The BFI describes this short filler as “Part firework safety warning, part mini horror film”. It doesn’t seem so odd for the most part, but we see what the unidentified child is missing out on due to his sudden reduction in sight. The narrator does a good job of pointing out that both fun activities like football and independent activities, such as crossing the road have been lost, giving an important perspective of how much we rely on our sight.

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The horror aspect comes in towards the end of the filler. The audience sees a field with a dozen children standing in it, with their backs to the camera. A flute plays a short but faraway melody which is somewhat unnerving and isolating, reminiscent of the music at the end of Protect and Survive. As the narrator asks, “will one of them be your child?”, the camera gets close to one of the children, and they sharply turn their head revealing dark sunglasses representing blindness.

 

The weirdness of the children in the field, and then the quick turn of the child’s head paired with this question makes the viewer question their own plans for bonfire night and think about the repercussions of carelessness with fireworks. Firework: Eyes (1974) doesn’t make use of scary imagery, but the “part mini horror film” visuals towards the end help the viewers reflect on their future actions. Sometimes a more minimalist approach can be just as effective when trying to create change in people’s lives.