This film tells the story of a break down of a relationship and learning to move on with your life. Although this film does not sit directly within the coming of age genre it does follow a very similar concept to our main film idea, so I felt that it would be a good piece to directly draw inspiration from.
Narrative
The narrative of this film follows the breakdown of a once loving relationship. The use of voiceover from the female protagonist is a vital element in the telling of this story, as she conveys the moral of the narrative of learning to let go and move on. This film falls into the genre of drama, and although the protagonists are both adults, it does conform to many of the conventions of the the coming of age genre. For example, almost always the main character of a coming age film will go on a journey of personal growth. This is something we are able to witness with both characters in this short film. Relationships and falling in love are also prominent themes within this genre.
The resolution and overall message of moving on that is presented to us at the end of the film, ultimately means that this film follows Todorov's theory of equilibrium. Although there are flashes forward to the ultimate end of the relationship, the story begins on a relatively happy note. The relationship then falls apart, yet there is still a resolution as both characters seemingly reach peace by the end of the film.
The overall tone of this film is that of reflection. The use of voiceover conveys this, as the female character adopts a contemplative approach when talking about the relationship. Her words are also rather vague, in that they could be interpreted to be reflecting on life in general, not just the end of a relationship. The reflective tone of this film is also expressed through the frequent references to nature and to a 'bigger picture'. Thus suggesting that this is a reflection on life, not only a breakup.
Character Representation
There are two characters in this film. Both are between the ages of 24-30 years old. Although this is not the typical age for a protagonist in a coming of age drama, both characters express traits of a typical coming of age protagonist. They are both blindly in love, and because of this, are arguably somewhat naive as to where their relationship could be headed. Once the relationship had ended, they both have to move on, and in this process they inevitably gain wisdom and maturity. This journey of self realisation and personal growth is typical of the genre and is the basis for this narrative, thus making this film conform to aspects of a coming of age film.The female lead in this film is rather conventional. She is pretty and appears caring and loving. However she is not shown to be working or to have a career, thus she conforms to the female archetype in the drama genre. Her male counterpart appears to be the bread-winner in the relationship as it is ultimately his unrelenting work ethic that causes the breakup. These conventional character types are unsurprising. As short film directors have a limited amount of time, it is common for their characters not to be overly developed, therefore they tend to stick to characters that are familiar and understandable for the audience.
Mis En Scene
During the first half of the film, short flashes to after the breakup are interspersed throughout scenes of the seemingly happy couple. There are significant shifts in tone between these scenes. The scenes of the couple being happy and in love are brightly lit with warm tones. Whereas, the alternate scenes are cold and grey. The rooms also appear less lived in as items seem disused and abandoned, suggesting that the character is in a depressed state. These changes in mis en scene, highlight the distinct difference in the emotional states of the characters before and after the relationship. This therefore creates sympathy within the audience as they can see the impact of the breakup.
The man's camera is an important prop in this story and is referenced frequently. For example we see both characters gradually covering a wall with photographs. The wall is later reintroduced into the story, however now the man is tearing it down as his relationship is over. As this is a short story, there is little time to build character depth. Therefore Chiu has had to use more innovative ways of presenting the breakdown of this relationship, in a way that will ultimately strike an emotional cord with the audience. The use of the camera and the man's love for photography was a clever move on the part of Chiu as it parallels the relationship. We see it's progression in the form of the wall, and then we witness it's downfall at the hands of the man, who arguably, also ruined the relationship.
Through costuming, we also see a distinct difference in the male character before and after the relationship. At the start he looks well-dressed, tidy and happy, whereas afterwards, he looks untidy and in a state of disarray. He is also shown to be smoking, thus connoting that he is stressed and in fragile state of mind. This therefore creates sympathy for the character and highlights the severity of the breakup.
The voiceover narration is a key element in this film as it translates the message of the film across the audience. It also provides a much more profound outlook on the story and therefore brings another element into the film that allows the audience to reflect on their own lives.
Dialogue is also used frequently in this film, and often plays an important role in portraying the story. For example there is a distinct juxtaposition in the way the characters converse in the beginning and at the end of the film. When they are in love they talk about how happy they are and how much they love one another. Whereas when the relationship starts to break down, all of their dialogue is delivered as shouting or in the form of an argument. This therefore shows the complete breakdown of the relationship and the distinct difference in how it was before compared to how it is at the end.
Music is also used in this film to create ambience. For the majority of the film there is gentle instrumental music in the background, suggesting peace and calm. This music later builds in intensity as the arguments begin. During these scenes the music is louder and faster, thus conveying to the audience that something significant is about to happen (the breakup). Then later, as the characters find happiness once again, the music is once again calm and gentle.
Camera
Frequent references are made to nature throughout this film, and a variety of shots are used for this purpose, including long shots, close ups and mid shots.
The voiceover could be interpreted to be talking about bigger things than just the end of a relationship, and the quotes at the beginning of the film appear to reference life as a whole rather than just a breakup. Therefore, the references to nature also relates to this 'bigger picture' and suggest that the characters will eventually move on. This idea is further enforced with one of the final scenes of the man looking out onto the ocean, then smiling as if he has finally found peace of mind. The use of a long shot in this scene, shows the expanse of the ocean and thus contributes to this idea. In this shot, there also appears to be a ray of light in the cloudy sky, which suggests a ray of hope for the man.
Many of the shots, locations and scenarios that are featured in the beginning of the film are recreated later in a negative light. This juxtaposition between the scenes highlights the negative impact that the breakup has had on the characters. For example, the first time we see the two character together, they kiss in a car. We later see them in that same car having an intense argument.
Editing
Sound bridges are used a few times in this film, in order to highlight the complete shift between 'then' and 'now'. For example, there is a scene in which the man is putting a picture of the girl up above the mantle piece. He says that it will stop him from 'sitting in the sofa by myself miserable'. The scene cuts to him in the future crying and taking down the picture as this dialogue plays over the top. This creates a lot of sympathy for the character as he becomes exactly what he said he didn't want to be; by himself and miserable.
Slow motion is also used when the couple are at the beach. In this scene there is no diegetic sound, just the background music and the voiceover. The use of slow motion, suggests that this is a treasured moment that will not last. This is the last scene in which we see the two together as a happy couple, therefore by using slow motion it coveys the importance of this moment and the fact that it will not last.
Other than a few sequences, the editing in this film is minimalistic. Simple cuts and techniques are used, yet they provide great impact as they often cut to the future, which juxtapose the happy scenes and cause a sense of foreboding within the audience.
Conclusion
This film follows a very similar concept to our film idea. We also plan to use a voice over in our film, that will provide a bigger picture to what the audience is seeing. This film also relies heavily on camera to portray particular elements of the story. This is something I would like to incorporate into our film, and therefore I will refer back to this film for inspiration.
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