Sink Or Swim Analysis

Sink or Swim is an autobiographical short film by Su Friedrich focusing on her family dynamics during her childhood. Using the basic narrative structure of film, consisting of a narrated character “arc”, metaphorical exposition, idiosyncratic complications, climax, and resolution, it develops its own conventions that can be compared to that of a Hollywood-style narrative. The visuals and narrative voiceover are able to create a coherent narrative despite having an episodic nature of 26 chapters in a reverse A-Z order. Although the film is a visual avant-garde collage of found footage, the film properly adheres to the three narrative conventions outlined by Altman. Friedrich conscientious manner of visual and auditory storytelling makes this short film a diary-like autobiographic narrative. The narrator, the filmmaker 's younger version of herself, goes through a verbal character arc that we witness as the viewers through her storytelling. She first speaks of the fond memories of her father being involved in her life by teaching her …show more content…
The irony in this juxtaposition is the deep with fear of sinking and drowning, or even being eaten by snakes. Her father makes her watch a scary of movie about zombies in the future, juxtaposed with a jarring image of wild ride in a rollercoaster. Her father teaching and then losing to her chess is juxtaposed by images of frustrated young boys playing, describing his childish hate of losing. In the chapter “Communion”, images of pretty girls receiving their first communion are used as she describes her father putting his bickering daughters ' heads underwater for long periods. Ironic “Father Knows Best” clips are juxtaposed after she describes her mentally unstable mother taking out her anger and frustration on her daughters. Su wistfully longed for the nuclear family she never