In 2008, the dialogue-free Argentine animated short film "Employed Life" was released, and 790,000 people scored a high score of 9.2 points, ranking in the top ten of Douban's high-scoring animated short films, and winning 102 awards internationally, which is a classic of honors.
The reason why the film is highly acclaimed and has won numerous awards, "small story and big connotation" is the best weapon for the film to capture the hearts of the audience.
Its "small" mainly refers to the conciseness and shortness of the story, a bald middle-aged man, alarm clock, table and chair, hanger, traffic light and several common tools of life, which truly and deeply reflect the daily life of every office worker. There are no ups and downs, no twists and turns, no sensational people, just ordinary people, just mortal stories.
Its "big" mainly refers to the connotation of the story, and the director uses a subtle narrative style to raise the universal employment relationship to the philosophical height of society and human nature, which is an exploration of social development and the nature of human nature.
The most controversial point of the film is the objectified person, the mirror, lamp, hanger, elevator, carpet in the play are all taken by people, some people think that the materialized person is a tool that is used, reflecting the humbleness of human nature, this film is a critique of the society that produces employment relations: turning people into cold machines.
The editor's view is just the opposite, the editor believes that the "materialized person" in the film is actually showing the process of realizing the value of human beings, and the film is telling the audience that everyone has the value of existence, and this value is not related to identity and position, but is related to respect and recognition of the self. This article will use the three elements of the film sound, lens language, and action details to prove this view.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" >, using the sound of the film to promote the development of the storyline and portray the inner activities of the characters</h1>
Film sound is an ordinary cinematic art technique, but the director's unique approach makes it play an extraordinary role in the film. The film abandons the film music and the film sound of the character language often used in movies, and chooses mechanical sound, background sound, and action sound movie sound to show its linguistic ideographic function.
1. Mechanical sound, rendering the atmosphere of the picture and promoting the development of the storyline
Alarm sounds, whistles, elevators, the director put the sounds produced by these three mechanical movements in three scenes, these three voices express different storylines, create three different social environments, and show three different social states.
The disturbing alarm bell in the room renders the tense and urgent atmosphere of life;
The whistle of the whistle on the road creates an orderly social environment;
The sound of the clunky elevator running in the company reveals the oppressive and heavy working atmosphere;
2. Action sound, expressing character personality and shaping character image
Sighs, coughs, closing doors, these three action sounds are the protagonist's voices in preparation for the beginning of the new day, several coherent actions, in one go, issued these sounds, through the singleness of the sound, let the audience feel the inner activity of the protagonist.
With a sigh, the protagonist stood up from the side of the bed and began a busy day, this sigh set the emotional tone of the lonely and sad feelings of the play, showing the protagonist's loneliness and helplessness at the same time, but also showing his rationality and independence: even if life is not as good as he wants, he must be brave to move forward.
Immediately after, when the protagonist got up after breakfast and was ready to go out, he made a coughing sound, and this coughing sound echoed with the sigh of getting up, showing the protagonist's energetic mental outlook after getting ready: leaving the door, adjusting the state to welcome a new day, this cough is cheering for yourself!
Subsequently, the protagonist went out and issued a closing sound, ending the first scene, the heavy closing sound announced the status of the protagonist's house owner, but also promoted the development of the storyline, and the story outside the door aroused the curiosity of the audience.
3. Background sound, increase the three-dimensional sense of the picture, and express complex and diverse meanings and connotations
The background sound of the film appears on the way of the protagonist to work, and the noise emitted from the bustling crowd allows the audience to be well placed in it, producing a strong sense of space, making the film's life breath more intense, highlighting the realism of the film.
This scene is staged in everyone's life almost every day, familiar and strange, familiar streets, familiar experiences, familiar people coming and going, strange themselves and crowds, is this the progress of social civilization or the expression of human indifference? It is the biggest thought left by the film to the audience.
Most of the time in this life of people is to maintain the state of "on the road", the noisy background sound is just a kind of progress sound of the rapid development of the city, this sound can not only let the people who move forward can truly feel their own existence, but also spur countless people who are moving forward to integrate into it.
The form of no dialogue and no dubbing not only breaks the language and geographical restrictions of the film, but also allows the content of the film to be fully reflected and sublimated, through these kinds of film music, the audience can have a strong sense of substitution, walk into the characters in the film, listen to their voices, and think about the value of life.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > second, use the lens language to show the story space and expose the inner world of the characters</h1>
The director uses clever lens language to integrate the authenticity of the story and the absurdity of the characters, and exerts the artistic charm of the film to the fullest, so that the audience can quickly integrate into the film, trigger emotional resonance, and trigger the thinking and understanding of the relationship between people and society and the embodiment of human values.
1. Pull the camera to open, use the close-up lens to set the suspense and create a dramatic effect
The ticking sound of the clock moving, a pull shot pulling out the cartoon alarm of the character, the sound and picture came out synchronously, and the short film kicked off.
After the alarm clock is completely pulled out, the director stops the camera at this picture, and the director shows the protagonist's impatient psychological emotions of being awakened by the alarm clock through a hand close-up, paving the way for the next plot development.
2. Follow the camera, follow up the storyline, and display the character image in three dimensions
After the plot transition from home to the street, the director used a follow-up shot to show the protagonist's experience on the way to work, and used a long follow-up shot to present the scene of the protagonist and passers-by rushing to work in a "human taxi".
The rushing and busy rhythm of work reflects the realism of the film, while the "human taxi" and "human traffic light" that appear in this shot are absurd, comparing the real and the absurd in space, so that the audience remembers the absurd character image in the play.
3. Pull the end of the camera, explain the identity of the protagonist, and the expression is satisfactory
When revealing the identity of the protagonist, the director uses a pull shot, pulling from the close-up of the character to the panoramic shot, to close the scene.
From the exquisite close-up to the closing panorama, the director uses the change of the lens to show the protagonist's function as a carpet, to make an explanation of the early preparation, and to explain the theme of the film: everyone's life is in a "hiring" relationship, everyone is enjoying the service of others at the same time, they are also serving others, everyone has their own value, everyone, every profession is equal.
Following the director's lens, we see middle-aged men, desk lamps, dressers, tables and chairs, hangers, taxis, traffic lights and other characters in turn, and the director shows our commonly used objects in an anthropomorphic way, evoking our attention to the details of life, and also arousing our thinking about the life of objects.
These objects act on our lives every day, but how many people will remember that they are themselves a service that others have provided to us? The object itself is also a tribute to the efforts of the provider, and the director presents them in an absurd form, so why not remind us of the attention of the people who created these services for us? Because of their existence, we can have a convenient life now.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > third, the use of unique action details, express the emotions of the characters, enrich the character image</h1>
It is said that the details determine success or failure, which is also true in the film works, and the appropriate use of details can not only play a role in finishing touches, but also enhance the artistic tension of the film, make the character image more vivid and three-dimensional, and sublimate the depth of the film.
1. Multiple blinking actions to show the value of the character's existence
Hangers, table lamps, traffic lights, wardrobes and other items in the play are all played with characters, not so much to materialize the characters to show the indifference of human nature, but rather to anthropomorphize the objects to reflect the value of the characters, the objects played by these characters and their own items are no different, and the only difference lies in the eyes that will blink.
And the blink of this action, the director also made a careful arrangement, all the characters in the play blink are after they have been used, or after their own value is reflected in the action, blink this action is a dividing line, before the blink is a meticulous working state, after the blink is a form of expression after the value is released.
2. By sorting out the instruments, the protagonist's respect for himself and his work is expressed
There are three actions to tidy up the instrument in the film, namely: get up and shave in the mirror, tidy up your bow tie before going out, and tidy up your bow tie before work, the director reflects the protagonist's emphasis on self-management through these three actions, showing the protagonist's respect for himself and his work.
In the eyes of ordinary people, the carpet is not a glamorous job, even full of humility and desolation, but from the protagonist's action of tidying up the instrument, we can know that the protagonist does not think so, but treats the job in a decent form. His attitude and experience tell us that everyone has their own value, the profession is high and low, and every job deserves to be respected.
3. By throwing away the lampshade, the character's emotions are expressed and the character's emotions are vented
Originally thought that the film ended after the identity of the protagonist was revealed, I did not expect that there was a surprise Easter egg hidden at the end of the film, and the person who played the lampshade in the Easter egg took off the lampshade on his head, angrily threw it away, and then left the scene.
Such an action is undoubtedly the finishing touch of the whole play, the characters of the whole play basically have no emotional ups and downs, the character emotional expression is placed in the Easter egg, not only the emotions of the characters in the cathartic film, but also the emotional expression of the director, after suppressing the work of the day, throw away the mask, remove the disguise, bravely express their emotions, put down the tense nerves, and be the true self.
Through different action details, the film reflects the same purpose of the characters in the play to play their own social roles, so that the audience can feel the living people and stories, to explore the value of the characters, and to arouse everyone's respect and understanding of each profession.
Modern society is playing the word employment every day, the employer and the employed are also alternate, there is no high and low, there is no hierarchy, everyone's life has its own value, find their own positioning, release their own value, respect their own pay, no matter what profession is decent and great.