“A journey within war, peace, spirituality, human consciousness and beyond. The film is very short and abstractly stitched to form a something which is hard to perceive but easy to communicate.”
Within the short experimental film, running just over two minutes, it becomes challenging to speak to the narrative strength of the production. Following the director's description, the short is “hard to perceive but easy to communicate” in the way it taps into some base emotions to confront the viewer with disrupting and disturbing imagery. In spite of whether the various sequences are effective in capturing a visceral response, the lack of structure makes this an experimental/non-traditional short film. Overall, the experimental approach in a compacted form, is bound to lose many audiences in its undefinable narrative structure.
Thankfully, the visuals on display do elevate the production beyond the self imposed boundaries of foregoing traditional narrative. Every image is presented in sharp colors under varying tints in short vignettes of filth or suffering, which successfully create an unsettling experience. Additionally, the stark contrast between something pretty and something unsettling is combined to help elevate the sense of unease. Overall, the production presents a strong visual presentation within its brief existence.
Aiding the visuals is a strong score that can, at times, create a similar sense of discomfort. This intent is noticeable from the onset, as the viewer is confronted with the sound of distant sirens mixed with noise, before given a discernable image to grasp onto what is occurring. Additionally, the sound design on characters' movements, gun shots, and the sound of insects is balanced to punctuate certain moments in the soundscape, making for an overall solid audio experience.
At two minutes, and with a notable lack of narrative, “Colour Palette of A solider” is an experience limited by its format. However, the brief experience does offer up wholly unsettling and stylized imagery in a way that should appease fans of experimental cinema.
