Existing Films 3

This film is about loneliness, society and homelessness. Sam is a homeless man who is disturbed by his past and hides himself from society. A memento that he keeps hold of maintains some significance within his life bearing thoughts of ease yet anguish and grief. The film highlights an important context within society, targeting the topic of the homeless. The homeless are commonly overlooked in society and this is represented within this film.

There are many conventions that support the expression of wilderness, loneliness and homelessness. As the character aimlessly walks around with no destination in mind there is a lot empty space within the settings. This produces a lonesome atmosphere that emphasizes the adversity in his life and the alarming conclusion that he is alone in the world. The settings are very dark and supported by street lighting. The darkness and empty streets give emphasis to the separation of him to society. He is reduced to coming out to the depths of night, thrown into the shadows of society and has befallen the label of an outcast.

The film incorporates little sound however this adds to the loneliness that the character is feeling and the silence that surrounds him. This causes the character to fall into deep daydreams of his past that continue to cause great distress and agony. Furthermore no sound is used for scripting. This can make an audience more engaged with the film allowing them to suppose, assume or question his life through his actions and things happening around him. This being said there are many symbolic aspects to the film that raises enigma’s to the table and allows the audience to interpret the film themselves.

The clothing adds to the mise en scene of the character portraying a homeless man. The characters’ skin is dirty and pale and his lips are dry. This gives an idea of the cold weather. His nails are discoloured and weak and he has a heavy coat, which is commonly worn by homeless people.

Camera techniques often used in the film are long shots. The long shot of the town signifies that he has distanced himself away from society, also shown from a point of view shot. In addition a long shot shows the character entering a tunnel that looks endless, possibly to represent his goalless journey that he will most likely follow for the rest of his life. Moreover in this particular scene the film has been edited through increasing the cutting rate. This has enabled the scene to amplify the feeling of fear, guilt, remorse, suspense or whatever emotion that the character is feeling.

There are a range of close-ups used to highlight emotion, body language and props. An example of when a close up is used is when the character is seen in a corner clenching himself as though he is hiding from something. His body language suggests that he is disturbed and unstable, and the shot further isolates the character by minimising space within the frame. Subsequent to this an extreme close-up at a high angle is used on the character as he grasps himself in a corner. This signifies that the character is closed off from society and that he is less significant than people in society. This brings forward the subject matter of social class, which is a significant factor within our film. As the two people pass by the homeless man, they stare at him and walk away ignoring the harsh reality of problems he must be facing and the difficulties he has in achieving a higher social status/ standard of living.

This film contains a relevant theme to our media project and shares various similarities. We will use certain aspects of this film to help vary the issues of working class with lower class.