Run Boy Run Essay

If there is one thing that is accurate about films, it is that they are loved by an innumerable amount of people around the world. Because of the numerous kinds of films and all the different languages they are available in, it is not difficult for one to find a film that they enjoy watching. However, most people do not understand all the parts that form a film. In Run Boy Run the plot, the cinematography, the acting, the directing, and the different symbols all come together to form a heart wrenching, inspiring film.
One the dominate parts of a film is the plot. The main plot of Run Boy Run consists of a young, Jewish boy by the name of Srulik Frydman. Him and his family reside in the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland, which had been invaded by the

German soldiers. While searching for food one day, Srulik loses his mother, and he heads into the forest to hide from the soldiers. While hiding in the forest, Srulik meets a few different groups of people, but he consistently seems to get separated from them. Coincidentally, one day while hiding from the German soldiers, he meets up with his father, Hersch, underneath a bridge. While briefly conversing, Hersch decides that Srulik needs a new identity to go by, therefore Srulik then takes the identity of Jurek Staniak. After this scene, Srulik, or Jurek, keeps on moving. He goes from farm to farm, trying to find work and food. He faces many hardships, such as getting doors slammed in his face, getting shot at, being in a house that was burning down, and even getting one of his arms amputated. However, even during these situations, Srulik always seems to locate people who take him into their homes and care for him. By the time the war is over, Srulik is staying at a Polish family’s farm. Though he grew attached to the family and their farm, he ultimately ends up going to live at a Jewish orphanage to preserve his Jewish identity and roots.
Another part of a film is cinematography.

In short, cinematography is the art of making motion pictures; which includes the photographic and electric aspects of making images. Filmmakers use cinematography for many reasons, such as: producing emotion, telling a story, giving off a specific look, and making characters. In the film Run Boy Run, the cinematography absolutely stimulated much emotion. For example, in the parts of the movie that Srulik was freezing and ravenous with chapped skin and a limp in his walk, the lighting is dark and hazy. On the other hand, in a scene in which Sruilk is dreaming about being reunited with his dear mother again, the lighting is brilliant and golden. The darker, hazier lighting evokes a melancholy emotion from viewers, while the brilliant, golden lighting evokes a cheerful emotion from viewers. Another example of the cinematography evoking emotion is through camera movement. Whenever Srulik is staggering toward Magda’s house, cameras captured each angle so viewers could see just how pitiful and ill he was. Then, when he finally gets to her house, Srulik passes out, and the camera cuts off to go along with

it.
Acting is also one of the parts of a film.

Acting, of course, is crucial to a film. If the acting in a film is unsatisfactory, then typically the film is too. In Run Boy Run, the acting is suburb. The actors did such an outstanding job that while watching the movie, it was almost as if I could feel what the actors were acting out. During the scene when Srulik’s hand got stuck in the gears of the windmill, his screams were so agonizingly real that I winced and had to turn my head. Alongside that, the chemistry between the characters felt genuine. The way Magda treats Srulik is similar to the way a mother treats a son. She cares for him so tenderly and passionately that it feels authentic to viewers. The relationship between Srulik and his friend Alina is another relationship that has chemistry in the film. Whenever they first meet, it is easily detectable that they will be friends, for as he tells her his ‘history’ (his made-up story about losing his parents and his arm) she believes and hangs on to every word. And, when they are forced to say their final goodbyes, I could feel the broken heartedness in the both of them.
Another part of a film is directing. Directing is the containment of the production of a film. Directing is where the auteur theory comes into play. The auteur theory states that the director is the author of a film. While this might be true, Run Boy Run is based off events that happened in one man’s

life.
Symbolism, when objects or facts represent ideas, is the last part that makes up this film. Symbols can be every day, simple objects; however, they have extra meaning behind them. In Run Boy Run, there are a large number of symbols. One of the symbols is the pair of shoes that Magda gives to Srulik. In the beginning of the film, there is a scene in which Srulik is putting on his socks and shoes, and they are very old and tattered. Magda presenting him with these shoes symbolizes his renewed strength, for because he is always on his feet, new shoes help him advance in his journey more advantageously. Another one of the symbols is the town bell that Srulik rings after the announcement of the end of the war. The ringing of the bell not only symbolizes the end of agony and terror for the many victims of the war, but also symbolizes the end of Srulik having to run as he had been for an extended amount of time.
Because of the many parts that make up a film, such as the plot, the cinematography, the acting, the directing, and the different symbols, the film Run Boy Run is able to tell a motivating story about a young boy who had to be strong in order to stay alive.