Dot Down (1999)
Employing the best of 8mm New York underground filmmaking,
"Dot Down" is a beautiful film to watch. The black and
white visuals, the avant-garde editing, the attractive
grungy actors, the non-sync sound all add up to a gorgeous
delight.
"Dot Down" covers the break-up of this grungy, poor,
couple who are lost in their own thoughts and emotions
and plans and stories. The film mainly follows the male
of the couple as he leaves the female, gasping for his
own space out from under the oppressive and dismal existence
they share. But, as we find out, his love and longing
for her cannot be squelched by his own wanderlust.
Although we have to suffer through a rather typical
subplot about a drug deal gone intentionally awry, the
film's final moment, where girl and guy pass briefly
again is nothing short of beautiful poetry.
Director Christopher Duvert proves himself an urban
filmmaker to take note of. His film is stark, repressed,
graffitied and visually stunning. We are drawn into
the piece by the pure unflinching eye of the camera,
a look at modern urban squalor that warns us to stay
back yet, like the city itself, invites into it's realm
warmly at the same time. We are suckled into the film
like runaway teenagers off the Greyhound bus. We cannot
look away. Our eyes widen.
"Dot Down" (a term I'm unfamiliar with) is a remarkable
short. Simply beautiful and poetic and sweet and weary...
all at the same time.
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