Scaredycat: Reflection
Brief and austere, Scaredycat hits hard through its haunting melody, grim
cinematography, and personal narratives. I rewound several sections of the film
just to pinpoint certain details eliciting solemnity and concern in me, the
viewer, making Scaredycat not only a
powerful study, but also a thought-provoking experience. I am familiar with
documentaries, but Scaredycat is one
of the rare narratives usually lacking in these types of films. Though I
encourage objective documentaries, often am I left wanting for a more personal
film exploring a facet or the personality of an individual. Andy Blubaugh
presents a short film exploring his irrationality in the aftermath of trauma,
and I was fascinated and invested in his progression.
Blubaugh sets a solemn, almost lonely mood from
the first minutes: a simple bell and xylophone tune hint at damage, and the
close-ups of Blubaugh’s compulsions left a chill in me. While the crude
animations did distill some of that eeriness, the puppet-like movement ended up
working in Scaredycat’s favor.
Perhaps I attribute too much meaning to the style, but it reinforces that
zombie-like fugue described by Blubaugh. Restless and anxious, he shambles in
stagnation, justifying a racist approach to avoid danger. He adjusts magazines,
aligns footsteps, and corrects paintings to gratify himself into believing he
is keeping himself safe. Seeing a black man in the train, he hastily departs at
the next step. Blubaugh voices the irrationality of his fears most powerfully
through small details, and I felt sympathy.
Scaredycat
feels almost tragic; we live in a society that, no matter its social progress,
will always host unwarranted, unpredictable violence. Still, as Andy’s mother
notes, life will always have its dangers, and to live in constant paranoia is
irrational. Andy eventually reconciles with his fear by realizing its blatant
senselessness and racism, and the film ends with him sitting in no apparent discomfort
on the train again.
Reviewing this film, I felt its strongest
moments were in the minutiae of camera angles and close-ups. While I enjoyed
the voiceovers from Snowden, the district officer, and Hawkin, the
psychologist, Andy’s thought process struck as the most memorable. Since this
film is an in-depth analysis of Blubaugh in a dark period, I believe it reinforced
the sincerity of his paranoia. Scaredycat
is an enjoyable and emotional experience, and it left me thinking of the
things and habits I cling to for no other reason but security.
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