The Undertaker
'An undertaker's desire to impress a young women goes horribly wrong'Firstly I have analysed first impressions of the main character, the undertaker within the narrative, as I think the director has deliberately included many clues in the opening sequence which tell us a lot about his persona and the lifestyle he leads, which I feel is very important, especially for a short film where the character needs to be in depth immediately.
Character analysis
The first we know of this character is his voice, the fact that there is no image means the audience must focus on what is being said and the nature of the conversation which appears to be light-hearted. This adds a sinister edge to the sequence immediately because through the title of the film the audience are aware what the scheduling is about, with death and burial is seen as stereotypically quite a taboo subject, that people aren't comfortable discussing, suggesting that this kind of business is just second nature to the character and something he feels completely at ease about.
An extreme close-up shot is then visible of the man continuing his conversation, looking downward as though studying an object before him. The extreme close-up allows the audience to see who has been speaking, and also allows them to recognise the actor, critically acclaimed Rhys Ifans. It also allows the audience to see clearly how the character is presented, his formal attire informing and confirming that he is the undertaker as he is dressed in a drab, and rather cheap looking suit. This paired with the earring on his right ear, a small ring, and messy blonde hair indicates that this character is slightly eccentric creating a sense of unease and discomfort, especially as the audience are aware of his profession, which almost makes him appear a threat. This shot continues for sometime, however the audience do not hear a response from whomever he is talking to, and instead we are shown his facial expressions and light-hearted banter as he jokes about 'everyone wants to buried on a Sunday'. This immediately creates an atmosphere and sense of discomfort and agitation as his joke seems horribly inappropriate and clearly the other people within the conversation aren't in a laughing state, which further emphasises the strangeness and eccentricity of the character.
The lighting used, which appears to be natural lighting coming from a source on his left side, highlights only half of the characters face, creating harsh contrast and contours, especially under his tired eyes. His eyes could imply that he is restless and conjurers images of his estranged, hectic lifestyle. As he finishes speaking, the character looks up and smiles at whoever he is taking to, as if he's been holding a conversation with a friend, which again gives the impression of unprofessional and almost too at ease with what he's doing. His facial expressions contradict what he's saying creating and emphasising an immediate contrast between the two.
Film analysis
The film overall uses natural, basic and often harsh lighting which emphasises the characters imperfections and flaws which I like as it creates a stronger sense of realism as the characters aren't made up to look perfect and depict 'real people', for example the lighting used during the very first introduction shots of the characters that allows us to see the characters, particularly the two females looking exhausted and both physically and mentally drained. This makes the characters more relatable and creates a sense of sympathy for them, which is something I could replicate during our own short film.
The same can be said for costume throughout the sequence, as the same style is applied with the female character wearing rather comforting, layered clothing during the sequence when she first visits the chapel of rest, immediately creating a sense of vulnerability and the need to put up a barrier, seperating her from the threat of the psychotic undertaker. This realistic style of clothing is something I feel we could apply to our own film, as realism allows the audience to relate to the characters and makes the whole sequence more believable. The costumes are also used to express the characters emotions and feelings, as in this scene vulnerability and fragility which is something I want to apply to our own film, as this will allow the characters to be portrayed in depth in a short space of time.
The camera work within the sequence is kept basic, however focuses greatly on the characters faces, portraying their emotions and setting the tone for each scene, which allows the audience to follow the story with ease, even though they are unsure of the eventual outcome and in certain scenes a strong sense of unease and discomfort is created, giving the impression that something bad is going to happen. One piece of camera work I feel is particularly effective is when the camera tracks the hand movements of the undertaker when he is preening the corpse. These jittery, sharp camera movements allow the audience to feel more involved within the film, and particuarly in this uncomfortable sequence that epitomises what the film is about, both through the literal undertaker, and through the awkward, taboo subject. This camera work is also powerful because its emphasising the process of beautifying the corpse, as though trying to conceal underlying problems through a visage. I could expand on this idea or concealing or ignorance to the reality within our short film as we wish to create a drama/thriller and this is something I feel I could encorparate.
I also like the use of shallow depth of field during the bar scene, when only the women in the foreground is in focus. This allows the audience to concentrate not only on what shes saying, but again it highlights her impefections which in turn makes her appear exposed, as she appears more vulnerable and the audience attention is fully on her.
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