ARTS3061 Workshop Exercise: Critical Analysis of Favourite Film
- Des C
- Apr 14
- 2 min read
For this workshop, I chose to analyse The Egg (2019) by Jane Cho, which is one of my favourite short films. Its quiet, emotionally restrained narrative and thoughtful visual style stayed with me long after I first watched it.
The film follows a young Korean-Australian girl who spends her days being cared for by her grandmother. Her routine is repetitive and uneventful: eating plain congee, watching Korean dramas, and silently observing her surroundings. Until one day, she discovers a brightly wrapped Easter egg perched high on the fridge which becomes her object of desire.
What makes this film so effective is its complete commitment to the point of view of the little girl. Everything we see, hear, and feel is filtered through her emotional lens. Because of this, the grandmother isn’t portrayed as a warm or sympathetic figure, but as someone who imposes routine and control over the girl’s life.
The outcome of the story is that the grandmother’s passing is a result of the girl’s actions, yet the film doesn’t frame this moment with guilt or remorse. Instead, it remains emotionally neutral, reflecting the girl's limited understanding and detachment. In the final scene, she sits at the funeral, gleefully unwrapping and eating the long-coveted Easter egg. Rather than being sombre, the moment feels oddly victorious—as if we’re meant to think, “Oh, she finally got her chocolate. Good for her.”
It’s unsettling but powerful, showing how deeply the film commits to the child’s perspective, even at the cost of traditional emotional expectations.
Cho uses repetition in the film, through movements, meals and the environment, which communicates the passage of time and the monotony of the girl's daily life. These patterns are not just for aesthetic reasons but also help us understand the little girl's sense of restlessness and quiet rebellion. For example, this is illustrated in the pictures below, a compilation of the bowl of porridge with a side of kimchi being served to her every day.
Another strength of the film is its use of minimal dialogue as there is very little spoken throughout the entire film. This absence of speech reflects the emotional distance between the girl and her grandmother, as well as the girl's internal world where much is felt but little is expressed aloud. The quietness forces us to pay closer attention to gestures, expressions, and atmosphere, proving that meaningful storytelling can happen even when nothing is said.
The film also subtly reflects the bicultural experience of growing up between Korean and Australian identities. The household is filled with traditional Korean elements—TV shows, food, and decor, which contrasts with the Western symbol of the Easter egg. This creates a quiet cultural tension that mirrors the girl's internal experience: caught between two worlds, yet not fully belonging to either.
The Egg is a beautifully restrained film that captures the complexities of childhood, cultural identity, and emotional distance through subtle but deliberate choices. Its minimalism and strong point-of-view storytelling are what made it one of my favourite short films and why I chose to analyse it for this workshop.
Comments