Rain- Directed by Christine Jeffs Essay

A childs life has publicy a(prenominal) milestones such as learning to walk, learning to talk and their first daylight at school. Throughout all these stages p bents argon obliged to provide guidance, gum elastic and support for their children as they learn to interpreate the mankind for themselves. Christine Jeffs visual text, Rain explores the account of thirteen grade old, Janey whose parents are so caught up in self-absorption, they discount their parental roles to both Janey and her younger fellow Jim.This up-bringing of Janey and Jim leave the audience pondering, Does the defection of morale parents roles shape a childs transition into adolescence? The consequences of droping Janey through her first step into charwomanhood, ricochet on Janeys parents, and damage her perception of the adult orb eternally. From the outlookers first introduction to Janey, a high go shot of her floating in a starfish position, gives us a deceitful impression about this seemingly, normal carefree life of a young teenage girl. The typical sunny scenery, clear blue pee and weatherboard batches sets Christine Jeffs viewing audience to suppose that Janey is surrounded by family life and fun, overlap barbeques and summer swims at their beloved family batch. Christine Jeffs has deliberately juxta-positioned this with a shot of Janey and her ma swimming, in time her mummy is holding a glass of alcohol. Janeys dumbfound lets go of the glass, and as it begins to sink to the sea floor, a low weight d know directge shot shows Janey diving after it. This immediately leaves the viewer muzzy about the role model Janey is following, would a normal family allow their thirteen year old daughter to frantically chase a glass of alcohol, or would they be more concerned for their daughters safety in deep water? This initial establishwork forcet of Janey and her suffers kinship transgress to the viewers that Janey is growing up under the charm of an unreliable paren t who fails to teach suitable priorities to her young daughter.Janey is being led to believe that alcohol is desirable and should be prioritized even if detrimental obstacles are to be faced. This acceptation of alcohol becoming an idolized part of adolescence and womanhood reveal to Jeffs audience that the strange role model Janeys mum is crack her daughter is leading her towards an un-healthy road into womanhood and giving her the belief that the world is like one of her toy dolls, she can pick it up and be responsible when she feels like, or she can throw it away and hide it. Janey is particular(a) about the next stage of her life, wanting to become a woman. All around her are clues to what this responsibility might entail, but she is odd on her possess to uncover if her adult role models portray matureness appropriately.We are shown Janeys view from beside a tree of her mother kissing Cadey, a new family friend. We are then shown Janey witnessing her Mum kissing Cadey agai n through the rear door. Jeffs has deliberately positioned the audience to see through Janeys view of the bathroom door. This angle reveals to the audience that Janeys view of adulthood is limited, she is only exposed to the tyrannical actions of her mother, and is therefore copying an un-realistic role model. As viewers we are confused and disgusted that a married woman is being intimate with a family friend who is staying under the same family roof as her husband and ii children, especially Janey who witnesses her mothers actions and believes that being a woman way that drinking and kissing unfamiliar men at parties is normal. Its okay, its fun to kiss male childs, this quote , from Janeys mother is an example of the inappropriate advice Janey is being given. Jeffs viewers are positioned to see a mother, who leaves her children to their own devices, surrounded by strangers while she devotes her life to drinking and flirting with men at parties and family functions. Janey is i nfluenced by this woman figure in her life, and mindlessly kisses a boy of her age, before shoving him onto the floor, this is Janeys perception of intimacy, as she has learnt from her mother and she believes her actions are meaningless and that she is in control of the consequences.The actions of Janey bewilder Jeffs audience, as we realize that Janey is mimicking her mothers actions, however Janey does not have any true sexual desire and she is incognizant of the situations she is leading herself into. Jeffs audience begin to understand that because Janey had been left un-guided by her parents into her teenage life, she has no true understanding of how her actions will leave her penetrable and she has no escape. Throughout the film, we are shown Janeys feeling toward Cadey, a man who has participated in an affair with Janeys mother, and takes advantage of Janeys immaturity and incompleteness with decision making. Cadey blatantly grooms Janey in front of her mother, making conve rsation with her which Janey believes she is in control of and feels special. Would you like a drink? Cadey offers Janey alcohol and cigarettes during a family junket on his boat, even though he knows she is only thirteen. Janeys mum is dissatisfied within her marriage and unaware that her self-absorption has left her oblivious to Janeys encounters with Cadey and the obvious signs of his intentions. Later, when Janey ventures into the forest alone with Cadey we are shown a worms eye view shot, the tree height is enhanced, and as viewers we are positioned into Janeys undefended situation. Janey is unaware of just how small she is and the situation she is setting herself up for with this bighearted man. The next shot of Janey lying in the crucifix position, naked on the forest floor is a worryingly disturbing scene for Jeffs viewers, and outlines the vulnerability of Janey. Janeys copycat behaviour of her mother and neglect of parental guidance throughout her stages of curiosity in to womanhood from her parents has led her to tragedy. Raised by a poor decision making mother, whose own marital dissatisfaction led her to neglect her children, Janey also has to live with her poor decisions and actions with Cadey, which left her younger brother, Jim to his own devices alone at the beach resulted in him drowning. These consequences have ricocheted from Janeys parents neglect of their roles and guiders and providers of safety to their children and Janey must now live with the catastrophic loss of her brother and horrifying entrance into womanhood due to her mis-guidance and belief that she, like her mother was in control.Janeys limited guidance, experience and understanding of the world, left her insecure and exposed to predators such as Cadey, who took advantage of her parents neglect and her curiosity. Christine Jeffs viewers are shown a tragic story of the consequences of poor parenting and decision making, and how our actions influence our younger generation. T hrough main character Janey, Jeffs viewers are positioned to recognize the danger Janey and her brother are exposed to and how easy it is for our actions to be witnessed and used as a role model for others and we are left to ponder if our actions could damage the future of others who idolize their elders. Jeffs audience are shown how through the neglect of guidance and parenting, childrens transitions into adulthood can leave them penetrable and damaged for the rest of their lives