A Year in Shorts Day 83: "Snow"

Some films have titles whose meanings are cryptic and vague, only understandable if you’ve seen the movie or have delved into its themes. Geoffrey Jones’ Snow is definitely not one of those movies. Released in 1963 to document British railway workers handling the UK’s Big Freeze, Snow is definitely one of those movies where the title pretty aptly sums up what you’re in for.

(via Wikipedia)


Despite being a documentary, Snow was nominated in the category for Best Live Action Short Film, which is pretty fitting. Unlike most documentaries, Snow does not really seek to educate its audience. It doesn't even set out to tell a story. And while there is a bit of a message in there, contrasting the comfortable conditions of the railway passengers to the hard work necessary to keep it that way, Snow functions more like an experimental film than anything else. It's not something you necessarily need to understand, just vibe with. (Be warned that the video below contains some strobe-like editing towards the end).



And Snow is definitely a pretty easy short to vibe with, especially if you like trains. And who doesn't like trains? Think of all the great movies which involve trains in some capacity. Think of all the movies which could be improved by adding a train to it. Snow features a lot of trains, and also a lot of snow, and frankly more movies should follow in its footsteps.


Biggest problem with this film? Not enough trains.

(via Wikipedia)


But in all seriousness, Snow is a well-made, entertaining film which moves along at a brisk clip, thanks in no small part to some skillful editing and a propulsive score. Experimental films were well-represented in the Live Action Shorts category in the 1960s (Snow was nominated in the same year as Jim Henson's Time Piece), and while Snow might not be the best of them, it's still a damn fine film and well worth your time. I never feel like I can do these types of films justice just by talking about them, but if I can get you to watch them, that'll be good enough for me!


Keep up with the Oscar Baiting here on Letterboxd!


The Great Oscar Baiter is a not-for-profit work of criticism. All images herein are property of their respective owners and are protected under Fair Use.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Song of the Week #15: "Take My Breath Away"

Image
I’ll put myself on a consistent schedule for these things one day, I promise. In my defense, there are a lot of movies to catch up on, and isn’t that what Oscar Baiting is all about? For instance- until recently, I’d never seen the original Top Gun! But with Top Gun: Maverick holding its spot as the biggest hit of the year (probably only to be dethroned by Black Panther or Avatar ) and even potentially soaring into the obligatory crowd pleaser Best Picture slot, I figured it was time to see where things began. Because while the Oscars Top Gun: Maverick may win have yet to be decided, the first Top Gun only went home with one- for the love theme, “Take My Breath Away.” (via Wikipedia) Love themes for films have gone a bit out of style these days, although for a long time it seemed to be a surefire way to nab a Best Song nomination. Seriously, look through the Wikipedia article and count how many times you see "Title Seemingly Chosen at Random (Love Theme from Movie You Didn...
Read more

Song of the Week #6: "The Ballad of High Noon"

Image
I was finally able to catch Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast this weekend, and I have to say it certainly lived up to the hype. There’s a lot to love about this movie, from the gorgeous black-and-white cinematography, the exquisite performances from both the seasoned veterans and newcomers in the cast, to a script that’s brimming with heart and humor. But one aspect of the film I don’t see a lot of people mention is the way it incorporates footage from other films- most notably Fred Zinnemann’s High Noon, using not only a scene from the movie itself but scoring two pivotal scenes with the film’s theme song, the aptly-named (and Oscar-winning) “The Ballad of High Noon.” It was a bold choice to be sure, but who could blame Branagh? It’s a great movie, and a great song- and the subject for today’s installment in Song of the Week. (via Wikipedia) For those of you haven't seen High Noon... well, you really should get on that, it's a classic! Aside from being a taut, tightly edited thril...
Read more

Song of the Week #14- "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"

Image
I was watching Belfast with my friend last week, and- like all great films- it raised a lot of questions. Questions like, “Hey, remember the last time I watched Belfast and was inspired to write a blog post because of it ?” and “Hey, why haven’t I written anything Oscar Bait related in a while?” Well, luckily for all of us “The Ballad of High Noon” wasn’t the only Oscar-nominated song featured in Belfast. Unluckily for us, that other song just happens to be “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” (via Wikipedia) Readers of this blog will hopefully remember that I love a good movie musical. Sadly, those were few and far between in the 1960s. Oh sure, movie musicals certainly had a brief resurgence in those days. Many of them were big hits, both critically and commercially. Hell, Best Picture went to a musical on four separate occasions in that decade! But how many of them were actually any good? Not a lot. Oh sure, The Music Man is great fun and Mary Poppins is a classic. But far too many mu...
Read more