‘Snake Bite’ is a short film that is centered on the adventure of four boys. The story of the young friends takes place in a forest, where they had gone in search of snakes. Their first encounter with one of the non-poisonous snakes leads to another dangerous incident in which one of the boys, Dylan, suffers a snake bite. The other three boys play individual roles, which worsened the situation by leading to the loss of Dylan’s leg. In the film “Snake Bite,” the three main characters, exclude poor Dylan, can be seen as various degrees of imperfection, from least to most likable.
Xavier is most responsible for Dylan’s loss of limb and the horrible outcome of the film. One of the main reasons for the blame is his tendency to incite others. He killed the first snake, upon the discovery that it was not poisonous. In its place, he asked his friends to continue looking for real snakes. By real snakes, he meant the venomous ones. Killing the snake and uttering the words triggered feelings in Dylan. It was from the emotions he stirred that Dylan was suffered the attack. From another perspective, Xavier proposed chopping off the leg. He bullied his friends to adopt the thought that the only solution to saving Dylan’s life was cutting off the probably infected leg. It was from his suggestion that the decision to cut the leg was made. It seemed especially bad because of the persuasive way in which he articulated it. He instilled a belief in the other boys, that chopping off the leg was the only way in which they could help him while in the forest. He closed their imagination to two choices only, yet they could brainstorm other ways of helping their friend. Doing so resulted in the horrifying loss of a limb for Dylan and made the end of the film horrible too.
Tyler was second most responsible for Dylan’s misfortune. One of his major inequities was misleading the group regarding the color of the snake’s tail. Without being sure, he claimed that the snake had a red tail. Saying so led Cole to the belief that it was the Black Widowmaker. His answer led to the conclusion that Dylan was infected with the fatal venom of the snake. All the conversations, dilemmas, and decisions that followed his confirmation were based on this statement. It would have been a different case if he based his answer on the right observation. Another of his sins was cutting off his friend’s leg. Tyler took the initiative to do what the others did not have enough courage to do. Unfortunately, his courage and will to do so were the ingredients of the misfortune. Although they all contributed, theirs were simple ideas and decisions. Swinging the knife was the action that had the impact that will forever last in Dylan’s life. The fact that his action was not solely his fault, and he was democratic enough to let Dylan decide his fate, places him as the second guiltiest friend.
The least responsible character is Cole. One of his most admirable characters is the willingness to offer meaningful information. He wisely used the book to offer information that was relevant to the situation. For example, he advised Dylan to remain calm to minimize the chances of the venom spreading to his heart. If Dylan was indeed in danger, it was Cole’s advice that would have mitigated the risks of death. It was excellent since it also contained instructions on how exactly Dylan would remain calm. In another aspect, Cole took the initiative to learn about the snake before engaging his friends in action. He first took his time to ask about the snake that had attacked his friend. He later referred from the book to gain the right information instead of acting from the point of ignorance. Taking time to do so improved the group’s chances of saving Dylan’s life. It maximized the chances of doing whatever was right under the circumstances. It was also because of Cole’s ability to keep calm that they had the chance to evaluate the consequences that each choice would have. For example, he explained that leaving Dylan’s fate to nature was better than cutting off the seemingly infected limb was a bad choice. A majority of his words and actions were directed towards maintaining Dylan’s welfare instead of bringing closer the ill-fated ending.
Conclusion
A careful analysis of the events that took place in the short film dubbed ‘Snake Bite’ shows that Xavier was the guiltiest, followed by Tyler and Cole in that order. Xavier suggested chopping off the leg and minimized the chances of seeking a better alternative. Tyler gave a wrongful observation of the snake and swung the knife that amputated Dylan’s leg. However, Cole took time to find the right information and suggested that nature should take its course. Although involved, his was a positive contribution that barely led to the horrible end. However, further analysis may provide a more nuanced conclusion.
Work Cited
Hyten, Timothy. “Snake Bite.” YouTube, YouTube, 12 Aug. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=TByslZS46b4.
