Reading the text of this, sonnet 83 seems like another in a series where the poet almost talks down his own craft – saying such things as words not being able to do justice and so on. The short film takes it a way that makes sense instantly and mostly brings the words very much into a modern setting. While the poet writes about the futility of him trying to paint or capture what has greater life than he could provide, the film puts these words in a similar context but as a sort of defense from a jilted partner, still sitting on the street where many of his possessions have been thrown already.
The setting is a small alley which brings character and intimacy to the background of the scene more than some of the larger landmarks have done in other films. Against this it is a series of fairly static shots, but within which the actor Casella gives a performance rather than just a delivery. It has energy and avoids the rather "Shakespearean" tone that too many people deliver in, however it is not without weakness. His voice seems almost too controlled compared to his more frantic body-language at times, which I found robbed it of realism a little – but it is to where/whom he delivers that bothered me. His subject is a open door on a fire escape, where an unseen partner toils to remove his stuff – and when we see this, then his head and eyes are very much up to that level, but for the rest of the film it seems to be just above the camera level. It felt like they were trying to let the character speak upwards, but not end up with a frame full of chin and neck, but as a result it feels awkward and doesn't look like he is delivering to the subject we are told he is. A minor quibble perhaps, but one that stayed with me.
It is a very crisp image though, and the sound is well captured on the street to be clear even with all the movement. It does have some small weakness in some aspects of the performance, but mostly the film feels modern, relevant, and colorful, providing a clear context for the sonnet text.
The setting is a small alley which brings character and intimacy to the background of the scene more than some of the larger landmarks have done in other films. Against this it is a series of fairly static shots, but within which the actor Casella gives a performance rather than just a delivery. It has energy and avoids the rather "Shakespearean" tone that too many people deliver in, however it is not without weakness. His voice seems almost too controlled compared to his more frantic body-language at times, which I found robbed it of realism a little – but it is to where/whom he delivers that bothered me. His subject is a open door on a fire escape, where an unseen partner toils to remove his stuff – and when we see this, then his head and eyes are very much up to that level, but for the rest of the film it seems to be just above the camera level. It felt like they were trying to let the character speak upwards, but not end up with a frame full of chin and neck, but as a result it feels awkward and doesn't look like he is delivering to the subject we are told he is. A minor quibble perhaps, but one that stayed with me.
It is a very crisp image though, and the sound is well captured on the street to be clear even with all the movement. It does have some small weakness in some aspects of the performance, but mostly the film feels modern, relevant, and colorful, providing a clear context for the sonnet text.