Johnny And Plato's Relationship

The shot starts off comedic, as Jim impersonates a police siren and is told to stop by a sergeant holding a comically-small coffee cup. Jim sits – or rather, is unceremoniously flopped – in a shoe-shining chair with a price-list and a broom hanging behind him, which adds to showing his childishness. However, this shot takes a dramatic turn rather quickly as the camera pans over to Plato with his maid standing close to him, creating a sense of intimacy, contrasting what we just saw in the opening. Jim overhears Plato’s maid say that the boy is shivering and immediately shows his mature side by offering Plato his jacket. His stance changes drastically, from relaxed and spread out, to a more serious, adult-like posture. This gives a bit …show more content…
This also gives us insight into Jim’s personal problems, which will go into better detail when his parents arrive.

Whereas Jim is shown to be somewhat out-of-control, Plato appears to be the opposite: very reserved and shut into himself. He doesn’t respond when his maid talks to him, then only barely shakes his head at Jim’s offer. As we learn later on, Plato is quite a loner among his peers, so this provides an understanding into his character – he has become numb to his maid being the only one who cares about him, yet when Jim offers his jacket, this broadens his worldview; it shows him that there are other people who care. This marks the beginning of their interactions with each other, as well as serving as a bookend for the movie: in the beginning, Jim offers Plato his jacket, and he doesn’t take it. At the climax, however, Jim offers his jacket again, and this time, Plato accepts. Offering the jacket symbolizes their growth as characters throughout the course of the film, and also the relationship that they have built.
Along with Plato, as the camera pans over to his side, we also see Judy, on the other side of the glass. Although the colors in the shot are mostly neutral and monotonous, Judy stands