Crashing - Gersey

If I stepped into the light
And left my reflection
Standing in doorways
And not look behind

If I coloured by the signs
In shadows and tones
Kissing in corners
And not look behind

If I slipped into the quiet
A melody strong
Glowing in darkness
And not look behind

If I stepped into the light
And left my reflectionS
tanding in doorways
And not look behind

If I fell between the lines
Distant and drawn
Waiting by streetlights
And not look behind

If I let the moments rise
Discover and fall
Hanging in hallways
And not look behind

I'd go crashing to the end
Crashing to the end
Crashing to the end
Crashing to the end

I'd go crashing to the end
Crashing to the end
Crashing to the end
Crashing to the end
Crashing to the end...

Crashing to the end
Kissing in corners
Crashing to the end

“Look Both ways” unearths intrinsic human vulnerabilities. It follows the life journey of ordinary Australian citizen’s, exposing a multitude of negative and positive human experiences. The first musical interlude, “Crashing- Gersey”, delves into the psychological and social dilemmas of each character. The melancholic yet sympathetic music renders the scene with a relative sensitive and intimate mood. Minimal dialogue and close range shots build on the concept of personal anguish and pain. All the characters are distanced in some way from others, further accentuating the idea of isolation and individual seclusion. The generally explicit voyeuristic nature of this scene, allows the viewer to explore the private lives of the main characters.

Soft music, played in a minor key is used in the opening shots of segment 3: “tragedy, despair, grief and art”, paired with the wide shot of the pigeons flocking collectively together silhouetted against the evening sky. They help to set the scene. The emphasised tonal qualities of the fluttering birds suggest the temporary nature of our society. The splitting of the bird flock as a result of the powerlines and pylon is symbolic in this scene. It serves to illustrate the fractured nature of modern society and the overwhelming events persistent in the contemporary world. It also functions to expose the varying aspects of human life, through the introduction of the main characters.

The first lyrical stanza, “if I stepped into the light” figuratively collocates with the despondent mood being exemplified by Nick. The mise en scene depicts how he is emotionally and physically disorientated by his diagnosis of testicular cancer and is lost for time to grief. There is a palpable sense that his world is tumbling down around him, as he surrounds himself in images of death. His very controlled, restrained and compartmentalised life style is seen in his apartment setting, where he works on the kitchen table in a quite methodical manner. This scene serves to highlight his work obsession.

His loneliness is portrayed through the composition of the scene. Nick sits in front of his “Apple” laptop, forced to “reflect” on his life. The side lighting and contrived computer reflections sculpt Nick’s distressed facial expressions. His flushed red face and anxious physical actions (such as rubbing his face) portray a severe state of fear.

The juxtaposition and magnification of the “test results” further highlights Nick’s predicament. To try and escape his reality, he walks out of shot to the kitchen. The defused camera shot extends the meaning of the lyric “left my reflection”, insinuating that his “reflection” on life is also blurred. As he walks back to his seat he corresponds with the lyric “and not look behind”, pouring his drink and focusing on his computer screen. The focused close up shots of the whisky and emphasised sounds of the ice cubes enhance a feeling of emotional pain.

As Nick scrolls through the images of the train accident there are sounds of the train included outside the frame, creating the illusion of space and setting the context of the images. When clicking through the images of Julia there are “shadows and tones” present in the images as well as his face, emphasising the grave nature of death.

The last shots of Nick are of him researching “testicular cancer” on the internet search engine “Google”. The verse “crashing to the end’ is repeated as the images taken by Nick are closely focused on. Images of crucifixes, gravestones, poverty, bush fires, dead animals, and starving people highlight the intense psychological strain that “cancer” has had on Nick.

The next few shots explore the grief stricken life of Julia. As Nick decides on which photo to email to his editor, Phil, the image of Julia is shown on the screen of his computer. The still image of Julia focuses on her paralysed state of mind, overwhelmed by shock of the accident. Her distressed face and fractured stance is focused on through the framing of the computer screen. She is framed within the photo itself which is within the computer screen, accentuating her distance from the viewer. She is unreachable and trapped in an impenetrable emotional sphere.

The lyric “if I slipped into the quiet” synchronises with the image of Julia and her emotions. The death of Rob has had a debilitating affect on Julia. Her personal heartache and inner turmoil has ultimately “silenced” her. She is left empty and unable to communicate to others. The oblique camera angle further emphasises this notion but also suggests that she is not part of the viewers’ world. Facing her back to the camera in a medium camera shot, she watches a train go past. The lyric “a melody strong” combines with the rattle of the train tracks, reinforcing the cause of the fatal tragedy. The lexical item “strong” links with the forte tonal quality of the rattling train line, adding depth to the scene.

Side lighting sculpts the contours of Julia’s pain inflicted face. She remains in semi-darkness as she stands silently in her unforgiving industrial environment. Rusted objects and train related machinery surround her, furnishing the scene with a sense of devastation and ruin. The glowing light from the windows in the background highlight her dislocation. The warmth of the light is something inaccessible, as she quivers in the darkness.

Julia is “glowing in darkness” both internally and externally. She embodies a mix of uneasy emotions exuding a desperate front. She looks out onto the train tracks desperately seeking some form of rationality to her new world. She is also, “glowing” in her clothes. Her red and pink dress signifies a wounded heart. It is contrasted against the black matted background which symbolises detrimental reality.

Later on in the segment, the image of Julia is displayed on Phil’s computer screen. As the camera focuses on the image of Julia the lyric “discover and fall” is sung over the top. This lyric perfectly describes the image of Julia; “discovering” the accident and then her bag “falling”. It also links to her disconnected state of mind and how she metaphorically “fell” into depression.

Similar to Nick, the train driver is shot with similar camera angles with his back to the camera. The train driver does not “look behind” as he dismally walks from his colleague to his house. Telephoto lens captures the distance between the colleague and the train driver, emphasising how he must cope alone. The preceding exterior shots of the house outside provide for location for interiors inside the house. As he walks through his house, he is framed within a frame in each camera shot. His wife also enters and leaves rooms, which is a form of editing to control space. It makes the characters seem unreachable, as the viewer cannot console the characters. Both husband and wife are trapped in their own internal chaos. He is disconsolate. He sits down in the centre of the couch and starts to watch “A current affair” which broadcasts the Arnow Hill disaster. Throughout the film, when the train driver is in shot, there is either no music, muted sounds or soft music. In this scene only the minor keys of the musical interlude are played to accentuate the silenced train driver. The music softens to allow the news report become the main focal sound. This news further adds stress to his situation. Misery is seen in his weeping eyes as he watches the news. The subdued lighting and sepia colour filters render the scene with a nostalgic mood. This centres on the distraught feelings harboured by the train driver.

The compositional positioning of the main figures within the camera frame serves to create space. The wife positions her back to the camera while the train driver sits on the couch. He is quite small in this shot, adding to the concept of character isolation. The next camera shot, focuses on the wife standing forlornly next to television. Both characters do not communicate or come in close contact with one another. Their distressed body language shows how they are coping alone.

Andy is introduced, sitting in front of his computer in a dully light apartment. His surroundings reflect his inner self. His apartment is a poignant indicator of his inner life: it is disorganized, entirely structured around work and isolated. The pictures of violent car crashes on his walls represent his interest in the theme of death. He is seen as a brusque, antagonised, hate-filled man. He is regretful and angry which prevents him from living in the moment and being open minded to possibilities in life. This is captured in the lyric “ If I stepped into the light”. Andy refuses to metaphorically “step into the light” and assume responsibility for his relationship with Anna and his wife. He is typing the newspaper article about suicide quite frantically showing his passion for the topic. His sweaty, red hands move fast across the keyboard representing the fuelling rage inside him. The side lighting delineates the features of his face, creating shadows around his eyes, making him appear some what malevolent. Similar to the camera shot on Nick, Andy is shot with his back to the camera. This depicts how he is also another reclusive and isolated character. The lyric “and left my reflection” accentuates how he is leaving his “reflection” or impression on the accident in his newspaper article.

Anna is standing in the door way of her apartment when the lyrics “standing in doorways” plays. It is a form or framing. It suggests how she is trapped and troubled by her predicament of whether to abort her pregnancy or not. She sits down on her couch and starts to watch the television. The Arnow Hill accident is heard in the background of the musical interlude. Her apartment is chaotic and has a rather youthful appearance with a skeleton playing a guitar in the background. She is dressed in a red dress symbolising the new life she is carrying and her new outlook on life. Her clothing juxtaposes her to her environment. This is further emphasised with the lyric “between the lines”. Anna is split between her serious life choices and a casual lifestyle. As her house mate enters the shot, she asks Anna, “did you buy the beer”. Anna gives a minimal response, as she is focused on the news and thinking of her own problem. This is paired with the lyric “distant and drawn” showing how as individuals we get on with our lives even when life is hard and tragedy occurs.

The next shot opens with Phil hunched over his computer desk at his work. He is making the final editorial decisions to the newspaper article. The dimmed lighting creates a sombre atmosphere for Phil. He is literally “waiting by streetlights”, as there are beams of street lights through the windows of his work. He is also metaphorically “waiting”, emphasising his chosen isolation. His neglect of his family is seen when he doesn’t answer his phone when it rings. His action of not speaking to his family members is paired with the lyric “if I let the moments rise”. This lyric suggests his obsession with work and mounting distance between himself and his family. The fast food packages in the background reveal his work-acholic nature. He is worn out, over-worked and unhealthy. His face is flushed and red. As he goes to smoke a cigarette, he tosses it on his desk, suggesting how is thinking of Nick’s cancer and how his life can be easily changed too.

Meryl is metaphorically “crashing to the end” in this scene. Meryl paints vigorously as she lets the pent-up tension of her day out through physical movement and artistic creation. It appears she sees the future through pessimistic eyes and that he vents his frustration and anxiety with life through her painting. Meryl’s home environment and clothing further emphasise her individuality. Her studio apartment is a chaotic, projecting her flying by the seat of her pants and of a life without a strong frame of reference, while the nature of her work suggests disorder and turmoil. She is wearing blue green clothing, blending her into her painting. Her movements and painting is emotional, aggressive and angry.

The crescendo music slowly breaks down in the ending shots of this segment, when Nick is looking at images of death. When Nick finally takes an active step in researching his disease on google the lyrics fade and this links to the next scene of the birds aligning on the power line. The settlement of the birds suggests Nick’s epiphany and acceptance of reality.

There is a cross cutting to the next scene of the newspaper production. The emphasis placed on sounds of clanking industrial chains contrasts with the sensitive music notes. It proposes that Julia’s tragic loss is just another story for media production. The internal structure of the factory share similar dimensions of the human psyche and life experience. The diagonal, vertical and horizontal structure of the machinery accentuates this concept. The scene ends with the newspaper with Julia’s image fronting it, being stacked into a pile ready for sale. This scene shows the indifferent representation of the exploitation of real human tragedy.