GRIDLOCK
Written by Johan Verschueren and directed by Dirk Belien, the drama 'Gridlock' comes across as a flawless short film. It didn't win the oscar for which it was nominated in 2003, but It became extremely popular on the internet. It tells the story of a businessman stuck in traffic, who calls home only to be told by his little girl that mummy is in the bedroom with 'Uncle Wim'. His little girl carries out his instructions with amusing and tragic consequences. I personally love this short film because of it's dark yet strangely witty storyline. The concept is clever and the cinematography is beautiful. I hope to transfer the sense of anxiousness this simple film creates into my own production.
De-construction:
(Opening Sequence)
The film opens with a credit sequence showing both English and German text. The camera slowly pans out from a black car's headlight, revealing a young-adult male stuck in a traffic ridden car. It is snowing and the car is covered from bumper to bonnet, showing the audience immediately that it has been static for quite some time. We then enter the car, viewing the protagonist tapping about impatiently and shouting at the radio - which is used to set the context of the film - with great angst. The use of swearing in this film is very subtle but very effective. Take note that during the opening sequence the main character uses a vast array of swear words in a very forceful tone, I'll come back to this later. This scene continues showing the character getting worked up due to passing sirens and other commuters. We eventually see the protagonist swallow what we assume to be some kind of medical relaxant to ease his anxiety. After a minute and a half the man extracts a mobile phone from a box, showing that it was a new purchase, to ring home - whilst still clearly being in a state of distress.
(1:41 to 3:37) This is the build-up section of the production. We immediately find ourselves in what appears to be quite an expensive home, stating to the audience yet again that this is quite a well off man. After a few second a young girl appears to answer the ringing home telephone. This section incites quite a comedic part of the story. The young girl's naivety lets slip that her mother is seemingly having an affair. The acting in this part is perfect in my opinion. The man becomes shocked to find out the news and instantly drops the obscene language and creates an amazing facial expression which you cannot help but find humorous. This change in tone and speech style really creates the feeling that this character really is stunned. At the same time the little girl manages to maintain complete serenity, which is very crucial to the story line. The director also finds this look of innocence critical as the camera focuses a huge deal on the close up shots of her and the mid-shots of her and the toys placed to the left of the screen. The girl clumsily pulls the base of the phone off the counter-top, creating a slight moment of panic, possibly resembling what is to come. After this (at 2:24) the character pulls that oh so brilliant expression which I mentioned earlier. Upon realising the situation the miss-en-scene becomes very important. The editing of the film creates several seconds of silence this is incredibly effective as it creates a very tense mood allowing the audience to ponder on what's happening. The camera then cuts to a close-up of the mans lips as he sets up for a command, showing it is the main focus of the story. Next, a very common film making technique is used. To leave the audience out of the know the scene cuts to the end of the phone that is not talking, this builds tension and creates a sense of mystery. This mysterious mood is then amplified by the little girls actions. She simply replies "yes, daddy." and then walks off, without the audience having any clue as to what exactly is happening. During this time we witness an empty room and the man popping more relaxant pills; once again accompanied by silence.
(3:38 to 5:50) This is the climax of this text. The editing of this section creates a very affective time lapse. The little girl begins to describe the events she has witnessed down the phone, at which point the images begin to re-create the prior goings-on. Here is where the dark-side of this story begins to reveal itself. One of the most crucial tools used during this sequence is the girl's voice. No matter what she is saying, the general tone of her speech tends to stay the same, giving an erie feel to the images. It is immediately revealed to the audience what the man's previous commands for his daughter were; giving them a slight sense of equilibrium. But, only for a matter of seconds. After this point the dramatic pace of this film begins to quicken even though accompanied by very sustained string music. We here the sound of a crash and scream in the bathroom, and even though the audience hasn't seen it, what has occurred can be assumed. Shortly after the camera uses an eye-line match to show the girl peering down onto her Mother's static corpse. This instantly forces a solemn mood onto the film which in all honesty was not expected. If this is not upsetting enough the story continues to show the death of a second character, again without the audience actually seeing anything. An over-the-shoulder from the little girl shows 'Uncle Wim' running in panic from the scene, a second crash is then heard. Following this there is a very effective low shot of the girls feet crossing the bedroom floor, passing flowers, broken glass and blood puddles. Next, follows one of the creepiest sentences of the film: "Uncle Wim wasn't there anymore." This simple sentence instantly gives the impression he too has perished. This is once again confirmed by another eye-line match, showing the outline of his body falling through the thick snow.Over 7 minutes this film manages to force the audience to feel a whole spectrum of emotions which is why I think it is such a perfect example of the creativity and talent which goes into modern short films. I hope to create a production which has the same sort of effective, even if it is a little less grim.
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