Sister


 * Plot:** The main character Simon wants a more normal life. As a 12 year old son of a prostitute, their financial situation or living arrangements are far from perfect.
 * Theme:** Stability, in the form of income or affection from his mom. His life is full of extreme highs and lows.
 * Tone:** I felt melancholy after finished watching what could be a depressing story. The story itself is somewhat depressing, none of the characters seem to have high hopes for the future.

1. This scene is heavily influenced by the blue lighting. This scene is lit this way in order to show the "low" part of Simon's life, as he had failed to get good loot, get food and as a result, has a small falling out with his mother. We can tell Simon at this time is not happy through the use of blue coloring, a "cool" color that exhibits cold feelings. Coincidentally, in this scene the character has cold feelings from his mother and also physically feels cold outside in the winter. Overall, this unhappiness is just a part of his turbulent coming of age story. This is part of the ups and down in his lives. While he is discovering who he is as a person, he must also deal with extra burdens of being a breadwinner.

2. This scene is mostly characterized by the low key lighting. The scene is lit this way in order to show that Simon stealing ski's is a darker part of his life, both literally and figuratively. Simon must commit crimes in order to support himself in the darker side to his way of life as the son of a single mother, who doesn't earn enough money. It is Simon who must do what he does not like, as shown by the dark lighting. This contributes to the overall exposition of the highs and lows of his life.

3. The action Simon undertakes in this scene is symbolic of the relationship the two share. As the breadwinner of the family, Simon has in some ways undertaken a parental role as he takes care of both of them. Thus, he holds the money up high from his mother so that she must reach up and grab it, in a way undermining herself. She is taking money from someone holding it above her head, much like the way a child takes money away from a parents hand above their head. The person who holds the power is not the mother, it is the son.

4. The props beside Simon in this shot makes it a visual metaphor. In this scene, Simon is riding away from the lodge in a garbage cart after after being found out by the workers for stealing. The garbage is used to visually show that he is literally reduced to be no better than garbage, and is treated like so. This is an obvious indication of his situation, as this scene is towards the end of the movie where everything close to stable in his life begins to unravel.

5. The low key lighting here also contributes to the idea of highs and lows of their lives. After Simon (boy) half strangles his mom, she is portrayed as more vulnerable and innocent by being lit with a warm, almost angelic light from the back. Meanwhile, the first shot we see of Simon, is completely in black, showing his character's "evil" actions have defined him as a bad person or at the very least, conflicted.

6. The movement here is deliberately slow and timid. They move in a way as if they have just woken up, moving gently across the floor with light footsteps. This is befitting of the theme, because these two have just undergone a whole range of emotions. In the wake of a giant tragedy, people don't move around with loud footsteps and equally loud talking. They are instead, quiet. Simon and his "sister," are quiet. They have gone through a traumatic moment, and their movements reflect that.

7. The props or costumes of the main characters are incredibly crucial in the first instance we see the mother. By her skirt and heeled boots alone, we can tell that this person is probably not the world's most sophisticated person. Add that to the beat up car she comes out of, we can also tell that Simon's mom isn't rich (or at least we get the impression that she isn't). This exposition is crucial to the development of the reasons for why Simon's life lacks stability. 8. The dramatic framing of this scene makes it feel almost empty as the long shot makes it hard to spot even the main characters. There are several key moments in the film where there are differently framed shots that varies sharply from the usual mix. The cinematographer has chosen to make this shot look very impersonal and "empty" because the character placement has the two characters have just had an argument, and are literally and figuratively "distant" from each other now. (the two characters are standing far apart in the frame) Alas, this is only part of the daily cycle of instability in their lives. Its moments like this where the framing is different does the audience get the impression of instability even further, as the shots themselves are inconsistent (in this case at least).

9. As the story takes place in a mountain town, the setting becomes a metaphor for Simon's life. As the theme revolves around instability and its respective highs and lows, Simon travels up to the mountain in order to obtain the "high" of his life. <range type="comment" id="408380692_9">Coincidentally, the mountain resort is also up "high" when compared to the town he lives in. Whenever Simon is up in the mountain, he is both literally high up, and experiencing a high point of his day. The converse is true for the lows of his day.</range id="408380692_9">

10. The acting for almost all characters is never best described as energetic, rather reserved. For the situation the main characters are in, it is only fitting that their behavior reflect the severity of their problems. Simon himself is never completely happy, rather it visibly clear that he only shows happiness from basic things like teasing his mom. <range type="comment" id="408380692_10">For the most part, Simon has a stern look on his face. The disparity of Simon and his mother's situation is almost palpable.</range id="408380692_10">