Fritters #2

Further activities on Fritters:
1. Look at the director's quote on the Fritters page (down below the actual film).  Read this carefully, and then paraphrase it.  "Paraphrase" means to understand the meaning of a quote and then express it in your own words.

2. Look closely at the opening scene in Fritters.  Write down exactly what the mother says to the boy. What tone of voice does the mother use with the boy at this point (e.g. soft, gentle, harsh, cross, frustrated)? Then describe what the boy does with his shoulders.  Note how far apart from each other they are during this conversation.  What does the big amount of space between them suggest about their relationship at this point?

3. How does the mother's voice change when she talks to her husband?  What clue is there that she is not about to spend more time with her son this evening?  What does she do with the door when she is on the phone?  What does this suggest about her priorities?

4. What does the camera do to show that the boy feels more and more alienated from his mother?

5. Describe what the boy is playing with.  What does this suggest about him?

6. What happens to the music when the boy (Claude) walks out onto the street?  Describe the type of music, and the instruments being used.  What does this music suggest about streetlife on K Road?

7. As Claude walks down the street, we only see his socks at first.  What do his socks tell us about him and why do they stand out from the other people walking around him?

8. I would describe Claude as being quite innocent in this film.  List the evidence you can find to support my idea about him being innocent.

9. When Claude sits down to eat his sushi, what is the building in the distance which is glowing blue?

10. What game is Claude playing when he sits down to eat his sushi?  What does it tells us about his imagination, and what he would really like to be doing?

11. What is the bag lady doing when we first see her, and why?  Describe her clothing, including her hairdo.

12. The bag lady says to Claude "Come over here little boy.  I won't hurt you."  Why do you think Claude goes over, even though he isn't sure if he should?

13. The bag lady tells a story about eating sushi.  Tell this story in your own words.  Do you think she wants to eat his sushi?  Why or why not?

14. Do you think the boy understands everything the bag lady says?  Give two examples of things she says that only an adult would understand.

15. What is the first thing Claude says to the bag lady?  What does it tell us about Claude's interests?

16. What does the boy help make with the bag lady?  Why do you think he likes this so much?

17. What is the liquid that the bag lady pours into the fritter mix?  What does this suggest about her ideas about children?

18. Describe the shot types used when the bag lady hands the fritter sandwich to Claude.  What does this emphasise about Claude?

19. When Claude and the bag lady say goodbye, some music comes on.  Listen carefully, and write down the lyrics you hear.  Then write a paragraph on the message in the lyrics and why you think it was used in this film.