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Signs of Allegiance

average rating is 3 out of 5

Critic:

James Learoyd

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Posted on:

Oct 31, 2024

Film Reviews
Signs of Allegiance
Directed by:
Jimmie II Bryant
Written by:
Jimmie II Bryant
Starring:
Blayze, K. C. Gemini

Signs of Allegiance is an ambitious new film about criminal life. It tells a complex and multilayered story of “honour, loyalty and love”, centering around the characters of Slick and Skibo – two members of Jig’s gang. The piece is a longer form of short film, filling its 27-minute runtime with multiple characters and perspectives; however, it proves to be less plotty than you might expect. What the film offers is an insight into the mindset and behaviour of these individuals, whose complicated relationship to their unique world of work often causes them and others great harm. There are some shocking and suspenseful sequences, and the implementation of a not-always-chronological narrative is certainly challenging, but you could almost view this as a dark, probing hangout movie. Its intriguing story and great characters provide much entertainment. Although, unfortunately, the film’s technical attributes rather let down this exciting content.

 

Its main issue is the inconsistent audio. Sound will occasionally feel too distorted or crackly, or drop out altogether. It’s a shame that it detracts from the action on screen, and our overall engagement with the narrative. The visuals, on the other hand, are incredibly unique, yet not always successful. Its most dynamic characteristic is its movement. Viewers are taken on a sporadic and flowing journey through this constant motion, and the fact that the camera is never static provides the action an appropriately kinetic, pensive feeling. Another point to be admired is the amount of closeups in the film. What we’re watching is purely about the characters – as opposed to the spectacle or style, for instance – and so it’s an intelligent decision to have us as close as possible to the faces of these individuals. This choice also emphasises the performances, which is what the film hangs on.

 

Despite the audacious aesthetics, there are elements of the visuals that prove troublesome, and these mainly relate to formatting and camera settings. Primarily, the use of automatic settings on the filming equipment feels jarring, for the occasional jitter of the auto-focus, or the fluctuation of shutter-speed, completely takes one out of the experience. On a directorial level, the disregard of 180-degree blocking does, unfortunately, also lead to some confusing spatial set-ups. And yet, I really admire the approach to the filmmaking overall. Its fluidity in terms of a handheld look truly places us in the setting subjectively, and this goes hand in hand with one of the film’s most significant factors: setting and character.

 

Ignoring the technical issues, this movie feels truly lived in. It’s uniquely authentic in terms of its depiction of criminal life and relationships. A lot of the success of this is due to the performances and the dialogue. Realism comes from the behavioural nature of the language being used and the mannerisms on display. And additionally, emotion comes from the implicit backstories of the characters we follow. There’s a great deal that Signs of Allegiance does right – enough so to hold our interest and divert our attention from certain formal problems. It’s a gritty character study, grounded in its environment.

About the Film Critic
James Learoyd
James Learoyd
Short Film
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