Analysis of a similar short film - Kathryn Davies

I chose a film called Delayed Diagnosis. I chose this as it is about Bipolar disorder, just as our film will be, and because it was a winner at Cannes film festival, therefore must be a good example of a short film.

The film begins with a tracking shot of a lift, which brings into view a character, at a medium shot. The character is a female, and is wearing a black suit, suggesting that she is a professional. As she walks through a door, white text appears on the screen announcing the setting and date, to establish the scene. The scene is a mental hospital. There is orchestral music in the background, building up tension as the audience is unaware of what to expect.

This is followed by a low-angle shot of a blond-haired girl sat in a completely white room, but wearing a blue robe, the first actual colour in the film. This is an over the shoulder shot, showing the woman in the suit, holding a clipboard, and walking in through a door in front of the girl.

More white text appears on the screen, which reads “Patient” and “Minimum security ward” which suggests this person has something wrong with her, but is not dangerous. The music stops and there is silence until the woman in the suit begins to interview the patient.

There is then a vertical pan of the patient, which stops just below her face on a name badge on her chest reading “Angie”.

This is followed by a close up of the suited woman as she asks Angie questions.

This cuts to an over the shoulder shot from the suited woman’s perspective of Angie, and we see her face for the first time. She looks young, yet distressed. She speaks in a calm voice, but is also smoking, perhaps to help with her nerves.

Then the 180 degree rule is broken, as a shot reverse shot conversation begins. This rule break suggests that there’s something not quite right in the scene. The woman then asks when Angie had her first child. She replies “14” then seems to contemplate her answer. The 180 degree rule is broken again on a close up of Angie. 

There is a bright flash of light, and Angie stands up, starts shouting and being defensive. The lighting is still brighter than when she was calm.

There is another bright flash of light, and a cut to a flashback, shot in black and white. The shots are slightly blurred, and overlapped, making the audience confused and disorientated.

 Every time Angie feels a pang of anger, the scene turns red, which has connotations of danger, and turns black and white again as she calms down. Angie finally loses it and stabs her husband accidentally whilst cooking. There is another sharp flash of bright light and we return to the hospital.

More shot reverse shots follow, as Angie discovers she has only just been diagnosed as Bipolar. 

This is followed by another bright flash and a cut to a black screen, with white text written on it, explaining how bipolar can be caused. There is melancholy music in the background, perhaps for the audience to feel empathy towards the character of Angie.

The film ends with film style black and white rolling credits.