Curtis Films

For this weeks’ blog post, I watched a few short films by the artist/filmmaker Hillman Curtis.  I picked three that ended up all with very different subject matters.  The first was Bridge, a short film about two friends connecting on a different level.    Curtis does a nice job telling a complete story with as little detail as possible.  I despise movies where the creator has spelled out every little detail.  Having the viewer filling in the gaps, creates a connection and engages your audience, instead of insulting them.  Curtis seems to focus on dramatic films and Bridge certainly fits that mold.  He uses classic film techniques to establish a dramatic tone, using close-ups and strong vocal audio.  The film ends with an intimate moment, built throughout the entire the film.

The next film I watched and enjoyed the most was Roof.  The film begins with extreme close-ups of three friends stranded on a roof from a massive flood.  Set in a seemingly hopeless environment, the film ends with a glimpse of hope in the form of music.  Judging from the emotion in their voice, the situation is extremely dire.  Drawing on similar styles from previous films help draw the audience in with a cold looking environment.  The last thing that really sticks out as an emphasis from Curtis is his use of music.  After having a meltdown on the roof, the friends turn on the boombox (almost out of batteries) and sit around listening to beautiful music.

The last film I watched was a conversation film named after the mainstream film, Spinal Tap. As previously mentioned he uses music throughout almost the entire film.  The scene is set in a bar so it could be considered in the scene, but it plays moreso like a soundtrack, providing a dramatic tone.  The characters are discussing the difficulties of dealing with the loss of a loved one.  They reference original scenes from This is Spinal Tap to take their mind off of the pain.  It reminds me one of the final scenes from Sullivan’s Travels where are group of unfortunate men are watching a slapstick film and laughing hysterically.  He realizes the power of comedy in dealing with heartache.    This is the main idea behind the two characters conversation.  I enjoyed the Curtis films and I was impressed with the professional quality of the films.