The Southern Belle: Film Review

Title Shot of The Southern Belle

The Southern Belle brings us into the minds of two characters who are having relationship problems.  Directed by Patrick Biesemans (works on various web commercials) and written by Martin Cox, the short film explores the motivations between two completely different individuals, a taxi driver and the passenger he picks up at the end of his shift. It is revealed that Josh, the passenger, has a desirable life with a good job and beautiful wife and children. Problem is that he has some adultery on the side and when his wife found out, all types of problems arose. It turns out that the taxi driver is in a similar predicament with his wife. Stopping in the middle of his run, the taxi driver begins to narrate his story and revealing the instability of what seemed to be a sane taxi driver. But his story is not fully unfolded until the apex of the narrative and ultimately leads to the unexpected, jaw dropping climax.

The two characters stay within the cab throughout the film

As a film with only two characters, the techniques to create characterization is crucial to make sure the film does not fall flat. Characters usually fall into two categories. What we, as the media has molded us to expect, are used to are the well rounded, dynamic characters with motives that audiences slowly uncover over the duration of the film. On the other hand, there are the characters that only seem to have one emotion and are do not change emotionally throughout the film; these characters are known as static characters. Thankfully, the characters in The Southern Belle are not these so called static characters. Usually, the first way that the audience judges a character is by the external portrayal, or their wardrobe. The taxi driver can be implied to be a middle to low class individual (it also helps that we know he is a taxi driver). Also, Josh, the passenger can be implied that he is a well off business man because it is introduced in a suit.

Different uses of shots - used for pacesetters

Furthermore, the characters are the driving force of the film. All that really happens in the film is verbal communication between the two characters. This can be difficult to to effectively produce because dialogue can sometimes become dry, or pointless to an audience. In this case, however, the dialogue is compelling and forces the audience to pay attention, dragging in the audience into the story that is being told. In a way, the audience assumes the role of the taxi driver, listening to the problems of their passengers - only in this case, we are spectators. The pacing is perfect and there is not a single moment in the film in which I felt dragged on. The film was quickly paced one minute then slows down the next. What really defined the desired pace of the film, in my opinion, was the music consisting of the simple chords on the piano to the rapid bowing of the strings. This extra addition is what sold the film, accurately portraying the desired mood of the film and instilling emotion into the audience.

Rim lighting is used to create a mysterious mood

To fully appreciate a film, one must consider all aspects of the film. Editing is one of them. As stated earlier, the pace of the film was defined by the interactions between the characters. But various other directorial choices are also playing a role. Whether it be the choice between the use of diegetic or non-diegetic sound or even the shot selection. What the audience sees or doesn't see affects how an audience appreciates a film and Patrick Biesemans is able to deliver. Lighting and setting are also aspects to consider. The choice of using dark, silhouetted characters mystifies their background and their motives, allowing audiences to want to delve deeper and uncover more about the character. The use of rim lighting suggests that we only understand the surface of the characters and not the internal motivations. For me, this made the film that much more suspenseful, that much more thrilling and most importantly, it worked.

Use of dramatic lighting - fully reveals characters

All in all, this film is a great short and illustrates the ability of director, Patrick Biesemans to capture an audience. This is definitely a well scripted film and is a great example of how screenwriting should be executed. From start to finish, the short had me on the edge of my seat, desiring to know more about the characters only to find out that in the end, I knew too much about the characters. Great screenwriting and great narratives can be recognized when you finish watching a film and still ponder over what you've just experienced. The Southern Belle will definitely remain in my mind as a must watch short. 

(see full film below)