New Boy Review
New Boy, written and directed by Steph Green, is a short film about a young African boy who begins his first day of school in Ireland. The film is made intimately and allows us to see Joseph’s first day from his perspective. We are able to see his emotions at his new school, along with his sad past. It is the combined effort of Steph Green’s direction and the rest of the collaborators on this film, that allows us to experience Joseph’s first day so closely.
Immediately on the very first scene of the film, the camera is shooting from Joseph’s shoulder as he looks out into the classroom while the teacher introduces him. There are many scenes like this, where the camera hangs over Joseph’s shoulder, following him around as we see what he sees. Green also makes sure to have an emphasis on Joseph’s eyes at times where he watches his surroundings. Tracking eye movement is a small, but incredible detail to follow because we can see how uncomfortable he is in the classroom.
The eye movements are not just a testament to the camera work, but also to how well the young Olutunji Ebun-Cole (Joseph) played his character. His character barely has lines and yet he conveys his emotions perfectly; showing us how uncomfortable and on edge he is in his new classroom. Joseph was not the only character played well either. The bully, Christian (played by Simon O'Driscoll) is a convincing elementary bully, and the young girl who actually treats Joseph well, Hazel (played by Sinead Maguire), is honest and hilarious. Green having a bully in the classroom and then someone who treats Joseph kindly was a great balance for Joseph’s class. Even with wonderful acting and the camera movement giving us Joseph’s perspective, neither of these are even what make this film great. The two most powerful elements in the film are the coloring of the cinematography (shot by P.J. Dillon) and the score of the film, composed by Len Arran.
The scenes in Ireland, for the most part, are dark and dull. They match Joseph’s emotions and silence in his classroom. In the classroom, although the sun is lighting the room, it’s a pale light with no warmth. The film then juxtaposes this with the scenes we see of Joseph back in his home country. He’s in a classroom with vibrant colors and the sun looks warm on everyone’s skins in the room. Joseph is laughing in these scenes; he’s smiling and more talkative. The music and sound also work to this same effect. In Ireland, there is no score or background music. In fact, the sound of the room is hollow, there’s more reverberations to everyone’s voices, as though they’re talking to you closely. Contrast to this to the scenes in Africa, where there’s a bright score that flutters while Joseph and his friends laugh. Both the music and cinematography work extremely well together, especially in the more intense scenes. The music becomes hollow, the notes are further apart, and the background sound becomes muffled, while the camera is shakier and the cuts between shots speed up. Yet again, we’re right there with Joseph. With the sound and pace of the shots speeding up, you get an eerie feeling, the same discomfort that Joseph has.
It’s no wonder New Boy went on to be successful, winning numerous awards for best short film at festivals like the Tribeca Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, and many more. The film was even nominated for an Oscar for best live-action short film. Much of this success can be attributed to the excellent work from the cast and filmmakers.
