A Full Metal Jacket
By Rowan Harrison
Mixed in with the 350 so odd films covering every genre, from documentaries, foreign films, drama, is a handful of short films. Of course what film festival would be complete without the short film format, and in tonight’s program titled under Stanley Kubrick’s breathtaking war piece A Full Metal Jacket, are films dealing with a human drama set up against the backdrop of war.
The Letter
Directed: Matvei Zhivov
What could be more agonizing for soldiers on the warfront then the looming possibility of losing your life on the frontlines? Going beyond the normal short film production, filmmaker Zhivov explores the other worse case scenario, the prospect of coming home from the war only to find that your significant other has deserted you. Stepan, who has been wounded, after a brave confrontation with German soldiers, is reminded of the fore mentioned by another soldier. In a bit of cruel irony Stepan goes about testing the loyalty of his wife, only to find that lies hurt more than the truth. With a good cast, especially the actress that plays the wife Shura, The Letter is another melancholy story from the annals of war.
Fatherland
Directed: Robert Warzecha
Playing with the elements of dark and light, utilizing a rich sepia tone palette, Fatherland takes us into a strained father son relationship. Elmer, a German citizen living a life of solitude on his ranch in the German countryside, is visited by his son, a member of German’s SS troops. It is during World War II, and unknowingly Jurgen’s father is harboring Jews, but it’s not this predicament that takes precedence. It is more the unstable past and stormy feud between father and son. As the Russians approach and the Jews are exposed, Jurgen must make some life and death choices. Fatherland, is a unique drama of compassion and moral choices, set up within the realm of stressful circumstances.
Stars
Directed: Jason Eli Lewis
A German soldier makes a desperate plea “God please bless my hands one more time.” In the third short of the evening, Stars takes us on another human drama, as a German defector wondering through the mountains, stumbles upon and American soldier, the lone survivor of his infantry unit. In what would seem, immediate hand to hand combat, the two soldiers instead bond with one another over fire cooked fowl, under the stars. Speaking different languages, the two communicate with emotions and gestures, yet when a bullet wound becomes to painful to endure, enemy soldiers set aside their political ideals, to save a human life. Sprinkled with light humor and sound acting, Stars is a short film with emotional and humanitarian appeal.
The Kolaborator
Directed: Chris Bessounian
In one of the more violent and shocking of the shorts, an Italian soldier is part of an execution squad when ordered to shoot a civilian; he is torn between friendship and loyalty to his commanders. Shot in five days and inspired by a book of war crimes Bessounian begins his short in full color, depicting peaceful and ideal times of leisure, friendship and soccer playing. Like a skillful painter Bessounion uses sepia tone as a contrasting element in setting the tone of more desperate times as Coran’s country goes to war. Coran, given orders to kill, he faces a grave situation and tries to instill courage and compassion as he, in many ways is executed emotionally and morally. The Kolaborator, is a tragic and grim reminder of the horrors of war, and its helpless victims, all contained in fourteen and a half minutes.
Now there was another short to be played within this lot, Catching Rats, but for some oddball reason the film was lost in the projection room? Being cordial and understanding from both parties, the organizers planned on presenting it on a different night, rats! Yet for the most part these were all admirable endeavors, not underestimating the legitimacy of the short film format. Also, reminding us of the many human dramatic stories and conflicted moral choices that go well beyond the battlefield.