High Rise

High Rise

High Rise is a three minute thirty second short film produced by Gabrielle Russel. The short film begins with a panning shot showing the location of the film. From this we see that the film is taking place in a large city full of high rise buildings. The building that then takes the focus of the scene looks like a working class area most likely council flats. Just from this the audience is told a lot of information about the character’s even though we haven’t met them yet. We can interpret that the person or people living here have a low wage or are claiming benefits due to unemployment.  The scene then moves on to focus on one window in particular, showing it to be partially open. This informs the audience that we are following the story that is taking place behind this particular window in this block of high rise flats. However this could be any window in any block of flats in any city, therefore making the audience aware that this could be anybody’s story as we do not know what takes place behind closed doors.

As the scene moves on the camera pans round to show a baby sitting alone on the sofa. From this clip we see the classic council flat conditions of a dirty floor and untidy living. This further supports our previous idea of the occupants of the flat being unemployed. We then see an arm reach out for a bottle of milk.  A women, presumed to be the mother, tests the milks temperature on her wrist. From this scene we expect a loving and nurturing mother taking care of her baby as she is making sure the milk is suitable for baby to drink. However that soon changes as we see that mother and baby are apart, sitting in separate places, connoting that the bond between mother and baby is broken.  This is supported further later on in the scene as the baby is trying to get the doll before it falls out of the window as mother gets up to retrieve it she falls and drops the milk. The close up shots of the milk dripping to the floor is used to show her giving up on this life and on nurturing the baby. The, don’t cry over spilt milk metaphor.

The film focus on the split decision the mother makes. She decides to leave the room, fully deciding to give up on this child. She rushes back into the room as a scream, from the T.V brings her to reality. The window is still open, the doll is gone but the baby is safe on the sofa. This displays how her choice in that moment could have changed her life and how easy it is to make the wrong decision just because it’s easier.

The theme running through the film is a feeling of being alone but also the envy the mother has of other families as she is alone and living in this small council flat. There is also a theme of choice and the regret you can have if you make the wrong decision in that moment. Looking at the film as a whole I feel that the mother could be suffering from post partem depression as lots of mothers do after child birth. Due to her being alone and having no one to help her with the child in this difficult time she doesn’t know what to do and is therefore lead to make the decision that she does.