Film Review: Diligo Victum – null (short film) (2010)

SYNOPSIS:

On the anniversary of her husband’s murder at the hands of his mistress, a heartbroken widow, overcome by grief and loneliness succumbs to the dark forces around her.

REVIEW:

Those last moments before death can sometimes be the most eye opening of all. Our short (which has one of the most annoying titles) turns out to be a very solid edited piece reflecting on the past as a woman ends her life in suicide. We learn as the film begins its flashback in reverse that discovering one’s husband in bed with an unknown woman has led to the death of her husband, the whore involved and now the quiet exit of the remaining wife.

It’s a surreal reflection that taunts the participant with the stress of having to live with all this, now taken away in the blink of any eye. 3 bullets celebrate the death of the parties involved and even as she gives the middle finger to death she knows that there is no other choice to end the pain. The piece embraces this pain by a series of visuals that tell the story at hand. Perhaps a visualization of the minds suffering and the illusions of life slipping away.

The piece has some great visuals that lay nicely over its somewhat abstract narration. The director has chosen every element to reflect the emotional state of the piece including the use of occasional backwards subtitles. While it leans towards art house, it still is very clear about what has transpired and that we are being led thru the demise of our focal character. A very impressive vision by creator Dick Jane that also uses a creative approach to the whole premise. Surreal, haunting and resolute.

0, 1, 2, 3, 1, 0 – Null, eins, zwei, drei, eins