Gasman (1997) User Reviews

Merry Christmas, social realist style.

[twistedhooch · 6/10 · 25 October 2006]

It's grim up north the old saying goes; Gasman by Lynne Ramsey won't change that stereotype but it does illustrate the talent of this director. This short film shares similarities with the both work of Mike Leigh and social realist 'kitchen sink' films of the sixties, in showing a slice of life story from the lower classes. Read; bleak setting and diegetic sound.

Set in an undisclosed Scottish city at Christmas, the story concerns a day in the life of lower class father (James Ramsey), daughter Lynne (Lynne Ramsey Jr) and son Steven (Martin Anderson) as they walk the tracks. En route, they mysteriously pick up more children from a woman (Jackie Quinn), Lisa (Lisa Taylor) and Robert (Robert McEwan).

Gasman is a powerful piece, due in no small part to the performance by Lynne Ramsey Jr. It is a powerful portrait of a working class young girl and the confusion she faces. When pretending to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, you really believe that 'There's no place like home.' The supporting cast are also suitably bedraggled for their characters to be believable. There are some fine visual flourishes in this short piece; the close shots of people getting ready for their day out give the film a very intimate feel, as if you are really looking into their family life. There is appropriate use of light and dark contrast, in particular as they are in wide shot walking up the tracks. Also, the working club Christmas party is visual delight, with child POV shots, slow motion and chopped up editing.

At times the Scottish dialect is quite hard to follow with the sound quality being quite raw. My main issue with the film would be that Gasman doesn't have anything original to say. Gasman is suitably bleak according to genre convention but its essential message being that it's challenging growing up in a lower class environment has been a mainstay of social realist cinema since before Kes. Still grim it would seem.

complicated

[user-704-392173 · 7/10 · 8 July 2013]

One of the most difficult problems to solve is the people relationships.

The father has two families, which means the four little children have blood relations. However, maybe of course, they do not know that.

In the Christmas party the main character girl is coming to feel uncomfortable about the other girl who is her half sister indeed. In the last scene, when they are coming back home, the order of the people especially the girls mentions the very touchy feelings of them. The girl is so confused but does not know the truth. This is a very interesting film and is questioning us about what to do with such a problem.

The Fact Which Is Not Acceptable

[AdamHawkes · 8/10 · 12 July 2013]

A little girl, Lynne, puts on her yellow dress with her mother's help, while her brother is playing with a toy car and sugar. They are taken by their father to a Christmas party. On the way to the party, the three people meet a woman with two children. One of the two is a little girl who is as old as Lynne. Lynne talks to the girl and they become friends, so they just are friends. However, things are not so simple. They arrive at the party and a lot of children including Lynne enjoy themselves. While Lynne is dancing with Santa, the girl feels lonely and sits on the knees of Lynne's father. Looking at the scene, Lynne realizes that the girl is not just her friend. Lynne feels jealous of and anger with her. Since this moment, her mind is very complicated.

First, this film is very difficult to understand. Therefore it was not until I watched this film three times that I figure out what is represented. However, the director made it so on purpose, I think. Metaphors used in this film are all elaborate. Therefore it is hard, though, it made a sophisticated impression on me.

This film is a kind of masterpiece. I mean the great actors, actresses and director excel. Without them, this film couldn't be like this.

I like it, but I'm like that

[dshed · 3 December 2000]

Gasman is a proper short film - little plot, none of it told explicitly, but a larger story going on around the camera. Like most of Lynne Ramsey's stuff (Ratcatcher being the best and most enjoyable example, because it isn't a short)it feels like and probably is 1970s/80s East-end Glasgow, the struggling classes and a fairly grim outlook, but you see the little sparks of interest in real lives, and being a small story told very much from a child's point of view, it's much more hopeful, interesting and happy than it could have been. The characters, so few, and so little seen in the short still have immense believability and completeness. Most people will find this dull, but if you're the kind of person who knows how to get hold of a copy, you're probably the type of person who'd enjoy it. Arty, but not impenetrable, simple but thought-provoking.

Many good effects

[wondernoel · 6/10 · 11 February 2014]

On Christmas Day, a young girl leaves for a Christmas event with her father and two other children also join with them on the way there. The young girl's feeling about the other girl changes as the time goes on.

The music is used effectively because there are Christmas songs and happy songs in accordance with the dance. As for the Christmas song, it helps to depict that children are high spirited and cannot wait for the party. In the last, the scene which a young girl is standing on the rail track and staring at the other children plays a role of summary of her conflict. We cannot see facial expressions of characters because of the few lights. By using this effects and showing same scene within ten seconds, it makes us think how the girl feels. The film expresses an important part in an indirect manner.

Although this is interesting film, a question remains what the title of this film means and what the connection with the content is.

'Gasman'

[bgilch · 10/10 · 9 February 2005]

I've never been a fan of short films for their 'art-school' and 'experimental' qualities. Simply being a product of those two is not enough. They are almost always too personal, too opaque, and too much obviously serving as 'stepping-stones'.

I was therefore happy to see Lynne Ramsay's short films as the chrysalis for her superb feature films. I was also impressed to learn that she won the Cannes short-film prize, *twice*. And now I can see what others saw in her, for _Gasman_ is the best short film I have ever seen.

Available on the Criterion DVD with _Small Deaths_ and the less good _Kill the Day_, _Gasman_ is a fully-fledged, visionary film that translates directly into the skill and grace of _Ratcatcher_.

_Gasman_ moves directly from the first piece of _Short Deaths_, with the distant father and Lynne Ramsay Jr. again taking centre screen. But _Gasman_ comes to a kind a fruition--a full story with many of the same themes and techniques of _Ratcatcher_: closely observed yet elliptical human behaviour, housing projects, slum-beauty, children's natures, a jumbled impressionistic world caught in partial body closeups and shots from behind people.

The film 'tells' nothing, but the story is dead clear and builds slowly to an emotional pitch that is almost unbearable.

This is a film of jaw-dropping beauty. Sounds trite, but that's how I feel. When the Da and two kids walk on the tracks, the camera is set to a partially closed iris which intensifies the available light and colour in an otherworldly sheen--one that is gone when they return on the same tracks at night, in disappointment. Beauty in service of story is the key.

This *is* the best short film I have ever seen.

visual story telling

[b-93813 · 7/10 · 3 March 2019]

Lynne, 8-9 year - old girl goes to a Christmas party with her father and brother. At the party, she notices that another girl treats his father as if he is her real father and get jealous and learns something surprising then. Although the story turns out to be not that complicated, I love this movie because it has a nice structure. While I am watching this film, it leaves many questions to my mind, for example, "Why mother does not go to the party?" "Why are there only father and their children in that party?" or "Why the girl is so familiar to Lynne's father even though she is supposed that they are stranger?" and all those questions are answered at the end of the film. I thought that this structure makes the movie interesting and the audience satisfied.

A remarkable and poetic short film!

[karenflash · 10/10 · 22 April 2008]

This short film from Lynne Ramsay is extremely impressive on a technical level as well as emotionally stirring. The director has an uncanny ability to capture those seemingly small and insignificant moments in a child's life which have a lasting and profound effect; those moments when everything changes, innocence is lost and nothing will ever be the same again. The children in her films learn the facts of life the hard way and quite often have to make sense of them on their own without the aide of an understanding parent. I was more moved by "Gasman" than I was with "Ratcatcher" (her first feature length which is a must see for true film connoisseurs) for this reason. The director keeps information from the audience, so that when we discover what the little girl discovers it's just as new and poignant for the viewer without being predictable. Lynne Ramsay is a true "auteur" who possesses the uncanny ability to capture beautiful and haunting moments of life.

This film's mean is complicated.

[little-greenmen · 7/10 · 4 August 2013]

One day, a girl and a boy went out with their mother, on the other hand, a boy and a girl went out with their father, and then, two families met each other on the railway. The mother's children were left the father and went to the Christmas party together.

I didn't understand the relationship of those two families. However, I think children have blood relationship. Probably because the two daughter's looks were very similar, also they felt something to relation, so it caused rivalry each other, and they fought about who will sit on their father's knee.

It was very difficult for me to grasp this film's to intention, since there were the complicated reasons. The scene what is a girl with her father looked back to the other family was impressive to me.

unique camera work

[mindopener623 · 9/10 · 15 February 2014]

Gasman is a 1998 film by Lynne Ramsa. This film won Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Fest, the BAFTA Awards, and the Atlantic Film Fest. The direction and the camera work of this film are very strange. There is a little girl and a little boy. There is Christmas music. The girl gets dressed. The boy gets sugar on his toy car and plays with it. There is a mother, hurrying them up. In this scene, you can see the face of the characters hardly. Then, they go out and walk along the railway. The family arrives at a Christmas party. The visual and sound are somehow filled with uneasiness. This may be because of the strange direction and the unstable camera work. So, you will be drawn into the screen although it is very short film.

Doesn't really go anywhere

[beckyness-12086 · 7/10 · 2 November 2021]

This slice-of-life film didn't really lead anywhere, but there were some interesting parallels between the beginning and the end. I feel like it lacked and interesting ending, but nonetheless was an interesting insight into one man's double family life.

the child-director

[onerpaz · 10/10 · 15 October 2005]

I was amazed by Ramsay's thorough understanding of children and their feelings. This film, a touching portrayal of a father-daughter relationship, is by far the best I have seen. Poetical depiction of the seemingly endless railways are reminiscent of the long and hard life. One has to accept the people you love as they are and realize that they may be loved by others. One needs to be able to share the beloved. Final scene is the best. The girl forgives her rival. It is interesting how the girl starts to hate her rival. I wonder how important was the fact that they look alike. I think I want to start shooting movies as well.

My thoughts;

[bnv121591 · 6/10 · 20 December 2009]

I too was surprised by Ramsay's "thorough understanding" of a child's mind and feelings. Gasman was a good description of a Little girls relationship with her father. Her rivalry with another little girl, who looks quite similar, and is of the same relative age; the two in a sort of competition for the fathers lap. Not being able to 'share' her father she begins to pull her rivals hair. In this film the railroad is a symbol of the fathers long toiling life, his being torn between his two families/lives. I am sort of wondering, what the two sons, they kind of just walk and are in the sides of the shots, not really characters but props, but I cannot quite figure out what they are doing/ what purpose they are sharing.

The story of a family

[acingst · 5/10 · 15 September 2015]

The film is color film; however, the film screen is dark as black and white film. For two minutes thirty seconds since the beginning of the scene, faces of any characters not are screened. This shooting technique can say that interesting. While character's faces are not screened, at the first scene is that one adult person polishes men's black shoes. In the next scene is screened that someone mischief to put the sugar on the minicar. Then, the scene that a child who is running. After that, the young girl takes on the closes. She get dressed dress to mother. The first scene which appears someone's face, the young girl's face is screened. The audience knows that is before the landscape family go out. The family has a father, mother, elder brother and young sister. The father and children go to outside. Then, they meet another family; mother and elder brother and young sister. The father keeps another set of children. Then, those five people go to the Christmas party venues. The father and mother and another woman's likely to be adult circumstances; however, young children don't know the circumstances. This film is to predict the atmosphere of some secrets and some troubles to the audience in the whole volume.

This is fairly serious

[goto-kazoku-4 · 9 July 2013]

A girl and her brother get dressed up and go out with their father. On the way, they meet a woman, a girl and a boy. They look like the same age with the brother. Two girls, two boys and their father go to a Christmas party. The girl looks happy, however, she sees the girl who she met a while ago is on the lap of her own father. She is angry. Probably, they are half brothers. However, the children are good friends.

This is a fairly serious story for me. I don't understand why their mother and father take them to the party together. I think that it is not good that a half-brother and half-sister met each other when they are children. The scene of the railroad track where father and his divorced wife talk is deeply impressive. I feel sorrowful because the season of winter is added to the scene. However, the girls are very cute. The blonde hair and the dress are charming. The party looks lively and happy, therefore I want to join such a party. I like the party scene.

complicated story

[peg0120 · 7/10 · 1 August 2013]

This story is complexly. Lynne who is main character in this story meets one girl. However, she sees the girl who sitting on a knee of Lynne's father. She wonders the girl becoming friend with Lynne's father. Finally, she comprehends their relation.

I'm impressed by the scene that is the girl sitting on a knee of Lynne's father. This scene is the most important point in this story. Various feelings of characters are jumbled together. I think Lynne is jealous because the girl appears suddenly and keeps a thing to herself. Lynne probably can't understand. So she uses violence on the girl. Furthermore, their father doesn't want to scold Lynne because he probably wants to love both of them.

In conclusion, he wants them to be friend with each other. At the same time, he knows it is difficult practically. On the other hand, Lynne parts from the girl before she is convinced. So Lynne and her father are gloomy.

difficult

[ts-123 · 10/10 · 8 October 2013]

A girl dressed up and her brother get out with their father. On the way to go to a Christmas party, they meet a woman, a girl and a boy. Five persons without the woman goes to the party together. In the party, a girl gets angry to another girl because another girl is getting along with the father. Why such a thing happens? How is the connection among the five persons. This story is very complicated. For the first time I watched this film, I could not understand. This film makes me think of what family is. Although this film is so sad that someone might not be able to stand, everyone should watch it. To sum up, I like this film because it has a lot of deep meanings.

Very suggestive

[arkts31 · 6/10 · 9 February 2014]

This film is not easy to understand. I have watched this several times. A man and his children go to a party together. It is Christmas season in the movie, but it is full of eerie mood.

The main theme of this film is apparently affection of children to their parents. But there's another story behind the main story. This movie seems to be made intentionally in the child view so that the audience will follow the story and think same as the children. However, I think it is interesting to watch this in the parents view. I think this film is not only about children's feeling but also about complicated mind of the parents who hold some secrets. There are not so much words in the film, but some actions and conversations imply that there is something strange.

Besides, we can learn something about children from this film. Children seem to act on their feelings and impulse, but they may really understand a circumstance by instinct. If so, we have to care about children all the time because the pain a man have in the childhood doesn't disappear when he has grown up. The last scene is very meaningful and suggestive. There are not dynamic actions, but it has strong impact on us.

Complicated story

[coldplayer-57213 · 8/10 · 10 August 2017]

This is a short movie. One day, a girl who wears dress and brother go to a Christmas party with father. When they walk on a railroad track toward the Christmas party, they meet another family which is composed of a women, her son and daughter. they go to the party together except the women. The girl feels that the daughter knows father very well. In fact, there is a hidden truth. At first, I don't understand what is happened. However, when I watch the last scene, I can understand everything. So, If you want to know the hidden truth, I want you to watch this movie.

parents' affection to children

[riodejaneirofl · 7/10 · 9 August 2017]

Gasman makes me feel too empty for words.

Children have the same feelings as the adults. Jealousy is the feeling we all surely feel. However children's jealousy is stronger than the adults' one. But children control themselves in their small hearts. When we watch their control attitude, we must feel pain.

I wonder how they live to be adults. Jealousy makes them feel lonely.

Parents must flood them with much affection. It is one of the duties of the parents.

When I become mother, I want to watch this movie again. I have to think what is the most important. I want to protect what I should protect.

This movie makes me feel so.

Gasman

[marianasilva91 · 8/10 · 21 December 2009]

Gasman is a short film that stirs up a great amount of detail and emotion in a short period of time. Seen very much from a young child's point of view, it shows nothing in the beginning but then starts to develop itself with a great potential. For example, in the beginning, the kids are getting ready to go out with their father but the mother stays at home and watches out the window as they leave. Then, you just see them walking through the tracks until finally they get to a stop. Then you start to realize that the father has another family and his kids seem very much confused by what is going on. There are a lot of mixed feelings throughout the film and it is very much clear, although not many words are said. The way the camera moves around from character to character is what tells the story and gives it so much power. The mixed feelings between the characters are clear through the way that the camera moves around between the characters. It is an extraordinary piece that is told by its form, rather than text.

Fragility and Bond

[kr-kr-dr3 · 7/10 · 22 July 2013]

This is a short film which is a little sad story. The main characters of this movie are little girls and their father. However the parent and child have some problem. The girls have the same father and different mother. The sentiments of the girls in cold Christmas season conveyed my mind deeply.

This film is Christmas story. Therefore, the manyChristmas songs like let it snow use in this film and give reality for me. I felt cold air of Christmas season. Although it is Christmas story, this story is dark and deep. However, the warm of human exists in end of the film certainly.

It is film that contained complex theme in fifteen minute. The trifling quarrel between two girls seems sorrowful. I felt fragility and bond of relationship of parent and children. I want you to see this film and think about relationship of parent and children.

Gasman

[kurohdo91 · 8/10 · 12 January 2024]

In Gasman, the season is Christmas, and fathers and children are heading to get ready for the Christmas party. The kids look so depressed. They are dressed up, which they are not used to, and wear leather shoes. Christmas parties are not so common in Japan, so it was very new to me. They meet a family on the road along the railroad tracks where they are headed. The father speaks as if he has known them for a long time. The family consists of a mother and two children. The father gives the woman some money. I thought it would have been better if he had hidden it better or not given it to her when the children were around. I found out that the children are illegitimate children of the mother. I felt that there was a disparity in the way the illegitimate children were dressed, as the other children are dressed nicely, whereas the illegitimate children are dressed a little dirty. They end up going to a Christmas party, all the four children and their father. The kids have fun playing when they get to the Christmas party. The illegitimate child gets tired and sits on her father's lap. Seeing this, the daughter says to the illegitimate child, "That's my place." The illegitimate child says, "That's my daddy." The daughter does not know the illegitimate child and does not know what this child is saying, but they fight. The father is angry with his daughter and tells her to make up. The party is over and the five of them are going home along the railroad tracks again. I found this story very complicated. I felt the father was a pretty terrible person. He should make everyone happy and the way he was angry with his daughter at the party was very offensive.

the girls' problem

[sawii29 · 6/10 · 26 July 2013]

A girl, Lynne, and her brother leave home with their dad. They walk along a railroad track and meet a woman with two children. They go to a Christmas party with dad, but Lynne becomes anxious. The girl and dad get on well, and the girl and Lynne resemble each other. Lynne comes to dislike the girl being familiar with her dad.

It was difficult for me to understand what's going on in this film. I know the feeling of fear when someone who you like is taken from you. She feels lonely and worried, I think. However, on the other hand, the girl who was with the woman is not dressing up and rarely laughs. She must have a hard time. I can sympathize with both of them.

I don't know whether they meet after that or not, but wish they get to be on good terms with each other. This film made me think what family relationship is.

nice

[satohakilesson · 5/10 · 17 July 2013]

This movie is about children who react with naïve simple emotion to a situation by father in the Christmas party and also deep and meaningful.

The first scene of the movie shows us the foreign family's everyday morning. This scene of ordinary lets me think about foreign lives. The scene in the party, a girl got angry at a girl sat on her father. I think this is jealousy. But I don't know the true meaning. Last scene was also mysterious. On the railway, a woman who has other two children suddenly appears and takes them to somewhere without saying any words.

I think this movie is full of mysterious things for me, so I couldn't understand almost of all! Unfortunately there aren't many information about this. If I can understand the words what people saying in this, I can understand easily! Understanding movie only by watching is very difficult. Listening to words what they are saying is important!