Bout

This short film starts out with a single ring of a bell and it is a sound that seems to continue throughout the entire film as a single note behind everything. What plays out on the screen is a wrestling match between two masked men while the crowd are consumed by the conflict and taking into something much bigger than them as individuals – a near frenzy state of being. Or at least, that is what I think happens because it is very odd to say the least and it is interesting to note that viewers will all come away with a different opinion of the point being made. Whether it is a dig at religion, media control of the masses etc, it does interest throughout.

The animation is deceptively basic. All characters are white lines on a black background but they work and the shot selection / framing is effective in what it shows. It is probably a little too long for me but at the same time the pacing is very deliberate and consistent – it never moves too quickly and it always has this sense of hypnosis, of drawing you in just as the audience within the film are drawn into the spell of what they see. The best part of it for me was the sound design though – that bell is the perfect accompaniment to the film and it just seems to be there the whole time.

Not the most accessible short film but it is creative and very well delivered; what it means will be different depending on your own perspective of it, but it is an intriguing short animation.