"Slap" Caroline Robertson

Link to Film -http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p005b9wn
The film "Slap" I found on the BBC film network website. Can be seen via link above.

The genre is a social realism. This is made clear by the starke and gritty reality of an issue which many people try to avoid thinking about - domestic violence. It put's the audience right in the shoes of a woman suffering under the hands of her husband.

It opens with a close up of her face, showing her fear and hurt after being hit, which we hear a foly of just before we are shown her face. Straight away this makes the audience empathise with her within seconds of the film starting. It goes on to show the audience her flashbacks, and the camera movements are fast, jerky and shaky to show her panic, and this is emphasised by folys of a mans voice yelling and objects smashing. Another flashback used which is a very strong disturbing scene is one where we see her lieing on her bed, shaking and crying and then get flashbacks of what appears to be her husband raping her. It is not clear because of the jerky again fast camera movements, but the folys of a banging and her crying definately insinuate it, together with the fact her trousers have been pulled down as she cries on the bed the audience link the two up to come to the reality she has been raped by her own husband, a concept which is both disgusting and shocking.

By this point in the film we are completely on her side with no sympathy for her husband as he begins to choke, and the fact that it cuts to a point of view shot of her looking out of the window at a train suggests that she has very little sympathy for him either. It is set in London and certain iconographies such as the cigarettes, messy house and bland clothing suggests they are working class. A pint is prominant on the table with his lunch, also suggesting ideas relating to alcoholism.

The natural lighting and dull colouring helps to set out the bleak realism for the audience, and the choking foly played throughout various shots keeps the audience at a tension point. As he reaches out to her for help, she walks away, and the audience is left wondering if she will leave him to die. She looks at their wedding photo, and we suddenly get a view of what her life would be like if he wasn't there.

An upbeat soundtrack kicks in, the colours warmen and we see her smiling for the first time, walking free and happy down the roads. It then cuts back to the actual reality of her situation, the dull colouring back, the lack of soundtrack and happiness, and as she looks at her wedding photo she turns back to him. She won't escape, and must to an extent, still love him, or the sentimental factor of the wedding photo would not cause her to turn back to him.

The ironic twist at the end as she slaps him, giving him his life back, wheras he slaps her, taking her life away is clever and inspiring and keeps the audience thinking. The film cuts to credits and we can hear him breathing heavily again, as she carries on her meal and the audience are left with the notion that nothign will change.

This film hits the issue of domestic violence and shows that although you may think your tied down by love, that things won't change unless you actively do something to change them. It is an inspiring film reaching out to women with similar experiences, encouraging them to break free, and that is why I really like this film.