 | I personally am not an enthusiast of short films. However, when I have the chance to see one, I'm rarely disappointed. In fact, Ian Clay's Rope is one of those shorts that make you wish it was developed into a feature film. |
While it lasts only four minutes, the short film follows a young man (Jason Britt). While he's on a highway, the man pulls over and goes in the woods. Before he commits his suicide by self-hanging, the young man converse with himself and he implies that he no longer can bear life.
Given its short length, some might reproach the short film for not giving a brief back story explaining why the young man wants to die. However, despite its rather short running time, Rope intrigues - in the good sense of the term - thanks to the cloud of mystery surrounding its character. Besides, the short film is even more captivating thanks to the performance (or should I say voice-over) by Jason Britt that manages to convey the young man's inner pain without outward theatrics.
Finally, even though you may have prejudices about short films Rope is definitely worth your time not because of its short running time. Indeed, the short film is well edited and well acted. Unfortunately, it's just too bad that the short film's idea is not a feature film, because Ian Clay, a Canadian director, manages to handle the topic of suicide with a lot of care and originality.
Rating: 4/5
| Origin: | USA (2010) |
| Length: | 4 minutes |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Screenplay: | Ian Clay |
| Director: | Ian Clay |
| Starring: | Jason Britt |
