Aftersun does not employ traditional flashbacks in a conventional sense. Instead, the film subtly weaves glimpses of the adult protagonist, Sophie, into the primary narrative of her childhood holiday, using these moments as a means for her to reflect on and process her past.
An Unconventional Approach to Memory
Rather than presenting clear, distinct jumps to past events from a fixed present, Aftersun deliberately avoids a traditional flashback structure. The film primarily immerses the viewer in the vivid, often poignant, memories of an eleven-year-old Sophie's vacation with her father, Calum. Interspersed within this flow are brief, impressionistic snatches of the adult Sophie. These instances are not explicitly labeled as flashbacks but function as fragmented explorations of memory, grief, and the elusive nature of understanding one's history.
The narrative gracefully moves between the immediacy of the past and these fleeting moments of the present, creating a unique texture that emphasizes how memories are revisited, re-evaluated, and felt in later life. This technique allows the audience to experience Sophie's process of trying to piece together her father's character and their relationship from a grown-up perspective.
Glimpses of Adult Sophie's Reflection
The moments that might be perceived as "flashbacks" are, in fact, subtle insertions of the older Sophie's reality, observing and reliving her past. These include:
- Watching Video Recordings: Adult Sophie is frequently shown reviewing old camcorder footage from the very trip depicted in the film. These intimate, slice-of-life moments highlight her attempt to reconstruct, analyze, and comprehend her childhood experiences and her father's complexities through the lens of time. This act of re-watching serves as her way of grappling with what was, and perhaps, what was missed or misunderstood.
- The Recurring Rave Sequence: A prominent and impressionistic recurring sequence places the adult Sophie within a chaotic, strobe-lit rave environment. This abstract setting acts as a metaphorical space for her to confront deep-seated emotions, revisit fragmented memories, and experience a raw connection to her father, especially as it relates to his emotional state and eventual fate. This sequence offers a surreal, visceral contrast to the more grounded holiday memories, signifying the internal turmoil and processing of profound loss.
These present-day vignettes are seamlessly integrated, diving back into the flow of Sophie's childhood memories and the nuanced events that might have unfolded around them during the holiday. This non-linear, impressionistic style underscores the film's profound themes of memory's subjective nature, the silent struggles parents endure, and the enduring impact of a parent-child bond.
