Cipher in the Snow

Over the past 30 years I've thought about this film off and on. I saw it in junior high school back in the day when films were shown via 16mm projectors. The scene of the kid getting off the bus and dying stuck with me. I didn't remember the title of the film, but this is why the IMDb is so great. I have been watching episodes of "The Virginian" in the past year. I looked up "The Virginian" on IMDb and started looking at what other projects the cast members have appeared in. Much to my surprised delight I discovered Roberta Shore from "The Virginian" was in a movie where a kid got off the bus and died. And so now I know the best film I ever saw in a junior high classroom is called, "Cipher In The Snow."

This short strongly affected me when I was at an age and circumstance in life where it proved to be a very effective film. Who would have thought one would see something like this in school. It is the only short shown in school in those days that I can clearly remember today as a powerful film. I assume school films have come a long way from the "duck and cover" fare that was the staple of the cold war. Plus the endless vague health films that left you more confused than informed. And of course the infamous one time a year sex information film which you needed a signed permission slip to view. Again, no information and much laughter was the result. I would have sworn I was younger when I saw "Cipher in the Snow",however. I must have viewed it when it was just released. Thanks to IMDb for listing it. Alex

30 years ago, my friends and I walked into a high school classroom laughing and joking around like we always did.

We weren't laughing when we walked out.

"Cipher In The Snow" is a film that strikes an almost universal chord among those who have been fortunate enough to see it; a tremendous, penetrating sadness in realizing that people around us are sometimes abused or neglected or ignored, and we, with the best intentions in the world, don't even notice. For younger adolescents, the empathy for the character reference in the title is positively overwhelming.

The film is also very well known as a film almost everyone who ever sees it remembers, although they can't remember its title. Very highly recommended.

I was inspired by this movie. The drama is real. The solution is within our human hands. Very humbling and motivating at the same time. This movie touched me in a profound way, at a deep level. I watched it in Grade 7 or 8 (12-yrs-old) at school (do they still show this in schools?!). I haven't seen it since, but I still think of it and I'm 29-yrs-old now! The boy is so ignored, so non-existent to others. When we don't 'matter' to anyone, it's hard to matter to ourselves, especially when we are teenagers, when social acceptance is so very important. This boy didn't even have a family support network. I related to this at a personal level. It's good to watch shows or read books that help us realize we are not alone; that helps us realize we can help others with such little effort. We underestimate our ability to make a difference in someone's life sometimes.

I saw this movie in Jr High I think was in 1977. It effected me very much, I wanted to cry when I watched it. God knows there are many 'ciphers' out there that even the slightest outreach would change their lives. If anyone knows a way to get a copy of this film I would sure be interested in buying a copy. In some ways back then I identified with the boy in the movie at the time. He was depressed and eventually went into total despair and literally willed himself to death. I believe the movie tried to portray how easily preventable this happening was. I think everyone should watch this movie. It shows how even the smallest initial clues can be picked up and the tragic event at the end of the movie can be prevented.