The Fall short film review

★★★

Directed by: #VigneshKumar, #ShivaSundar

Written by: #VigneshKumar, #ShivaSundar

Starring: #SujaySS, #VigneshKumar, #ShivaSundar

Short Film Review by: Shrubaboti Bose

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Still from short film The Fall

The Fall is based on a simple observation that people irrespective of their age, religion, amount of caution and level of self-confidence are bound to sometimes trip and fall during the monsoons. In a very spontaneous way, it shows us the cultural nuances in a typical Indian household, the effects of rains, how the ground turns slippery with moss and how friends usually tease and make fun of each other in good humour when they fall down. It’s significant to note that this film has no dialogues whatsoever, making it all the more difficult for the director to tell us the story.

Within a span of 5 minutes, this short film which was scripted and shot in just a single day, is able to make us smile if not break into fits of laughter thanks to their acting skills. The over-exaggerated facial expressions in fact contribute to the comic effect without spoiling the realistic aspect of the film. However, what makes it really funny is the background music. It sets the appropriate mood for the overall film and gives emphasis to particular twists and turns in the plot, just like how repeating flashes of the same shot in different filters, captured when the first visiting friend falls down helps to establish the hilarity of the situation.

While the accidental fall of the first friend makes us laugh, the conditions change in case of the second friend. He does not fall and yet we find the whole situation funny because the two friends had kept expecting him to slip and in surprising them, he surprises us too. This small element of unpredictability in the film gives it that necessary freshness and keeps the already engaged audience on their toes, waiting for the next accident to happen. The suspense is maintained by shifting our focus on their activities indoors.

Just when everything seems to be fine and they are leaving the house, one of them slips but his friends pull him up and prevents his fall. It seems then, that the second visiting guy is the most capable at maintaining his balance on such slippery grounds. He looks proud of himself. He takes a bow. But at the final moment, even he can’t escape it. Right at the gates of the house, he loses his balance and falls. This scene is shown in slow motion, the camera rests on each of their faces to observe their reactions and the film suddenly goes monochrome, thus reinforcing the core message of the film that everyone is susceptible to falling down during the monsoon.

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