FILM REVIEW FOR THE SHORT FILM LIGHT MY FIRE

 FILM TITLE: LIGHT MY FIRE

 SCREEN TIME:8:50

 DIRECTOR/ WRITER : BOBB BARITO

 CAST: ED MORAN AS MELIES
             COLIN WALKER AS ROY
             ROSIE BENTON AS KENDRA
             DANTE PALMINTERI AS CLARK
             LIZZY DICLEMENT AS LUCY

                                 

LIGHT MY FIRE(2019 short film

    BY: CALEB DUSE-ANTHONY

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In just under nine minutes, "light my fire" delivers a powerful exploration of anger, fatherhood, and moral values. the film centres on Miles, a grieving man who wants to avenge his daughter Lucy on republic day. this short film left me feeling emotional and stepping into the shoes of miles, whose daughter has been violated and abused by a teenager. This follows with hurt and betrayal. at the beginning of the film, fireworks blasting in mid-air — we all know we do not blast fireworks in the morning. this gave me  a sense of opening a new day, which may not seem normal, it catches my attention and makes me stay to watch the film to the end. on republic day, miles, the father of lucy, bangs the door behind him in haste, looking furious, filled with anger and pain. he walks quickly towards his car to confront the daughter’s (Lucy’s) abuser (Clark) in his house. on reaching there, he meets the father of the boy (Roy), who asks Miles who he was and what he was doing on his property.

This short film is centred around abuse, revenge, fatherhood, and the complexity of justice. it challenges myself to consider forgiveness, empathy, and the cost of vengeance or retaliation. it follows a surprise — how angry miles was when he left his house to confront an abuser, full of anger and pain — to later becoming surprised by what he witnessed and becoming tame and weak.

The characters evoke their emotions by embodying the character well — their reactions, facial expressions, the emotions, direction, and realism. the story’s emotional cues were well portrayed. even the dog did its best. the actor portraying Miles gave a powerful and restrained performance. his feelings were positive with the agenda of revenging his daughter, but on the other side, he reflects on his actions and the outcome. Miles stands out as a father who holds firm to principles and moral values. the relationship between clark and his father was compelling. at one look, it feels that clark is a habitual abuser and his parents know this about him. you could also notice the father, Roy, who is fed up with his son's behaviour and puts him in his place by making Clark apologise.

With the use of close-up shots, i was drawn to the characters’ expressions. close shots were used to show intense emotional narrative with the use of tight framing. also, the use of natural lighting due to the outdoor setting allowed viewers AND myself to immerse themselves into the film. Close shots were motivated into long shots. the triadic colour schemes involved three colours equally spaced from each other on the colour wheel: blue, red, and green.

This creates a balanced and vibrant visual effect. i would say all shots stood out — the use of close shots to show emotions and actions, the dolly shot when Miles was at Clark’s house (we could see miles moving without hitting the frame), and the flag in the opening scene, which gives the viewer the knowledge of where the film is set. the film’s tone helps convey a sober and warm environment that drives the tension and discomfort between the characters. the light and shadows heighten the intensity, making the word fire in the film’s title pop with the warmth and overall look of the film.

The soundtrack at the beginning of the film hastens the flow, giving a sense of emergency. the overall pace of the music was fast, which moved the story from one point to another. the sound effects were well-balanced and finely tuned. the sound from the fireworks, car tyres screeching, the sound of Roy beating Clark, and the barking dog were all audible.

The closeness or farrness of the sound was shown by how near or far the camera was. we could hear the barking of the dog from afar when the camera was on a long shot. we heard the sound much louder when a close shot of the dog appeared. the film’s soundtrack did not leave a lasting impression on me. even though it supported the theme of the story, it was rather for a shorter period than a longer one.

However, the film did not meet my expectations because it took long to know why Miles was furious — to the point of nearly losing his life in an accident. the film feels real because the actors embodied their characters and made honest choices. the film evokes a range of emotions: frustration and reflection on one’s own life and choices, making the viewer feel empathy for the characters’ actions.

i recommend this film to people interested in realistic stories — stories that explore one’s behaviour and the outcomes it brings.

#visualstorytelling

 

INDEX: BFAMPP28005