Starting off, there was a good contrast between the brightly lit opening scenes and the dark title sequence. Quick cuts were common in the short film with the exception of a lingering camera focused on the faces of the characters. Often times, Thembile appeared on screen with no other characters. In exception to this, were the scenes in which thembile was happy, including when he was talking with his friend and when he got to laugh with the man who appeared to be his boss. By focusing solely on Thembile, it gives the viewer more time to connect with his character over the side characters.
The only other main character we have is Thembile’s boss. He is shown to be a brutish man, as evidenced by him forcing Thembile to open the bag after kicking the puppy with whom Thembile befriended. This bag “stunt” can also be seen as a metaphor for the white men in South Africa placing all the blame on the African natives. Furthermore, the camera lingered again on the faces of both men as to show that bold opinions both had and the eventual outcome of the “stunt”.
The music was also introduced directly after times of strife, leaving the actual tenuous moments filled with silence. By cutting any sounds from the scene, it allows the viewer to take in more of the physical mannerisms of the actor. This is especially apparent with the final shot focusing on Thembile’s face, ruminating over the possible consequences of which decision to make.
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