WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Dominance. Mastery. Sway. Supremacy. Power. Within us lies the need to exert our authority upon others, whether to influence for the good or intimidate for the sake of fearful obedience. While we witness such acts in our ever-changing, consistently volatile world, can it also be said that sometimes, the real battle is found inside us when the latter is the circumstance and therefore a choice is required to find release–or be forever ensnared. We find this harrowing conflict being experienced to full extent by one particular soul, Captive (Blythe Meechan).
All alone, battered and bruised, literally fighting for her very being, the Captive struggles to escape the ominous presence that relentlessly pursues her, a shadowy form known only as Masked Dancer (Zoe Pringle). With dark intent and an even more formidable, forceful demeanor that holds utter ascendancy over the hapless Captive, it becomes a dance with destiny for each, one fighting to simply survive, the other to conquer and forever have rule over every action their weary victim takes. But, even in her still-harried state, Captive suddenly has the revelation that she must truly choose one of two options–surrender to subjugation, or take flight on wings of freedom.
Next, my Mind:
Utilizing the sheer beauty of bodies in motion via highly emotive, wonderfully choreographed, and soulfully enigmatic modern dance sequences to deliver its narrative’s meaningful, emotional, and relatable premise, writer/director/producer Aimie Willemse’s 5-minute short film is a fantastic piece of expressive, passionate filmmaking that more than makes an impact on the viewer. Additionally assisted by the perfectly orchestrated, atmospheric score from Scott Mungin, the tale of one lost soul’s desperate attempts to escape being absolutely engulfed by the ruthlessly enacted, completely dominating machinations of Masked Dancer. What makes this effort even more effective, to this reviewer anyway, is that this is such a potent way to illustrate battles we all fight, whether against literal, physical forces that would seek to command our actions or otherwise the internal wars we strive against via attitudes that can dictate how we act in bad ways unless we stand firm and flee from them.
Meechan is superb as Captive, so deftly presenting this totally damaged, abused soul whose time of running away constantly from the sinister form that haunts her every waking moment is growing ever shorter. Even when very nearly escaping confinement, hence experiencing an all-too-brief respite, she is unceremoniously reminded who her current master truly is. Watching the transformation that ultimately occurs is very affecting and well-played by Meechan. Likewise, Pringle’s Masked Dancer is expertly performed to give a vision of the foreboding and reigning presence which so cruelly governs Captive’s life course, yet does so in a way that, while intentionally sinister in nature, still carries with it a eerie beauty all its own, perhaps to emphasize the sometimes enticing demeanor of unhealthy elements that manage to draw us in and hold us fast if we let them. The culmination of this struggle is quite stirring and even momentarily comedic when the finale is reached.
In total, with its moving displays of interpretive dance as the foundation of a much deeper story being portrayed, “Control” more than stands on its own as yet another example of the artistry and unconventional mediums by which independent filmmakers choose to hone their craft and deliver to the audience something fresh and unique, much less being able to achieve this in only five short minutes. Plus, always looking beyond the surface, perhaps this film makes us look at ourselves and ask the question hinted at above–“Is what controls me truly from the outside, or perhaps, more decidedly, from within?”.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
