Black Dog a review
June 23rd 2010 17:54
Black Dog, written and directed by Shaun Katz, reveals a person struggling with the enormity of emotional loss, and the consequent depression and social isolation that such inner turmoil brings.
They are big subjects in everyone’s lives, for eventually we all suffer the loss of a loved one and we all struggle, at times, to reach out for emotional support, or to form new bonds, to find new energy, the revaluation of our existence, recognizing our self-worth, and re-awakening the art of making new friends.
I was initially struck by the overtly stylised camera work, the over exposure, the dream like sequence as the main protagonist, Magda (played by Bridgette Sneddon), remembers her friend (we see images of Kerri Tutton), then the claustrophobic come down, the awful reality of loneliness amplified by living in a small apartment in a characterless and labyrinthine building.
The joy of modern city living.
We watch Magda's psychological distress range from claustrophobia to hallucinatory memories, the latter her only refuge from the hard edged reality of loneliness. Magda is also suffering side effects from her anti-depressant medication, and she cannot get her doctor on the phone, just an answer machine.
It is when Magda flees to the numbing silent calm of the corridor that she sees Steven (played by Stephen Peacocke) who oddly ignores her as he walks past to his apartment door. Magda then reaches out, inventing an excuse for him to come into her small domain for awhile, so Magda can have some social contact.
Magda offers Steven chocolate cake, he hears her light a candle in the kitchenette, the candle is snuffed out as soon as she lights it, as he asks if it is her birthday, it is, but then there is no presentation of a cake glowing with candles, instead she appears with a slice on a paper napkin.
For a flashing moment, I thought of Repulsion, by Roman Polanski, another black and white film, of such psychotic and hallucinatory intensity that I still remember the fear I felt when I first saw it, admittedly I was only 11 or 12 when my eldest sister took me to see it. Yet, I felt there is a faint echo of Repulsion in this film, a female in isolation, socially dysfunctional, suffering mental illness.
The awkwardness of Magda’s performance is uncomfortably convincing, as you feel her mental fragility. Steven plays a typical young male office worker, virile, but not wanting commitment, and especially wary of people with emotional problems, like Magda.
However, Steven relents and enters Magda’s world, where the social ineptitude of Magda amplifies Steven’s inexperience in dealing with people suffering depression. After he fails to engage Magda on anything but a superficial level, she demands he leaves.
Steven has one way of showing understanding and compassion, he kisses her, which then leads into a more awkward situation where Magda feels she must reciprocate and invites him, by body gesture, into her bedroom.
Showing his initial reluctance, Magda then rejects him again, to which he responds, forcing her back with his kissing, and it all stops as suddenly as it began, for Steven really wants to escape, but so does she, the difference is, he can walk out and forget about it, Magda must remain, and learn to deal with her turbulent inner sea.
It is a short film, so we get just a slice of lives remote, which temporarily entangle only to separate again. I wanted to see further development of the characters, but that would take a feature to achieve, maybe Mister Katz will get that chance one day?
I watched this film a second time with a female friend, who has been through many tough relationships and is now surviving as a single mother, and I'm glad I did before I reviewed it, for it was eye opening.
Her reaction to the film was strong, it hit several buttons for her, both with Magda’s personal turmoil and also the attitude of the young male, who wants to try and ‘fix’ the situation, rather than understand it. Her perspective enjoined emotionally with Magda's experience, and I was educated as a result.
My friend rated this film very highly, “Brilliant! Bloody brilliant!” is what she said.
Not too surprising, since it was invited to the Cannes Film Festival for a screening.
I look forward to Shaun Katz’s next project.
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Mountain Fog
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
It's great to know that your friend connected so strongly with it, that's what it's all about!
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
it was my pleasure entirely.
I might send you a series of questions about the film and post that separately, if you are interested in being interviewed via email?
cheers
fog
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
That bit resonates with me right now!
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
So there you go Michaelie, women see this much more than men, even gay ones, which surprised me, as I looked at him as being more juvenile and clumsy than playing the 'fix-it' role.
anyhoo, Michaelie, I hope you work your way through it all and end up all the more happier for it.
cheers
fog
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Fog, tell me, your friend who related to 'fixing it' rather than 'understanding' - was she saying that as a generality, or about something he was specifically doing? Cause it sounds like your talking about something specific that he was doing even though he actually says to her
curious to hear an elaboration on this....the only thing I can possibly think of, which you might be talking about as 'fixing' is him kissing her, but nothing else comes to mind...
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Seems we saw the same film from a gender specific perspective.
And agreed men do try to fix once they "think" they understand
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
my friend did not go into great detail, and I decided to be prudent and not push her, as I already know a lot about her past relationships, she opened up as much as she felt she wanted to.
Actually, reading the script, Steven's response to Magda opening up about her lost relationship does seem entirely inappropriate, the chocolate cake comment, and an avoidance of intimacy, for he distracts away from the intensity of the moment with a trivial observation, which rightly angers her.
He then responds that he thought she just wanted him to listen, but he had not acknowledged her statements by responding to them, so it appears as being exactly the opposite.
He then engages her more directly on the subject. He does show he cares for her vulnerability too, but he eventually handles that clumsily, and the kissing, the first time is uninitiated by her and seems to be an attempt on his part to boost her morale and self worth, as he sees it, her low self esteem and emotional neediness then takes this to another level which he is reluctant to pursue, yet it is her rejection of him that causes him to force himself on her, I'm undecided at that stage whether it was more to do with his own ego than fixing hers, maybe a bit of both?
In your directions you state
"This passionate moment bringing her animal like fierceness into check and settling her emotions once more.."
which does suggest he is using his sexuality to distract her, and thereby "fix" the situation, change her mind about rejecting him, his reaction is also presumptuous, as he firmly believes all he has to do is kiss a woman and she will be better, instead of dealing with the actual content of what is troubling her.
He swaps the intellectual/emotional expression of intimacy with the physical actions of an intimate encounter, but women actually respond more to the emotional/intellectual side, which when addressed properly, then ignites their sexual passions, men are more physical based, something to do with our genetic programming to procreate for the continuation of the species, I think some boffins consider it to be.
I don't think it comes across as artifice, I still do think Steve shows a combination of avoidance of intimacy and emotional entanglements, wary of the 'loonie' hence he purposely avoids eye contact or comment in the hallway, forcing her to reach out.
It has more depth to it than I first was aware of, and as JD pointed out correctly, we both viewed it from a male perspective, natural for JD, not so much for me, as I have a highly developed feminine side...(he says batting his long fake eye lashes and fanning himself with a small hand painted Edwardian fan....tee hee)
cheers
fog
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
This cake statement by him was a reminder of his point of view on the whole situation, it might be insensitive/immature of him, but that is what she risks in opening herself up like that. The people who laugh at this are audience members who are connecting more to his point of view.
His act of 'so called' rejecting her first is perhaps the most sensitive thing he does in the whole story and she reacts to this as him being mean and arrogant and Magda tells him to leave which creates bigger problems. Ultimately his reasons for saying no to her are ambiguous but are definitely for a few contradictory reasons at once.
I think viewers will think different things based on their own experiences. The one thing I know is that I'm surprised. I never saw it as being about genders in any way at all, it was just meant to be about grief, which is the same for everyone.
Thanks
Comment by Mountain Fog
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Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
good art, of all kinds, causes people to react differently, therefore interpret individually as per their own experiences in life, as you say, so, yes, it was a good work in that respect, and maybe it needs further development...a featurette maybe?
When I have time, I will get you to elaborate on it more, when I send you the Q&A thang.
cheers
fog
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
sorry, I got lost in the banter with Shaun,
thanks for your support and kind compliment,
yes, it amazes me actually, that I saw it so skewed, without being aware... and I thought I had a fully developed feminine side! teehee!
cheers
fog
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Really Long Link