Cries, runs, sweats. Hot, isolated, scared. Three children were being left in a car alone under the burning sun during summer Texas. Six-year-old Caroline had to take the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings when their mom leaves them for a job interview. Through the noisy background sounds of cars, cries, and the sweat marks on children's clothes, the film "Caroline" established a nerve-racking scenario for viewers through little details to significant symbols. The short film "Caroline" released in 2018, delivered a powerful message that raised the audience's awareness of current societal issues, where it demonstrated the hopelessness of a single mom who is in desperate need of a job to raise her three children herself. Celine Held, who played the mom, made her character come to life through her influencing acting, which brings the audiences to feel hopeless, worried and guilt along with her. Celine and Logan, the two directors, strived to establish a close connection with the three excellent child actors: Caroline, Brooks and Sally, by moving in with the children for a period of time. There is no question about the amount of care and work they had put into this film, and the final work is truly a masterpiece.
The film used mature shooting techniques such as tilted angles and higher angles which demonstrated the perspective of innocent children when in the face of fear and the missing of guardians. Though mainly focused on children, audiences could also connect with the mom's perspective and agree with the lady who helped the children. Overall, such complex ideas and details had been discussed perfectly in the short 12 minutes.
After I finish watching it, my eyes were filled with tears. It was heartbreaking for me to see three small children being left alone in a car and disappointed by the lack of care our society has for single mothers. The film used many details such as Caroline's wiggling tooth and the mom's smudged eyeliner that every time I watch the film again, it shocks me how relatable it is to many current real-life issues. Though Celine and Logan had done a perfect job of filming and acting, the ending of this film was not what I had expected. The film ended so suddenly that it did not give me time to recover from the chaos and had made me feel a little disappointed. In the end, "Caroline" is a significant piece of work that is impactful and worth watching. I would recommend this film to anyone because no matter their age, they would all learn from this film and interpret the message behind this film differently.
