with protagonists suffering from their own personal struggles and that of bullying.

Literary elements are not the only similarities between the two films. Now I will be discussing the
first of the production elements I will be discussing, the opening scene. In New Boy the opening shot
is an over the shoulder shot with Joseph facing the class with the teacher’s hand on his shoulder. From
Josephs point of view, “his new classmates are blurry and confusing”, (Character Analysis of the New
Boy-974 words| 123 Help Me, n.d.). This helps to show us Joseph is a new student, and we see him
being different from most of the other students in the class (since almost all the blurry faces are
white). This from the opening scene sets the divide between this outsider and the rest of the class.
Equally significant is the opening scene of Mical which features Mical’s mother sitting in the
principal’s office inter-cut with scenes of Mical being bullied and him in the classroom. These
intercuts serve as a similar disorientating feeling as seen with the blurred faces in New Boy. The
opening scene, like that of New Boy shows us what Mical is dealing with, being belittled by the
teacher, bullied on the field and most importantly struggling to read. These opening scenes both do
well to introduce our protagonists to the film and the battles we see them face from the start. We see
Josephs isolation from being different (in terms of race and country of birth) and Mical’s isolation
from battling undiagnosed dyslexia.

Finally, the last point I wish to cover is the editing between the two films. First, we need to discuss
what editing is; editing is as described by Frawley (2023), “The art of connecting shots, scenes, and
sequences to pull a movie’s story together”. Within New Boy an important editing technique used was
that of a flashback. With this us as viewers were able to see the memories Joseph remembers about his
time in Africa. These flashbacks do many things to us as an audience, first it shows us Josephs past
both the good (the joy he is seen with in the African classroom) and the pain. These flashbacks are a
juxtaposition of his past and present. One of the key flashbacks was his father being taken away by
some military officers. When the carton of milk hits Joseph in the present the sound of it hitting is
replaced with a gunshot. This gives us the eerie feeling Josephs father was killed. This style of editing
is mirrored in the start of Mical with the various inter-cuts showing -similar to that of Joseph- the
events that have led both protagonists to this point in their story. In Josephs case the death of his
father and in Mical’s case the bullying and humiliation he felt in school while living with Dyslexia.
Another important editing technique used in Mical was that of a montage. There is a montage in the
latter part of the film showing us scenes of Pat learning how to teach Dyslexic children and Pat
teaching Mical. Within this two-year montage we see the growth Mical experiences and his road to
learn how to read. Furthermore, the music in New Boy used during the flashback scenes is an African
instrumental music highlighting the setting of the flashback, the rhythm also appears very upbeat and
joyous, this makes the cut back to present time even more striking with a sudden stop to the music, as
if reality is setting in again. Similarly, Mical also features an upbeat song during its montage scene.
The song Sunny is a perfect representation of the fun and joy Mical experiences during this
timeframe. Also, just like New Boy, the silence once the music is abruptly cut speaks volumes about
the difference in atmosphere between the various scenes. For Mical this silence is him reading for the
first time after the montage, will the echoes of ‘stupid’ ringing in his head prevail or will he be the one
to triumph. With this we see the similarities the music and silences have on the protagonist and film
overall. As well as the various inter-cut scenes, montages, and flashbacks with their overall similar
meaning behind them.

Thus, indeed as stated from the introduction, I continue to strongly agree there are more similarities
than differences between the two short films, Mical and New Boy. This was stance was proven when
identifying both films to have themes of the other, stereotyping, bullying and appearance versus
reality. I showcased how the various internal and external conflicts were linked under key ideas found
within both. I discussed the relevance of the opening scene and the similarities they highlighted.
Lastly, speaking about the similar editing styles and how all these worked seamlessly together to
create a unique work of film for each, while still sharing many similarities with one another.
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