Swimmer (Lynne Ramsay, 2012) is a 16-minute short film that displays an unnamed swimmer’s journey through a series of rural rivers, during which he encounters an array of people in an attempt to reconnect with society.
The film’s narrative is highly ambiguous in nature and does not conform to a cohesive three-act structure. The film immediately makes its most vital priority clear: creating a stunning visual spectacle. The opening POV shot establishes a serene and pensive tone which continues throughout whilst also placing the viewer in the mind of the swimmer. It is at this point that we are also introduced to the slick greyscale grading seen throughout the film. Another key aspect of the aesthetic of Swimmer is Ramsay’s careful consideration of the sun’s reflection onto the water, which is particularly breathtaking in the final scene.
The soundscape primarily consists of the tranquil diegetic sounds of the splashing water in tandem with a juxtaposing non-diegetic compiled score that is evocative of British patriotism. After the titular swimmer is shot by an arrow at the hand of a tribal child, the pace of editing becomes extremely tumultuous which is reflective of the state of mind of the swimmer.
Personally, I did not receive much enjoyment from Swimmer due to its lack of any particular narrative complexity or character development. The stunning visual spectacle was indeed beautiful, but the novelty soon wore off. The film demonstrated to me the effective combination of diegetic and non-diegetic sound used to build up atmosphere.
Otis Morley’s A-Level Film Studies Blog 