Private: Out of the Shadows

Steve Blackwood’s short film, Private, is a sophisticated homage to noir classics of the 40’s and 50’s, complete with stark lighting, and subtle jazz accents. While the style of filmmaking is nostalgic and familiar, the narrative feels mature, and keenly untethered to the setting.

What starts as a seemingly generic detective piece, intensifies into a tangled battle of morals. In a low budget drama that largely takes place in a single room, the performances must carry the story; and both Blackwood and Bainum deliver on all counts. While the production is simple, the drama is intriguing, utilizing powerful moments of silence, hard-hitting lines, and dark, suspenseful character reflections. The continuous dialogue between the two main characters is akin to a graceful boxing match, swiftly transitioning between moments that feel like a seductive dance, and wince-inducing blows to the gut. Pregnant pauses and subtle reaction shots highlight the actors’ confident performances, culminating in a clever ending that will find the audience clinging to a swinging pendulum.

In an era that’s saturated with bombastic spectacles, there’s a tender intimacy to well-performed, dialogue-centric tales that remind us of the most important part of story-telling: the human element.