Contextual Research - Love Hate (2009)

Love Hate (2009)

Contextual Research - Short Film

Love Hate is a dark comedy short film, focusing around two juxtaposing characters. Tom, a kind-hearted yet meek charity worker is one day followed home by a mysterious and beguiling woman. After inviting herself in, Tom realises that he has set himself up for a relationship from hell, as she reveals herself as his “Hate.” Over time, the pair bond over violence and loathing as hate gradually takes over Tom’s life. When he inevitably falls in love with Hate, he embarks on a self-destruct mission, isolating himself from every friend he once had. Things suddenly take a turn when Tom is forced to tackle “self-hate”, at which point he decides that the relationship “isn’t working.” The end of the film sees Tom in a seemingly much happier place, reunited with his ex, aptly named Joy. However, we soon discover that he and Hate are expecting their own child, creating an excellent cliffhanger.

One of the things that really stuck out to me in the film is the fact that it is completely centered around two completely opposite characters. The story itself comes from character development, meaning that strong personalities are needed to carry the narrative and engage an audience. The writing and portrayal of these characters is therefore complex yet believable. Even tiny mannerisms add detail to the characters, things such as a facial expression or body movement, could potentially be missable - for example:

Tom trips his elbow over the fireplace, shows that he is insecure / not confident within his own movements; perhaps putting on a front of confidence.

A cocky smirk and raise of the eyebrow demonstrates Hate's superiority over Tom, and the fact that she is well aware of how she can easily manipulate him. Furthermore, the fact that her character is often seen smoking highlights a sense of rebellion and a bad attitude - everything her character stands for.

Tom's character development is evident here, as in contrast to the beginning of the film, he now is more sure of himself and the way he conducts his movements as he finds himself engulfed by passion and hate. This makes him potentially  more threatening to an audience - highlighting his progression.

I have tried to employ this same detail into my own characters, Adam and Eve, through my writing process - making it clear even at this initial writing stage the exact way I wish my lines to be delivered (even if it is more for a note to me as director rather than my actors).


Similarly, I have also started to develop storyboards for my shots, depicting the style of my film, and how my characters will be portrayed within it. Blake and Dylan Ritson, the writers and directors of Love Hate have used specific camera angles and mise-en-scene to enhance character, including:

Low Angle shot of Hate, dressed in dark clothing - symbolising her dark and domineering role within the narrative.

A tightly framed shot of Tom and Hate, demonstrating how close they have become. They lie in darkness, in contrast to the higher-key lit scenes earlier in the film - implying Tom's decent into darkness.

This wide shot of Tom and Hate emphasise just how dependent on her he has become. There is also a sense of isolation in this, as no one else is anywhere to be seen. But, the scene is also lit with high-key daylight lighting, implying that in this scene, Tom is still happy - just falling innocently in love.

Now in a room lit with low key lighting, Tom indulges his darker side with cigarettes and alcohol. The candles perhaps symbolise his new-found burning passion of/for hatred, with a sense of diminishing light throughout the film perhaps representing his fall from grace.

 Here, the film’s visual representation of Tom's destructive urges is evident. John Lynch’s cinematography creates a gloomy and malicious rendering of Tom’s powerful Hate. The darkened and dimly-lit interiors capture the increasingly gloomy nature of his deeply immoral actions. The cloudy skies in the exterior shots which are so characteristic of Britain, effectively demonstrate the darkness and explosion of Tom’s inner turmoil that’s lurking just above him.

Again, this attention to detail is something I would like to consider in my own film. I plan to film at night to emphasise the dark themes explored in my story, and as the narrative resolves, it is reflected by the approaching daylight - restoring balance and clarity to the situation. I would also like to visually represent my character's confusion and disorientation by using low-key lighting, hopefully using mainly natural light and streetlamps to imply Adam and Eve's inability to see their way out of the dark situation they find themselves in - as well as making the most of my location.