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★★★
Directed by: Philip Brocklehurst
Written by: Philip Brocklehurst
Starring: P.M. Thomas
The average person spends a third of their life sleeping. When they wake up, what do they think? Do they want to get up or would they rather stay in bed?
This short film shows a man in bed. At certain times he appears to be awake and other times he seems to be sleeping.
The film is separated into two parts: Depression and Motivation. It begins with a black screen, with the word 'depression' in white letters. Then it cuts to the man lying in bed, looking up and wearing a top and it appears to be daytime. He then has his eyes closed, his head turned, resting on his arm and then the lights go out and the screen goes black. Then the word 'motivation' appears and the film cuts again to him lying on the bed, daytime, same pillow and sheets, but no top. He is seen in more or less similar positions as before, a significant difference being that in the final shot the bed is empty.
The only spoken words are through voice-over, that apparently belongs to the protagonist, who is also the only person in the film. When the two title words appear, they are also uttered (maybe even read). Then after each of the words has left the screen and the man is shown on the bed, these three sentences are narrated during both parts of the film, in the same order: 'I must wake up', 'I must get up', 'I must live'.
Both the sequences about depression and motivation are almost identical, making effective use of fast cutting and jump cuts. The most significant difference is that at the end of motivation, the bed is empty, indicating that the man has decided to take action. Generally this film shows an individual who in one scene is depressed, remaining in bed and in the other is able to find motivation and get up, hence why the bed is empty. It briefly depicts how different things can be when one motivates themselves.
Vladislav Nogin does a very interesting job with the music. During the 'depression' sequence piano music is heard, which is a bit melancholic. Then during the 'motivation' sequence, an electric guitar is used, sounding tense and dynamic, representing the fact that the man is finding strength setting goals for himself.
Thomas delivers a convincing performance and the voice-over is narrated in French. The camera is constantly stationary and films the actor from the chest upwards, while looking down at him.
This piece of work is about a minute and a half long, but it provides a thought-provoking experience.
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