Contextual Research - Rocks That Bleed (2015)

Rocks That Bleed (2015)

Contextual Research - Short Film

Rocks That Bleed is a drama short film, written and directed by Bertie Gilbert. It follows two brothers, Joe and Sid, who meet again after a year and a half of separation. It is immediately apparent that the two men are very different, Joe being a sociable extrovert, enjoying women and football; whereas Sid, an introverted artist, seems to spend more time alone in his apartment. Inevitably, the two face conflict over contrasting ideas and lifestyles – possibly including Sid’s hinted homosexuality. As time goes on, it becomes clear that the brothers have reconciled to spend their last days on earth together, as the earth is destroyed by a solar flare.

Present

Past

One thing I find particularly interesting in this film is the use of colour. Red is frequently used when the brothers spend their final day in the apartment, symbolising the increasing heat of the approaching sun. This is an interesting technique of including the sense of imminent danger, as the audience is never shown, nor told, what the brothers are waiting for – also creating a contrast between the present and past scenes.  

As well as connoting danger, the red colour, also connects to the central image of the film, “Rocks That Bleed”, which Joe questions Sid about. This perhaps is a metaphor for the brothers, who when they first meet in the apartment share small, meaningless dialogue, but to close the film, Sid says to Joe:

“Right, just under an hour left, let’s not waste it.

I have a question, Just one question see I’m a little out of the loop, and if your answer resembles anything to do with the word “fine”, then you can fuck off.

My question is… How are you?”

By the end of the film, therefore, the brothers have cracked through each other’s rock to reveal the human beneath, united through inevitable tragedy. The red also highlighting the blood between the brothers, but also a strong love. 

This simple, yet effective stylistic decision is something I hope to incorporate in my own film, as not only is it visually appealing, but it also can be used to enhance story and character - as seen in this film. I have also tried to detail this in my writing:

My story begins at night, before either character or the audience knows what is going to take place -
suggesting that something sinister may be about to take place.

By the end of the story, the mood has changed as Adam and Eve have shed light not only on their situation, but on each other and have grown closer despite meeting as strangers in the darkness.
The morning light now coming in reflects the idea of hope, and the pair beginning a new day.

 I would also like to look more into colour, and the different connotations which can be associated with them, in order to develop my film's visual design.

The scenes in the film are all quite long, with long shot lengths and simple transitions. This is effective as it allows the story to be told cleverly through what is happening in the scene, rather than explicitly told through dialogue. The long shots mean that the film does not feel rushed to create the typical action take on the end of the world, but instead focuses on the simpler but more emotional and poignant storyline on the effects of the brother's relationship before the end of the world.

The camera tracks Joe, clearly showing that this is his party -
demonstrating his popularity among his peers.

The longer shots also allows the audience to follow the characters and show well choreographed movements, especially the party scene where all the different people are moving within the scene but the camera is following Joe.  This is effective in demonstrating the difference between the pair, as we can see Joe socialising with all of his guests as a host, while his brother throws up on the floor in the back garden.

These long shots are also useful for establishing setting and scene, which is how I would like to open my two-minute scene. A slow cutting rate in opening my film would create a deathly atmosphere – suited to my narrative, focusing around the isolation of a dead body. However, in the edit I would also like to explore cutting rhythms, and perhaps change this at different points to reflect different sections of the story. For example, starting off slowly to establish the scene, building to a quicker rhythm when Adam and Eve argue, then slowing back down to a resolution.