Like many films that aren’t classed as “mainstream”, a lot of directors take the artistic approach, and although many of them are beautiful to watch, they don’t always have the storyline to match them. However after watching “A Single Man” I found that the piece have an excellent combination of the two.
The key aim the film has, is to allow the audience to become part of the main characters troubled world, allowing them to emphasise, sympathies and relate to him. The film focused on many negative aspects of life, such as death, love and the battle of the mind. However all these themes were completely relevant and had me captivated throughout.
Visually the film was stunning, not just the use of great locations and cinematography, but the editing style. Throughout the film, the majority is very saturated, illustrating how dull his life feels without his partner in the world. But it’s the small positive aspects of his life, which create the most impact as they subtly become more colorful showing that for that one moment, his world isn’t a bad place to be apart of.
Like many films, it contains a controversial subject; in this case, the main characters homosexuality. In modern days this subject isn’t often referred to as a “controversial subject”, however it is set in the 60’s and although his life appears to be very open when talking about the subject, it is apparent that it is the complete opposite.
The irony that I found fascinating in the film was that he lived in a house with large windows all around the house, allowing everyone who wished to, to see into his home. But in fact no one was truly allowed into his world, not even his friends. The one person who had, his soul mate, was now dead, and although the house was flooded with light, it almost felt dark and empty.
Obviously anyone who has seen the film will know that it is about his struggle to find his place in the world, now that the one thing he ever truly loved was not in it.
Although the film Is only representing a day of his life, it shows the audience so clearly the battle he has with himself to make it to another day. A couple of times within the film the audience is shown him trying to end his life, but it’s the small but significant things that stop him, such as his friend.
One thing that I didn’t really understand was his relationship with the character Kenny, played by Nicholas Hoult. I understood that Kenny found comfort with Mr. Falconer as Kenny was battling through the struggles of being gay himself, but I couldn’t work out whether Mr. Falconer was attracted to Kenny and intended to form some kind of relationship with him, or whether he just found comfort in him as they had certain qualities in common.
The emotional connection the piece makes towards the audience is very powerful and it is clearly illustrates how empty Mr. Falconers world is without his partner, and when relevant the non-diegetic sound only emphasised that. The struggle to make it through another day is portrayed excellently, which in one way or another is what many people can relate to.
. David Bird Media . 