Love Me or Leave Me Alone (Duane Hopkins, 2003- 15 min.)
Love Me Or Leave Me Alone is a short film reflecting upon the misunderstandings of a young couple's relationship. The film is set in a vast and open country location, which draws the viewer into primarily focusing on the character's and their situation. The choice to use an empty location also represents the theme of loneliness portrayed throughout the whole film.
The cinematography and sound work together in establishing the film's themes and narrative right from the beginning. The opening shot does not hesitate in setting up the unsettling theme; fast moving camera work immediately shows character Steven (James Firkins) spitting directly onto his girlfriend's face. The film's main narrative from then on is concerned with following the aftermath of an argument, and the viewer is left to establish their own take on what has happened prior to this.
The actual title of the film is not shown until a later stage, and when it is shown, it is displayed at a time which is fitting to the audience's initial understanding of the narrative. The camera work quickens as the subject's argue with one another, representing their parallel views of the same situation. The camera work is disorientating; as well as letting the viewer gain an insight into the angered teenager's states of mind in the distressing situation, it could also be symbolic of the relationship as a whole- the misunderstanding and confusion of the character's relationship. A later shot also shows a washing line shaking outside, from an indoor perspective, which could also be representative of the uncertainty within the situation. Throughout the film, many shots have the character's positioned in the centre, which could further be a way of diverting the audience's focus onto the character's alone.
The lighting is another key element which works well, together with the emptiness of the location, in portraying the dark and unsettling theme of the film. Shots are carefully put together and lit in a way which could be used to convey specific meanings to audiences. One example of this is the scene where Steven is shown inside of a hut, looking out towards his girlfriend after they have argued and she is walking away across the field. The camera is positioned from his perspective, and the shot is almost split directly in half between the outside light and darkness of the shelter. One interpretation of this could be that the split light is representative of his choices; deciding between what is right and wrong, which also clearly links with the film's title.
Another noticeable point throughout this short film is the use of sound, and how this is used successfully as a device to create a sense of building tension for the viewer. At one point (when the girl is shown getting into an unknown car), the sound completely cutting out adds a moment of uncertainty for the upcoming events, which is then followed by a long ongoing shot showing Steven slowly disappearing into the distance through the car's wing mirror.
Although only fifteen minutes in length, this film successfully achieves having a longlasting effect on the viewer, in that it makes them ask questions about its meaning, and the message in which it is trying to convey. The films narrative is based on a fairly simple idea, however different interpretations can be taken from it and I think watching it more than once could change perspectives on what the film is about.
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