Back To Solitude - Short Film Research - Megan

Back to Solitude (2011)

Joschka Laukeninks

Vimeo

Back to Solitude shows a couple’s relationship in reverse. They start out unhappy and living together and throughout the film we see them become happier and go their separate ways. I love how creative this film is, as it doesn’t immediately make it obvious that it is a relationship in reverse because the voiceover makes it seem like it could be the way the relationship progressed. This interests me because it leaves you guessing.

Representation

• Two relevant social groups – young females & young males – issue represented is the relationship between the two characters, made interesting as it is shown in reverse
• Genre would be drama or romance.
• Both characters are represented in a positive light for the most part, except at the start      where we are shown their flaws from the others’ perspective. I think this is because we aren’t needed to empathise with either of the characters during the film, so it isn’t necessary for either character to be represented negatively. Roles of masculinity and femininity are explored throughout this short film. We see more dominance from the female character as she leaves her number for the male character at the end(1), and we are told that he prefers to keep quiet during an argument rather than initiating it.
• I think the expected audience for this film would be females in particular, probably older teenagers and younger adults, as I feel the romance element appeals more to a female audience.
• Film deals with the issue of the end of a relationship, which is shown backwards to make it more engaging.

Narrative

• There are holes in the plot compared to what would have been in the story, as we do not need to see every aspect of their relationship to understand the narrative. The whole thing is then told in reverse.
• The narrative is not chronological, as the events appear in the reverse order of how they happened.
• It is more difficult to apply narrative theory to a film where the events take place in reverse, but I think Todorov’s theory is relevant here as there is definitely a stage of equilibrium which is transformed and resolved before returning to a new equilibrium. The theory of Bordwell and Thompson can also be applied, as we are left with quite considerable gaps in the plot compared to the events of the whole story.
• The beginning and end of this film are interesting to analyse because they are reversed from what we would usually expect, and are quite similar. The film starts with the two characters staring opposite each other in a field, on the verge of breaking up, having become virtual strangers(2). The end of the film is much the same, with the characters going their separate ways(3). This parallel works well in the film as it enables you to see the progression in their relationship. 

Genre

• The most obvious genre for this film would be romance, as there are romantic themes throughout, though this could also be categorised as a drama. Steve Neal’s theory that genres use repetition and difference can be applied here as the repetition is the love story that ends, but the difference is that it is portrayed to us in a very different way to usual – backwards.
• The codes and conventions here are easily identifiable as those most commonly connoted with the romance genre. The two main characters are a couple, and the settings are often those that we think of in romantic ways, such as this scene where they are by a lake which is typically associated with romance(4).
• Genres allow us to identify films more easily, and therefore if they have common codes and conventions that we can identify with, it makes them more enjoyable. The common conventions of romance used here help the audience develop an understanding of the      situation of these characters, which is necessary in short film.

Audience

• As previously stated, I think that a female audience would be the expected audience here, due to the nature of the genre. The fact that the film is hosted on Vimeo, could also suggest that it is aimed at more creative types.
• I think this film would appeal to a creative female audience because although it still keeps the normal conventions of love and romance, it is shown with a twist which allows for it not be as predictable as romance films can often be.
• To my knowledge, this film has not won any awards, nor could I find reference to any screenings. The film is hosted on both Vimeo and YouTube.
• Joschka Laukeninks is a director from Hamburg, Germany.

Media Language

• From a framing and positioning of the characters point of view(4)(5), I think these two shots have been done very creatively. I like the idea of symmetry used in both, which helps to show the nature of their relationship.
• (6)This final shot is also interesting, as the lighting is very bold in the frame, almost taking up as much space as she does. You can tell that this is from a short film by its more experimental nature, and I think it is a good final shot, as it is supposed to be from his point of view, so we see the end as he would see it.