A Girl’s Own Story (Jane Campion, 1984) is a 27-minute Australian short film which explores the stage of female adolescence during the 1960s. Choosing to film in black and white, Campion displays the narrative by intercutting between multiple storylines. The film takes place in Australia, during the height of Beatlemania, in which two school friends – Pam and Stella – both kiss cutouts of Beatles members. Afterwards, one of the girls wears a mask of Ringo Starr before they practice kissing each other. This is intercut with scenes of another schoolgirl, Gloria, who is coerced by her brother into roleplaying as cats. In addition to this, the film also explores the relationship between Pam’s estranged parents, who use their daughters to communicate with each other.
A Girl’s Own Story immediately establishes the main ideas explored over the duration of the film. The opening scene involves a group of schoolgirls who observe an image of the male anatomy, which is displayed to the viewer through the use of a glance object. This introduces the viewer to the themes of sex and adolescence which are explored throughout. Campion’s decision to film in black and white with a 4:3 aspect ratio aptly reflects the aesthetic of the time period. This is further reinforced through Campion’s carefully selected mise-en-scène – particularly the costume design of the traditional schoolgirl uniform.
Voiceover is also used sparingly throughout the film, allowing the viewer to delve deeper into the minds of the three protagonists. Campion also interestingly chooses to conclude the film with a song that is sung by our three main characters: Pam, Gloria and Stella. Through this, the three girls are able to express their adolescent inner turmoil that is portrayed over the course of the film.
Personally, I did not receive much enjoyment from A Girl’s Own Story and found myself particularly disengaged from the events portrayed onscreen. The characters and themes of the film did not resonate with me, and I found the choice to conclude the film with a song to be somewhat schmaltzy. The film demonstrated to me the effectiveness of parallel narratives throughout a short film.
Otis Morley’s A-Level Film Studies Blog 