Black Screen Short Film Review

alexjames96
Jul 7
2 min read

★★★★

Black Screen, a short film directed by Mohammed Mussa is an experimental film that delves into the theme of everyday lifecycle, the routine aspects of day to day and the defeats one can experience through it all. Actor Hanns Gal is the protagonist for this short, and with minimal dialogue the audience live through his very troubling emotions and experience the ways in which he copes with these moments of frustration whether it be through music and dance or discussing philosophical questions with friends. The entirety of the film leads the audience down a path of ambiguity, forced to observe the protagonist and become immersed into his story.

There is a captivating nature to this short film, as it is an experimental short, it may not be to everyone’s taste, however, there is clear aspects to the film that are shot so seamlessly and beautifully that you instantly become mesmerised. The film opens to our main protagonist making groaning and moaning sounds as if in pain. We are then left with a bed and eventually we see our main character lying there appearing very depleted and subdued. All the takes within this short are extremely long and this can often create an uncomfortable or sometimes frustrated feel, it also allows the audience to really become submersed into the heart of the scene. However, these takes can also be seen as the film’s downfall as well. The shower scene was extremely emotional and moving and shows the character at his most vulnerable, stripped down of all protection and allowing him to space to breakdown and completely let go. Nevertheless, this scene was too long, and it became difficult to remain engaged throughout its entirety.

As the film progresses, we hear the first conversation within the film between our main character and a friend idly walking down the street as the sun begins to set. His friend attempts to delve into the philosophical side and questioning if given the opportunity would you like to view your true self. Although extremely deep, the conversation seems very light-hearted and friendly and shows the audience what life is about, deep chats with friends over a beer, funny stories to share and the beauty of the sun setting as their discussions develop. This was an enjoyable scene and indeed created a new dynamic to this short that was crucial to the story. Although the long takes to certain scenes added the depth, these small conversational scenes helped to break up this tension.

Black Screen is a moving and authentic short film filled with ambiguity creating a strong allure with its exceptional cinematography that portrays life in a simple but beautiful view.