Film: Buried
Release date: 14th February 2011
Certificate: 15
Running time: 95 mins
Director: Rodrigo Cortes
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Robert Paterson, Jose Luis Garcia Perez, Stephen Tobolowsky, Samantha Mathis
Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Studio: Icon
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Spain/USA/France
This is an English-language release.
A new take on an old concept, Buried is set entirely in the confined space of a coffin. Such a restrictive concept is a bold challenge to undertake for any film maker and similar concept movies have been tackled in the past by legends such as Hitchcock with Lifeboat and Rope, Sidney Lumet with 12 Angry Men and, of course, the relatively recent Phone Booth by Joel Schumacher. The trailers for Buried might even remind you of The Blair Witch Project, but what can a film in a dark enclosed space possibly offer us in this age of thrills and unlimited spectacle?
The story follows Paul Conroy (played by Ryan Reynolds), a truck driver working in Iraq who wakes up to find he has been buried alive. With the oxygen supply quickly running out, Paul has only a couple of hours to find a way out of his tomb. Luckily, Paul’s captors buried him with a mobile phone and a lighter.
The film follows Paul as he uses the limited resources to discover why he is there, who put him there and, most importantly, how to escape before time runs out...
The very first thing the audience see is complete darkness, which continues for a few minutes. In the absence of light, one finds oneself focusing on the other senses available, and listening intently to the heavy breathing which gradually grows in intensity. This provides immediate suspense and mystery, and creates a suffocating claustrophobic atmosphere. This is followed by Paul flicking the Zippo lighter, the sound of which resonates through the movie theatre threateningly, and the subsequent bursts of light.
A difficult role for any actor, from the moment the film starts, until its incredible finale, Reynolds delivers a powerful and emotive performance that really keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. The range of emotions as the story progresses is undeniably impressive. Reportedly, by the end of the filming Reynolds was a physical wreck, having spent so much time in the coffin. This dedication to the role really comes across and draws the viewer in. Reynolds also has an impressive instinct when finding the best position for catching the light, giving some incredibly poignant and striking images.
The overall visual style of Buried creates a really textured mise en scene that we don’t just see - we feel it, smell it and hear it, too. The old cliché that when one sense is removed the other senses become more acute is being demonstrated. We take in every texture, every slight sound, and imagine how the suffocating air tastes and smells. The low key lighting makes a visual that only allows us to see small details and literally highlights things for our attention.
Lighting is something that Buried relies upon hugely throughout. A number of different diegetic light sources give various shades of illumination, from a flickering flame to the constant luminous glow of a glow stick. Not only do these different types of lighting change the tone and atmosphere, but they also they offer a wider variation of visuals.
Far more important is the use of shadow. Buried uses shadow to build an aesthetic that evokes noir-esque moods. In fact, the impending sense of doom and overwhelming pressure for Paul to survive, not only for himself but for his family as well, adds to this aesthetic, and brings it closer thematically to a modern twist on Film Noir (including a femme fatale love triangle). There are also various expressionistic flourishes, where we see Paul’s inner mental state manifest itself within the coffin. We zoom far beyond the range of the coffin to see an unbelievably deep pit with Paul lying at the bottom, overwhelmed by the ‘situation’, and there are also times where the audio will change to reflect Paul’s thoughts and feelings.
Director, Rodrigo Cortes, willingly acknowledges Hitchcock as the main influence for much of the film. This is evident from the opening titles, which are presented in a very similar style to many of Hitchcock’s movies, such as North By Northwest and Psycho. The title music is even reminiscent of Bernard Herrmann. Buried has, in a sense, used many of the techniques Hitchcock used to create suspense and drama, as well as the classic playful narrative restrictions and challenges that he was also known for. Buried also has a Hitchcockian sense of humour, and offers some surprising comic relief, at times - although this is always a dark ‘gallows’ humour, it works to great effect, further mixing up the audience’s emotional palette.
Every strategy and technique used through the film combines to give some gripping suspension of disbelief (for instance, the flame from the lighter that Paul uses for much of the film would probably use up all his precious oxygen in reality). The suspense absorbs our thoughts as we ponder everything the film isn’t telling us, either by visuals or narrative. The realism of the editing and cinematography, with lots of lengthy shots taking up several minutes of screen time, and some discrete montages for action, also further enforce this. There are also a lot of point-of-view shots, showing us Paul’s perspective and positioning the viewer in his position. It is therefore impossible to watch Buried as a passive spectator; it is a totally active experience.
This is a film that is as unique and refreshing as The Blair Witch Project was, and is so fundamentally driven by its narrative that it really keeps you watching despite the minimalistic visuals. In a sense, the restrictions of its concept are what make Buried such gripping and compelling viewing. DOB
No comments:
Post a Comment