Boy Essay 1.5

The film Boy directed by Taika Waititi showcases the importance of a role model. Taika Waititi uses the Bridge scene to showcase the importance of a role model and child neglect. This is where Boy realises that his father is not a role model. Taika Waititi uses music, flashbacks and camera shots, mainly close ups, to underline and help showcase the concept of child neglect to his viewers.

Paragraph 1 – Music

Taika Waititi used music during the Bridge scene to help show to the viewers Boy’s realisation that his Father was not a role model. In the beginning of the film we can see that Boy’s Father was missing from the picture but when his Father finally does return to Waihau Bay he is not interested in being with Boy or his family, it shows that he is only interested in finding the money that he buried long ago before he left. For Boy he does not realise this and looks up to his Father as he always had. Boy doesn’t come to realise this until the Bridge scene where he is hit with the truth and realises the understanding that his father was never a role model, he is only looking out for himself but sadly can barely do that. Taika Waititi utilised music to help show Boy’s realisation that his Father is not a role model during the bridge scene. Amazing Grace is played during Boy’s realisation. It is sung in Maori and starts of quietly, slowly getting louder and drowning out all the other sound in that moment. The lyrics being “That saved a wretch like me. Wretch is referring to Boy being the poor, unfortunate and unhappy soul. “I once was lost but now am saved”. This outlines Boy’s realisation of not understanding his father but now is saved at the understanding that he is not a role model. “Was blind but now I see”. Blind showing that Boy was blind about his father and could not see but now he can finally see who is father really is. Watching Boy but especially the Bridge scene made me realise how lots of kids don’t have the same supporting, loving and caring parents as I do. With Boy’s father not being a role model to his kids this shows child neglect. Child Neglect means not meeting a child’s physical and emotional needs. New Zealand has a really high rate of Child Neglection. We have the 7th highest rate of child homicide. In Boy Shogun neglected his kids emotionally, he did not want to spend time with them but on the chance he did he would have been smoking weed. Shogun does not show love or care towards his kids as he only looks out for himself but yet can still barely did that.

Paragraph 2 – Flashbacks

Taika Waititi also utilised flashbacks in the Bridge scene to help show Boy’s realisation that his Father is not a role model. Taika Waititi used three specific flashbacks in the Bridge scene. Earlier on in the film we see these same three flashbacks but at the bridge scene with Boy’s realisation, the flashbacks have changed a little. Flashback one shows the iconic tree branch, with the Bridge in the background, Mother and Boy sitting next to each other hugging. It is the same flash back as the one from earlier on in the movie except his Father is not there this time. The tree branch being iconic because it has the Bridge behind it in the background of the shot. As the Bridge is a special place were Boy feels connected to his dead Mother, they used to spend lots of time there before she passed away. Flashback two shows Boy and his Mother at the beach, his Father is not there. Boy’s Mother is crying, looking very emotional, her hands are on her belly caressing her tummy as she is pregnant. In the same flashback earlier on in the movie it shows that his Father is there with Boy and his Mother, they were happy at what looked like a close loving family excited for the arrival of a new child. But because Boy is realising that his Father was never actually there for his childhood he also realises that him thinking his Father was there earlier on was just Boy’s own fantasy. Flashback three shows a full over the shoulder shot of Boy looking into his Nana’s bedroom, the scene is when his Mother was giving birth to Rocky but sadly passed away after. The Father isn’t there meaning that the Mothers partner is completely absent during his son’s birth and his wife’s death. Just like the other two flashbacks earlier on in the movie, his Father was there in this flashback too. In Boy’s fantasy he put his Father in this scene, as Boy watched his Father was crying and hunched over the bed with the Mother on it. But again this was all Boy’s fantasy of him putting his Father in pictures that he never was in. This comes back to his realisation of his Father not being a role model because he was never there for either of his son’s childhoods. With Sogun not being present in Boy’s life he is neglecting Boy. When Shogun is not around for Boy’s life Boy makes up this whole fantasy of his Father being to busy for him, when he finally is back in town Shogun shows no interest in Boy’s life as he is always high when they spend “quality time together”. With Shogun always involving drugs and alcohol into his own life this will effect into Boy’s life as well with him thinking of them as a normality. Studies have shown that parents who use drugs or drink above the average amount of alcohol will affect onto their kids lives thinking that drugs and alcohol are a normality. It is shown that most kids who have grown up with a parent with an alcohol or drug addiction end up going in that same path as their parents ended up in.

Paragraph 3 – Camera Shots

Taika Waititi utilised camera shots as another cinematography technique to help show Boy’s realisation that his Father is not a role model. The close up camera shots in the bridge scene are mixed in with the flashbacks. There are three close ups just like there are three flashbacks. Each close up moves in closer, highlighted by lyrics and what he sees in the flashbacks. The first camera shot is an extreme high angle/close up of Boy’s face as he slowly tilts his head backwards, then this is where dreamlike music starts to play and the first flashback of him and his mother in the tree start to play out. After this it goes back to Boy on the bridge railing but the camera shot is closer in his face starting to show his realisation slowly, the second flashback is clipped in of the mother and Boy at the beach. Then for the last time it goes back to Boy with an extreme close up on boy’s face with just his eyes and nose. The third flashback of his mother dead after giving birth to rookie is shown. It goes back to boy with an extreme close up, looking like he is looking straight at us. He is finally realising that his father wasn’t present in his childhood and is seeing the truth that it was all just Boy’s own fantasy until his realisation. I think that with these camera shots, close ups, it really showed Boy’s realisation that his father was not a role model. They linked in with the flashbacks and the music all highlighting the main idea of the film. In my opinion Taika Waititi really highlighted Boy’s realisation for his viewers. 

Conclusion

Taika Waititi’s film ‘Boy’ highlighted many ideas, but the importance of a role model was the one that was brought up and showed most throughout the film. The challenging setting being the Bridge scene showed the viewers Boy’s emotions as he had his realisation about his father. Taika Waititi utilised music, flashbacks and camera shots, mainly close ups to help underline the importance of a role model but he also joined in neglect to the film too.