Analysis of Freiheit

When approaching our own short film it is important to study others prior. This means we can gain inspiration from their techniques or tone; it also gives an insight to the flexibility of the format.

'Freiheit' is a George Lucas Short Film (created in 1966 whilst he was a student at the University of Southern California).

'Freiheit', which translates as freedom, which is the central theme of the piece. It’s historical context is the Berlin Wall, forcefully dividing East and West Germany. Infamously the wall was heavily defended and those trying to cross were shot.

This film takes the attempts of one man to cross through a gap.

The opening shot has the symbol of a bird. A bird is used because it is the pinnacle ideal of freedom, it can go wherever, whenever. The Film Grain fits into the era. The use of silhouettes makes bold, iconic images. The use of bold images emphasises Lucas’ point.

The following shot, of the wall with a watch post, dominates the screen showing the immense powers of the oppressors, when the protagonist is introduced it will make his plight seem likely to fail.

The Music is unsettling; it seems to grate at the viewer, showing the unease of the situation. By having it on a loop, it fits in with that world of hypnotic propaganda that had been so common through the war. As the drum begins, it’s like a tribal chant, as if our protagonist is being chased. It plays on our primal instincts of fear.

When the protagonist is first shown, the camera dramatically pans and tilts to capture him in frame, as if the camera is finding him. This shows that people will be looking for him and gives immediacy. The shot of the puddle being stepped on showing the blind panic running through his mind.

The Protagonist wears a shirt and tie, with glasses. This borders on the enigma, making the audience wondering the man’s background. It may also be a reference to the 50’s fantasy films (Which Lucas obsessed over as a child and has been the inspiration behind many of his motion pictures).

His glasses in particular can (as used in the majority of media) be used to express weakness, this character is certainly not an action hero. He represents us, what we would do in that situation. We would be trying our best but certainly out of our depth.



When he takes the glasses off(as shown in the picture above)it shows him refusing to accept domination and fighting back.

The use of a wide shot, makes him seem small, it shows his struggle (especially when compared to the shot of the watchtower earlier) and how the odds are staked against him.

The cuts between vastly different angles create a discombobulating tone, unable to focus for too long.

The manipulation of sound both engages and alienates the viewer effectively. The sound of the birds (whilst being diegetic) have been added in post-production and again on a loop. This partly draw attention to it, and creates a running theme from the opening image. It also creates a sense of distrust and makes even this natural environment of a Woods feel alien.

Yet we cannot hear him breathe because it makes us focus on the fact he is breathing all the more. It also dehumanises him in the way the Berlin Wall does, contain him.

Lucas strikes this point harder with long shot. It has the bush creep into the foreground, over him. It’s his last moments of being controlled. The use of a Long Shot is a brave decision in a Three-Minute film where every second needs to the tell the story, but we engage with him properly we truly associate with him, making the closing moments more shocking.

The Post, is symbolic of freedom, if he can reach that then he is free. It’s simplified narrative means the message can be told swifter and with greater efficiency. It is established by a P.O.V. shot of the man looking at the post, and a reverse shot of the man in the bush staring at the post. The cross-cutting creates a visual connection.

The sound of the guns, as with birds, is on a loop. this artificial technique is reminiscent of Betolt Brecht, who would use various techniques in his films, plays and literature to snap the audience out of the mechanisms of the false world, making it’s audience think about the social/political point. Brecht was and Lucas is doing this to force the audience to concentrate on the situation, making it more horrifying and confounding brutal.

The use of stills, as he dies, like the silhouettes ingrains in our mind. It flashes past, the last images of this man’s life, we share his feeling of complete panic.

As he crawls towards the post, it shows the man values freedom above his life. Lucas further pushes this having clips of speeches on freedom. The ending message is that ‘without freedom there is no reason to live.’

Tim McNiven