Inja Plot Summary
The short film we are analyzing takes place in a rural African environment and features a child playing with a wild puppy. The story progresses plainly, the child wants to keep the dog, however the white man clearly does not want his worker to enjoy the dog. It depicts that the white man does not want the child to be happy with the dog. The white man is going to harm the child’s dog by putting it in a bag and kicking it. He says the dog needs to learn, and threatens to shoot the child when the child does not wish to have the dog think they hurt the dog. The flag of the country changed. The dog is now also grown, but listens to the white folks. The now grown child still works for the white man and the white man still holds his gun around the protagonist. A twig falls from the tree onto the man. They laugh together as they eat lunch. The white man continues to help the protagonistdo work but appears more frustrated each time and adjusts his rifle. The white man now begins to suffer a heart attack. The protagonist cannot aid the man because the dog will not allow him to approach. The white man tells the protagonist to shoot the dog. The dog is killed. Cuts to credits.
Analysis/Comparison
- In Inja, characters are introduced one by one. The first character introduced is the protagonist, the boy/farm worker. He performs actions such as caring for the dog and obeying his boss’s orders. Caring for the dog indicates to the viewers that the boy has a kind heart. He is also loyal to, or rather fearful of his boss. The other main character is the boss. He is introduced a few moments after the boy is introduced. He is white. His actions imply that he does not care for the boy nor dog, and only wishes to feel ownership over the two, for he kicks the gun and threatens the boy with the gun in order to have the boy open the bag and have the dog fear the boy. In the opening to Indiana Jones, the protagonist is first introduced. His actions of patiently measuring his sand to match the idol make him appear intelligent and cunning. Later on, his choice of choosing the whip over the idol makes him humble, not seeking riches. This also shows he is a caring person for his possessions. The second character, the Spanish man, chooses the idol over helping the protagonist, so he is immediately marked as selfish and uncaring.
- In Inja, the setting is viewed only from the boy’s perspective, as in we only see where he is. We see the boy’s bedroom and places of work. We do not see the boss’s bedroom or the rest of the boss’s house. In the intro to Indiana Jones, we start off in a large open room, and then as the panic sets and the trap goes off, in we move into a more closed, claustrophobic winding path. We do not see where the protagonist ends up.
- In Inja, there are a lot of Medium Close Ups, so that we may see the full emotions of the characters, especially the main character, as he reacts to the dog and his boss. The use of this type of close up, especially in the end, sets the overall tone as dramatic and emotional, for we are carried through with the protagonist’s emotional states. In India Jones, we see a lot of wide shots, full shots and medium shots in many frantic angles. This is because a lot of action is taking place, so the frantic angles and large views allow us to be part of the action. This creates a tone of tension and excitement.
- Two of the more important cuts in Inja is the cut to the flags. The first cut from the flag to the boy establishes the introduction of the movie. The flag can give you a rough estimate of what year it is and allows you to understand why the boy is in this situation as a farm worker, as this type of racially oppressed labor was common during the time that flag waved over the country. The second cut from flag to now man, not only indicates that a significant amount of time has passed, but also creates tension. With this change of times, one would think that the now man would no longer have to be bound to working for this “boss”. Perhaps this is an indication of how the man and dog’s situation are intended to mirror each other? One cut in Indiana Jones that stands out is the cut from Indie to the other man in the beginning of the clip. The two’s emotional states contrast each other enough to indicate that perhaps the second man does not have good intentions. The second man is wiggling his fingers in anticipation of reward, while the main character is focused and facing the challenge himself. Another series of cuts that have an impact are the quick cuts between the two men when the main character is asking for the whip. By cutting between the two over the shoulder shots quickly, the tension and direness of the situation are made apparent to the viewers.
- In Inja what stuck out to me the most sonically is the puppy being kicked and the whimpering dogs sound that are played during it. The combination of the kicking sounds, the visual image of the bag moving with each kick, and the puppy cries make the scene practically unbearable to handle emotionally. In Indiana Jones, I enjoy the aesthetic qualities of the set itself, the dusty rooms riddled with traps is particularly exciting. The moment the music stills as the trap is set and the sonic qualities of the room falling apart also creates a great moment of tension before the music begins again, more frantically.
Comments