Brilliant Short-Films #6: The Water
As is the case with many others, my first introduction to Cillian Murphy was in Batman Begins (2005) as the secondary villain Scarecrow. Then came Red Eye (2005) and finally I got my hands on the DVD of 28 Days Later (2002). It was not until Ken Loach’s The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006) that I realized what a dynamic actor he is. A while ago one of my friends on twitter had posted a link to a short film called The Water (2009) featuring of course, Cillian Murphy. Needless to say, I didn’t hesitate to check it out.
“The harbour becomes the sea
And lighting the house keeps it collision free
Understand the lay of the land
And don’t let it hurt you
Or it will be the first to” -Excerpt from ‘The Water’
The 15-minute film is directed by Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene, a canadian rock group consisting also of Leslie Feist among seven others. The film’s surreal storyline is inspired by Feist’s solo song ‘The Water’, and stars Feist herself in one of the three principal roles. For a film that lasts only quarter of an hour, it unravels itself at a brooding pace. There are long establishing shots of snow-covered landscapes, frozen lakes and two characters smoking and carrying a wrapped body. David Fox plays father to Cillian Murphy’s character as both men communicate only through each other’s presence so much so that one can safely quote 98% as a figure of the amount of time the film indulges in complete silence.
There is a lot of ambiguity in the story but more important than the events taking place in the film is the visual imagery that unfolds around the three characters. There is a sense of loss and regain and a kind of calmness that envelopes them both.
Unfortunately, the film is no longer online for streaming. Hopefully, it will be shared again soon.
