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Emily Smail
The Last Three Minutes - Short Film Analysis
This film is about an old man who suddenly has a heart attack. He looks through a crystal to witness all the major turning points in his life. From his wife leaving him to the day he was born. I find the camera work in this film to be outstanding.
From the start of the flashbacks of his life, all the footages in every scene is from his point of view. It is as the audience is actually seeing events through his eyes. I find this has a huge impact as it enables the audience to have a more intimate connection with the protaganist as it is like that his feelings and emotions are entwined with ours. There are a lot of intense moments in this film, and I plan for there to be many in my own film. This is why I have chosen to analyse this film as I am curious to see how Po Chan (director) has put acorss such moments with the use of camera work.
Some of the camera shots I liked:
- This shot makes him seem insignificant even though we haven't met him yet. I got the impression that he is merely a cleaner, even a mans feet holds more value then he does.
-When he is dying everything goes out of focus which lets the audience know he is confused on what is happening. The only thing in focus is the crystal which lets the audience know it must be important.
The close up of alchole must represent how depressed he became after the war. But as his life is being told backwards, the audience doesn't know about the war yet. This shot must leave the audience baffled on why the beer bottle is in shot but his wife isn't.
Her face fills up the majoirty of the screen which could represent how much he loves her. Similary, she blocks out the sun in another shot which could imply that to him, she is more important than the sun.
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