Analysing Skin
How Anthony Fabian uses CAMELS to present Sandra’s search for her identity. It should be half a page (two paragraphs) in length.
Anthony Fabian’s film ‘Skin’ explores themes of identity and belonging through exposing the true story of Sandra Laing. Her struggle, particularly during her frantic attempt to ‘whiten’ herself is a key scene that allows viewers to understand her confusion and discomfort sprouted within her at a young age. Sandra as this stage in the film begins her search for identity.
Fabian chooses to emphasise the harsh cleaning products and Sandra empties them one-by-one into a paste like mixture. His choice in extending the scene long enough to capture the numerous products have a cumulative effect on the audience, as this emphasises her frustration and determination to what in her mind was ‘making things right’.
Also, the mise-en-scene presented during this stage in the film is the cleaning bottles included in the frame, however isn’t focused on. If concentrated, the placement of the cleaning bottles having labels exposing their harshness in nature as ‘disinfectant’ speaks to the audience. Fabian attempts to exaggerate the message portrayed, as Sandra’s child-like thinking influences her behaviour in searching for who she thinks she needs to be to belong. In this case, ‘bleaching’ her skin will result in her life’s drama declining, therefore allowing her to belong.
By dimming the lighting, Fabian sets the mood amongst viewers to be a gloomy, tense one. This exaggerates the otherwise emotional setting during this graphic scene in the film. Further, the dramatic and eerie music played as well as Sandra’s quiet cries of pain ignites viewer’s feelings of sympathy, resulting in him effectively presenting a strong example of Sandra searching for her
Anthony Fabian’s film ‘Skin’ explores themes of identity and belonging through exposing the true story of Sandra Laing. Her struggle, particularly during her frantic attempt to ‘whiten’ herself is a key scene that allows viewers to understand her confusion and discomfort sprouted within her at a young age. Sandra as this stage in the film begins her search for identity.
Fabian chooses to emphasise the harsh cleaning products and Sandra empties them one-by-one into a paste like mixture. His choice in extending the scene long enough to capture the numerous products have a cumulative effect on the audience, as this emphasises her frustration and determination to what in her mind was ‘making things right’.
Also, the mise-en-scene presented during this stage in the film is the cleaning bottles included in the frame, however isn’t focused on. If concentrated, the placement of the cleaning bottles having labels exposing their harshness in nature as ‘disinfectant’ speaks to the audience. Fabian attempts to exaggerate the message portrayed, as Sandra’s child-like thinking influences her behaviour in searching for who she thinks she needs to be to belong. In this case, ‘bleaching’ her skin will result in her life’s drama declining, therefore allowing her to belong.
By dimming the lighting, Fabian sets the mood amongst viewers to be a gloomy, tense one. This exaggerates the otherwise emotional setting during this graphic scene in the film. Further, the dramatic and eerie music played as well as Sandra’s quiet cries of pain ignites viewer’s feelings of sympathy, resulting in him effectively presenting a strong example of Sandra searching for her