Set Research Film No. 4: Over
Over; dir. John Threlfall, 2015
To say that this film was by far the most provocative and shocking is quite the understatement; the reaction to my first viewing can only be described with the word 'flabbergasted', but it's the fact that immediately afterward I wanted to watch the whole thing again that really solidifies this piece as so exceptional from our list. The patience, conceptualism and artistry displayed here is second to none, with subtle aspects of audience manipulation leading to something provocative and unforgettable.
Coming in at 14 minutes, you might expect a piece with more scope for narrative and obvious thematic aspects, but Threlfall defies such an expectation in two ways: the first in a reversal of chronology and the second in the fact that the film is completely observatory. We focus onto a single suburban area, starting at the night after the event and finishing with the unexpected occurrence itself; through such a device the audience is allowed to play detective, with more revealing individual shots interspersing long takes of the area. Minimalist perhaps isn't the right term, but abstract perhaps is. The entire film comes crashing in front of the viewer in the very last 30 seconds; an explanation for the intriguing police evidence, the washing of blood from a pavement and other such enigmatic but inexplicable occurrences that pepper the runtime. This is crime in short form, done with the intention of coaxing an audience's reaction, explanation only offered in a solitary and unbiased text screen at the very end.
What must be said about the technicality of such a 'simple' film, then, is the amazing amount of tension that is conjured, despite nearly no information being given. The ambient noise of leaves and wind, of street life and cars rolling past is so fantastically inconspicuous; with only hints of any upset to the suburbia being offered for a good third of the film, the balance of disinterest is so brilliantly trodden - despite absolutely nothing happening whatsoever, one simply cannot look away. Natural lighting, improvised action and simple but effective camerawork only increase the realism at hand, once again greatly contributing to the atmospheric effect at hand. Certainly to be looked to for simple and patient, but brilliantly effective storytelling, even in the short format.
To say that this film was by far the most provocative and shocking is quite the understatement; the reaction to my first viewing can only be described with the word 'flabbergasted', but it's the fact that immediately afterward I wanted to watch the whole thing again that really solidifies this piece as so exceptional from our list. The patience, conceptualism and artistry displayed here is second to none, with subtle aspects of audience manipulation leading to something provocative and unforgettable.
Coming in at 14 minutes, you might expect a piece with more scope for narrative and obvious thematic aspects, but Threlfall defies such an expectation in two ways: the first in a reversal of chronology and the second in the fact that the film is completely observatory. We focus onto a single suburban area, starting at the night after the event and finishing with the unexpected occurrence itself; through such a device the audience is allowed to play detective, with more revealing individual shots interspersing long takes of the area. Minimalist perhaps isn't the right term, but abstract perhaps is. The entire film comes crashing in front of the viewer in the very last 30 seconds; an explanation for the intriguing police evidence, the washing of blood from a pavement and other such enigmatic but inexplicable occurrences that pepper the runtime. This is crime in short form, done with the intention of coaxing an audience's reaction, explanation only offered in a solitary and unbiased text screen at the very end.
What must be said about the technicality of such a 'simple' film, then, is the amazing amount of tension that is conjured, despite nearly no information being given. The ambient noise of leaves and wind, of street life and cars rolling past is so fantastically inconspicuous; with only hints of any upset to the suburbia being offered for a good third of the film, the balance of disinterest is so brilliantly trodden - despite absolutely nothing happening whatsoever, one simply cannot look away. Natural lighting, improvised action and simple but effective camerawork only increase the realism at hand, once again greatly contributing to the atmospheric effect at hand. Certainly to be looked to for simple and patient, but brilliantly effective storytelling, even in the short format.
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