User reviews

Wow; You could'a knocked me over with a feather when I stumbled across this listing--This site never ceases to amaze me!

I, too, was profoundly affected upon first viewing this obscure (or so I thought) short subject. I don't remember the year, just that I was attending a "progressive" elementary school (Murdock, La Mesa/Spring Valley, CA). I'm 40 years old now, and like the other "comment-ers" I still think back to this one every now and again; I've even gone so far as to ask several of my film-dork friends over the years about it, to no avail.

Perhaps one of you "Cipher" fans can help me unearth details on another educational short from roughly the same period. Sadly, the title must've been stored in one of the many brain cells i've subsequently destroyed, but here's what I remember:

I guess that the overriding theme of the film is "group-think" and/or the evils of juvenile-onset Sociopathy: We meet a kindly, committed male educator; His favorite thing, other than helping to mold young minds, is his first-edition, autographed (i think) collection of e.e. cummings poetry. Through a series of events I no longer remember (could it have been some sort of 'initiation'?) a small group of his students break in or something and end up tearing up this Prized Possession... All flippancy aside, I really do look back on this as the first introduction to the concept of empathy.

Can anyone help me to identify the film? PLEASE respond here, or by e-mail, as i can't figure out how to join in any reindeer-messageboard-games!

2012 UPDATE: "The Boy Who Liked Deer" was its name!!! Thank you so much for e-mailing me the title of the lost short I just described, 2 different people whose names I forget! You've made it possible for me to find it on You Tube and add it to my YT page/playlists. www.youtube.com/leshaann Thank you!

A schoolboy sits by himself on the bus. He gets up, and moves to the front. He asks the driver to let him off. When the puzzled man does so, the boy steps into the snow on the ground by the road and collapses. He is dead.

Most of the movies made for schools are mildly ridiculous in their insipidity. This is not one of them. Perhaps that's because it's not solely directed at the students, whom film makers seem to think are stupid people. Instead it's aimed at the teachers who puzzled, investigate what happened, and come to no clear answer, except that to survive, people need more than food, shelter, and clothes. They need to know that some one cares.

This penetrating short film was screened at my middle-school in the mid-70s, and to this day it continues to cross my mind. Allegedly inspired by a true event, the film denotes a lonely, withdrawn boy ridiculed by schoolmates, invisible to teachers, and mistreated at home. A complete absence of love and intermutuality gradually reduces him to "a cipher"(meaning, literally, "zero"). One early morning before school, he is finally granted a single tender mercy...he falls dead on a snowbank, released at last from his quiet suffering.

I consider this film an integral part of my upbringing. It planted a seed in my young mind, and served to pilot my conscious efforts toward being a good person, and to step forward when others are being unjustly or inhumanely treated. In the many years which have passed since I saw it, I suspect CIPHER has become stylistically dated. That said, I feel it should be remade generationally, so as to update its appeal with the ever-changing mindset of youth. The relevance of this story is eternal, and the importance of human empathy and the awareness that everyone matters can never be given too much reenforcement.

Kudos to the LDS church for funding this silent scream. Eight well-deserved stars for the film, and a zillion stars for the urgency of its purpose.

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."

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.

While powerful and thought provoking. Watching this as a child only fueled my childhood experience of depression. It may bring awareness to some, but I can not recommend this film as "good"

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.

My husband mentioned that watching this movie was one of the many traumatic things he remembers about growing up. We watched it tonight. Unbelievable. Besides being a crappy movie, it's not for kids. Maybe 2 minutes of the movie focused on the bullying that this boy endured. The rest of the movie focused on how his mother failed him, his step-father abused him, his teacher and school failed him. This was a boy with obvious mental issues. He needed help from adults and professionals. While I teach my children to be kind always, I also teach them that other's kid's mental issues aren't their responsibility. It almost almost seems like this movie was produced by a cult.

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.

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

I remember being shown this movie in 4th or 5th grade in the mid 70's. I remember several in the class breaking down in tears but the reaction of some in our class was equally telling. Those were the kids that joked and actually laughed during the tragic scene in the movie. That is no lie. The movie stunned me and sickened my stomach. Exactly what the movie was trying to convey was being exhibit in real-time in front of me by some of my peers. You could say that those that laughed nervously and joked were afraid of showing their true emotion at the poignant content. For some however, they were showing their true feelings. They were the ones responsible for the harsh treatment, bullying and teasing that went on at our school. There were adults who turned their heads and ignored it. I knew well enough to stay away from the really bad ones. Years later, one of the bad seeds that I knew from that time in elementary school went on to become a convicted murderer.

Some are so hardened, even by 4th or 5th grade that they have no compassion, no soul. It is sad.......

This is a very ambitious idea for a short film, presenting a message about chipping away at someone until they're next to nothing wrapped up a mystery styled narrative. It could leave many opportunities for character progression or tying things into the central story. But the way that plot points are set up creates a feeling of things occuring simply due to the plot demanding it more than anything else. The structure of the picture also is very truncated in nature, where every moment feels like it only serves one purpose before moving onto the next moment. Gives off the impression that they're more just scenes to communicate ideas but not really telling much of a story. The story beats themselves feel as though they delve into both extreme sides of the spectrum. The first being that the only way they showcase moments involving the boy Cliff are flashbacks that make you feel bad for him. But with both a lack of development behind those sad moments and Cliff a character, it comes across like the overcompensating to get you to connect with him. Also doesn't help that characters like Cliffs step father feels like he's just an terrible person for the sake of being one, constantly calling Cliff stupid and consistently putting his selfish needs above everyone else. The second storytelling extreme comes from the main character delving into the themes of the film, by just straight up telling us the themes in a manor that feels very unnatural and scripted. I'm absolutely on board with events building towards a break down of the main ideas the writers are trying to get across. But it's important how that information gets delivered and that if feels like it's coming from the character rather than the writer. Despite my criticisms, there's still plenty of things to respect about the film. The cinematography and overall directing feels very professionally done. The back and forth perspective does an solid job at building tension during the opening scene. And the ending serving as a subtle awakening moment for our main character was presented in a very quiet but impactful manor.

I was a teen when this film was released. It was shown during my Graphic Arts class at Granada High, Livermore CA by one of my most influential teachers, Mr. William (aka Bill), Spake in my life. I felt tossed aside by family and others. After watching this in class, I skipped school and went to an open field and cried--I was more than familiar with this child's agony of loneliness and rejection. For years I felt like I was on the "moon," with nobody around. About the only person in my life during those years who helped me feel self-worth, was Mr Spake. Both he and the movie left me with an indelible memory of how humans' can be--at the very best and worst. I've searched for Mr Spake for years. Seems he became a ghost.

I didn't really see the movie. I read the story. People just make everything seem like a big deal until things get way out of hand. They should just stop being mean or whatever they are doing that might be hurting someone instead of waiting for something like this to change their minds. It's not fun being a cipher especially when life doesn't really matter because you're going psychological inside your head. It's society's fault every time there is a problem. Even though there are many stories like this people still don't pay attention. The world goes round and round and there is nothing that may even make the world stop and realize what's going on around them. Oh yeah maybe until something happens to them they might change their mind ,but other than that they will still end up being the same selfish and careless people on earth.

This film was shown to me at school when I was a mere 7 years old. I can only assume that the school felt it was necessary as along with 4 other children we were put in a 10x10 room and shown this film and asked about our feelings on the movie.

I came from a broken home at the age of 4 and the memory of this film and my life at that time will never be forgotten. It is unfortunate that today's school systems refuse to show this film and ignore these problems that are so blatant in our younger single parent households.

Without a doubt I can agree with the other comments that this movie changed my life in such a profound way. I am now married and a father of 2 kids. With the ever present residue of this film in my mind I know that my children will never become just another Cipher in the snow.

A wonderful, heartbreaking movie with a powerful lesson, how little we sometimes realize as parents, teachers, and leaders , the effect our words have on children.. "Cliff, what are you day-dreaming about today?" Our Father in Heaven never writes off any of his children, and yet we often label them as "dumb" or "slow learner" and they carry this with them.. Highly recommended for all age groups.. He started off such a happy little boy with a love for the beautiful, simple things in life (the frogs, the budding flower) that we take for granted, and his step father failed miserably to see the blessings of such an example, and so sad that mothers put up with such men who would mistreat their children so terribly..

.....then by all means let me know at the above e-mail addy so that I may arrange it for you. This utterly captivating little film is one that a lot of folks my age can't remember the title of but nonetheless will never forget having seen way back in grade school when 16mm projection of educational films was a frequent ritual. While many of the shorts in question that we were forced to sit through were dry, boring affairs, this heart-rending account of a tragically departed child that everyone at school remembers but nobody seemed to love was/is an historic classroom experience for those who were there. A film that simply must be seen by as many contemporary schoolchildren as possible, if only to stem the tide of 'bullying' that's out of control.

Absolutely should NOT be shown to children. Should be shelved as a horrible example of misguided film making by an ignorant culture.

The person who contrived this story was clearly suffering in unimaginable ways. That sadly resulted in this convoluted short film being made by others instead of them guiding that person towards healing.

It's as if this story stopped production halfway through and left out the most rewarding parts. Let's remember that in the countless other "cipher" stories the cipher grows and rises and brings out the best in everyone (even the ignorant bullies) and everyone celebrates and heals together. ("The Grinch", "Rudy", "October Sky").

Brigham Young University should be publicly held accountable for allowing this ignorance to be passed around and shown in Utah classrooms for decades. The "university" should create an endowment to see to it that every copy of this atrocity is located and destroyed and that another more rewarding message takes it's place. It is time and I know just the right contractor to see this through. Mike D. Jarman (801) 278-7000.