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★★★★★ Stars
Directed by: #HarryLockeIV
Written by: #HarryLockeIV
Starring: #RobbieAllen, #ShiahLuna, #StefanieEstes, #AlainAzoulay
“A newly minted deputy and a vengeful Comanche widow seek justice against the malevolent outlaw that left them for dead.”
The Redeemer is a short film surrounding the concept of its title – redemption; intertwined with revenge and strong anger. Jackson Bullock (Robbie Allen), the ‘newly minted deputy,’ and Moon (Shiah Luna), the ‘vengeful Comanche widow,’ seek out the same women who killed their dearly loved. This woman is Bronagh Bullock (Stefanie Estes), Jackson’s sister; the only one of the two who followed the outlaw calling within their blood to match their father.
Each actor that appears onscreen delivers extraordinary performances. The acting is passionate and is filled with the same drive as the harsh and determined words that they speak. The plot itself carries wonderfully dark elements and the ardent cast enhances the story that they are portraying. The emotions shown throughout the film are intense and translate to the audience with tremendous success.
Matching the passion of the acting, the overall writing by Harry Locke IV is a heavily memorable aspect of the film. The script is delivered beautifully but also holds beauty in its own right. The entirety of the plot is marvellous and provides an intriguing, almost nostalgic Western film concept, although the lines that have been written to create the plot itself are not necessarily the generic Western film kind. They are uniquely stylish and can be taken as symbolic through certain perspectives of an audience. The writing is then simply complimented by the way it is delivered in said performances.
The cinematography and visual effects completely blew me away. The film is pleasing to the eyes when it comes to focusing upon cinematography; the shots are very immersive and immediately pull the audience directly into the story with a flash of lightning at its opening. Each camera shot left me wanting more and more; by the time the film had finished I truly wished it was much longer. Most shots are not extravagant but they are elegant and beautifully flatter each scene. The visual effects have the same impact on the audience; they are striking and create an even deeper immersive atmosphere. I can only ever desire to have the abilities that Matthew Halla (director of photography) and Ak Roy (visual effects) possess.
A particular detail that I am always enticed by is the colouring in film, and this short did not disappoint. Once again, the colouring of scenes (by Harry Locke IV) simply complimented every other sector involved in the final product. The colouring is cold when emotions in the scene are cold, the colouring is uncomfortably warm when emotions are high and about to burst into flames. To directly state, every ingredient of filmmaking works perfectly together in this short and it is easy to see that as truth. It is a thoroughly enjoyable watch from a brilliant filmmaker.
The Redeemer has won a list of awards since its release and I feel pride in knowing that it is being recognised in that status. I sincerely recommend this short film to anyone, it does not contain the content to ever dishearten an audience – it fully stimulates the eyes and ears of the viewer.
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