Film making is an art that finds itself unlike any other genres of art out there. It takes a great deal of creativity, patience, and an overall vision to make the story come alive in the hearts and minds of the actors, the convincing backgrounds that make up the setting, and all the technical aspects like light, sound, and special effects.
In the very first film clip, M, I liked how the director used the objects like the ball, the reward poster, the cuckoo clock, and the balloon to show the sequence of events in a nonverbal, yet visually convincing way. You do hear Elsie and the child molester speaking, but the background noises going on seem to drown out the two, which gives the viewer an almost foreboding feeling. I felt desperate as I realized I couldn’t really hear what was being said, almost as if it were planned that way, to play on my sympathies and draw me in. The tone of the film was apparent due in part to the musical changes that occurred; from the very beginning, to when Elsie is reading the reward poster, to the new scene involving Elsie’s mother, you feel the music change from light to increasingly dramatic. The tone changed every time the scene cut away from Elsie to her mother, who was at home, cooking her lunch. You can sense her increasing panic as she glances at the clock, asks other children returning home if they’ve seen Elsie, shows the scene of the empty room, and then cuts away to the ball rolling away from the bushes. You don’t need a graphic film to portray the emotion that was shown in this short film.
I was also intrigued to learn about actors like Marlon Brando and his dedication to his film roles. He is a prime example of a realistic actor. He spent a month in a wheelchair in preparation for his role as a paraplegic. What better way to make your character come alive, then to do a little on the job training! I’ve always