Short Stories

I watched each of these short films and with the exception of the “Powerhouse Books” and “Movement Study” I really enjoyed all of them. I love short films like this because I tend to get bored very easily. I can’t stand watching a movie over two hours long when the premise doesn’t speak to me or doesn’t evoke any emotion. I felt like the power behind these films is the deeper meaning they sought to tell and the emotions they not only portrayed but also tried to elicit from the viewers.

I am torn between “Soldier” and “Embrace” for my favorite short film. “Soldier” was so short, sweet, and simple that the narrative was bold and in your face. The lack of dialogue and movement within the camera angles made me feel instead of see the story. I also love the subtleties within it like the soldier initially hiding behind a tree watching his mother from a distance and seeing his breath in the cold. I oddly really liked “Embrace” because there was this sense of eeriness and creepiness because the backstory wasn’t explicitly laid out. Especially with the addition of the siren at the end, I got the sense of an apocalyptic situation outside the walls that sheltered the couple. I loved the close up camera angles because it enhanced the intimacy and personal moment between the couple. I just wish the girl wasn’t breathing so loud so I could better hear what the guy was saying!

“American Spirit” was kind of hard for me to grasp because I again got the apocalyptic feeling. However, I thought the focus was more about right vs. wrong, good vs. bad, open minded vs. close-minded. The color change from black and white and to color enhanced the transition with negative images of smoking turning into positive images of children running.

“Blow Up” was another one with a cryptic, hidden message. It touched on deeper meanings of feminism, sexism, religion, and the human life cycle. The characters expressed so many different emotions in a short time span that you could feel the sexual tension, the anger, the confusion, and a range of human emotions as if you were in this situation. I thought the black and white enhanced the film because although it touched on a variety of subjects, there was no hierarchy and everything was on the same platform.