Film Analysis:
Beachcomber (2015)
– Directed by Peter Coventry
This film is a Drama centred on Steven, a 65-year-old man
living by the beachside. The film reflects his isolation mainly through the
cinematography and the mise-en-scene. The short also uses location to its
advantage in order to convey greater themes in such a short amount of time and
in order for the audience to empathise with the protagonist. It uses universal
themes such as loneliness, family and survival.
The ‘beachcombing’ aspect of the film is the way in which
Steven earn money, scouring the beach for valuables each day symbolises how
valuable his time is. His avoidance of the confrontation between he and his son
shows that he is embarrassed and ashamed about the way that he lives. His life
has become quite gentle and monotonous; this is reflected in the isolated beach
that he lives on. Long wide shots of the ocean all together with the droning
sound of the ocean amplify his loneliness giving Steven quite a connection with
the audience. They sympathise with him, feeling sorry for the way in which he
has been left.
The film uses a progressive but linear narrative structure,
although each day is replicable, identical to the previous, in order to show
that only a few moments in his life are meaningful to him, as any other day
would start and end in the same way. As the short progressive he continuously
finds more and more valuable items on the beach, even though this would make
him seem happy, he instead realises that it is time to move on. From his
original state in the film he is aggressive and unwilling, being pressure by
his family to move on. The performance by Steven here is used to illustrate the
stress and strain on his life, his lifeless expression throughout and
especially when he finds a Rolex on the beach, is similar to that when he finds
nothing at all- he isn’t disappointed, but rather sad about what his life has
come to.
This film was funded and produced under ‘Film London’.
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