Nathan Wilkins - "Still" analysis

Still is on Vimeo and was directed by Dan Woodliff.

A slow fade from black introduces the two main characters in the film, with a mid shot of each character in different settings taking up half of the screen. There is a thin black bar vertically down the middle of the screen to distinguish between the different settings, along with the contrasting colours and patterns of their duvets and pillows. These props are enough to differentiate between the settings of their bedrooms without including any clutter within the composition, allowing spectators to focus solely on the dialogue over the phone. The slight opposition of lighting also shows that these are two very separate locations. The introductory slow transition makes it briefly appear as if the two are in bed together, suggesting they could be in a relationship, but instead foreshadows the feelings for each other we later discover they still have.

The woman appears restless and troubled due to disgruntled facial expressions, with squinted eyebrows being shown clearly through this static birds eye mid shot. This constant static camera keeps focus on their detailed facial expressions and body language throughout the short film. She looks subtly yet cautiously over to her right, which is a seemingly unimportant moment, yet turns out to be significant when we later realise there is someone sleeping next to her. Her cautiousness is due to the phone call she is about to make, to someone we initially assume to be her lover. As she calls him, her facial expressions seem apprehensive, which is the first indicator that this perhaps isn't her boyfriend. His bemusement as he stares at his phone screen with slightly frowned eyebrows seems to confirm that these two are not together, as it appears out of the norm for this conversation to be taking place.

The initial dialogue reinforces the idea of these two being slightly detached, as the woman, now introduced as Ann, questions whether the man, Steven, has "work in the morning". The slight whisper to their dialogue suggests that they want to keep this conversation hidden, and as if there is someone they don't want to wake up. Ann asks if Steven has work in the morning, and he says yes, which reaffirms the distance between the two of them as they don't know what each other are up to. Ann then apologises, as she appears to question whether calling Steven was the right idea. There is then a pause where just slight ambient sound can be heard, along with the sound of Ann swallowing, suggesting guilt and adding to the sense of silence and awkwardness. Her body language whereby she places her hand on her head also helps to implement the idea of regret for calling Steven.

Ann then reminisces on a time when the two of them went camping, smiling as she asks "do you remember?" The timings of dialogue and facial expressions in the film are excellent, with the two of them smiling at the same moment despite the different shots and settings. This synchronised use of emotion allows spectators to see the connection they have, suggesting that there could still be strong feelings between these characters, which is reaffirmed by the dialogue where they joke about Steven's "sunburn from hell" and Ann "leaving the tent screen open all night long". As this dialogue continues to flow more, they display a variety of emotions, with their laughter suggesting that they miss each other, but then followed by confused expressions implying they have something to hide. This generates enigma for spectators as we are yet to see what is in their surroundings, and learn about what other situations they are in.

When Ann ridicules Steven about his "inability to change a flat tyre" whilst giggling to herself, he responds by saying "you are never going to let that go, are you" in a similar laughing manner. Though when he says this, Ann looks to her side and appears to be tearing up and breathing more heavily. The camera then begins to zoom out in both the shots of Ann and Steven, slowly revealing the dark truth that they are sleeping with other people. This generates shock for spectators as the original composition made them feel like they were next to each other, and now they appear to be acting in a disloyal way to their own partners. This new composition places the two other sleeping partners in between Steven and Ann, which is incredibly symbolic of the idea that they are in the way of the feelings the main characters still have for each other. This reveal is also illustrative of the thoughts inside Ann's head as she appears to rethink what she's doing, as she feels remorse for what she's done, and says "I have to go" before hanging up on Steven. The title "Still" then appears on the screen, and concludes the themes and techniques used in the film, such as the stillness of the camera and characters. The title also breaks the characters apart further, acting as another barrier between Steven and Ann.