Finger Trap, The — Julia McLean, 2008
A husband has prepared a romantic, surprise - an anniversary present for his wife. He has laid out flowers and champagne and puts music on, waiting for her return. To pass the time he starts to play around with a mystery object in a box – a finger trap. We have no idea what the seemingly innocent “finger trap” involves but it soon becomes clear that this fun diversion has very serious consequences…
Classroom Activities
Print All- Critical
- Cultural
- Creative
- Clip Details
Critical
- This short film has no dialogue – does it need any? Why / why not?
- When do we realise that the finger trap is not as innocent as we had at first thought? What scene reveals the truth of the situation?
- We can interpret the “finger trap” as symbolic – what could it be symbolic of?
- How would you describe the relationship the couple have? They’re not young – is there age important? What does this tell us?
- How is humour used in the film? How successful is it in communicating the message of the film?
Cultural
- Do we sympathise with the man as he waits? How do we react as the situation unfolds? Who do we sympathise with at the end? Why?
- Consider the work of Roald Dahl – can you find any similar stories with a sense of danger and destruction behind something seemingly innocent?
Creative
WRITE
- Write the conversation the man and woman might have at the end of this film.
- Has something relatively innocent ever ended seriously for you? Write an account of how something simple and innocent had more serious consequences.
DRAW
- A finger trap is a classic little gadget – like fidget spinners. Draw the design for a new kind of fun diversion toy.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
- What addictions/compulsions are there and what serious consequences and potentially dangerous outcomes do they have?
- Where can people go if they need help with a serious addiction or compulsion?
Clip Details
| Year of Production | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy, Stop-Motion |
| Curriculum Areas | Expressive Arts, Modern Languages, Literacy and English |
| Director | Julia McLean |
| Country of Origin | UK |
| Medium / Content | 3D Animation, Fiction, Colour, Sound, No Dialogue |
| Themes | Relationships, Identity / Self |
| Clip Length | 04:31 |
| Clip Length | 04:31 |
| Age Group | P1-P4, P5-P7, S1-S3 |
