Samuel loves to play with colors. I like to look at the deserted river bank until late, where not even the sound of a human being can be heard. I like to see the mountains turning blue in the evening. I like to put the impressions that have ripened in my mind on the canvas. It is not his ability to choose this art. But he is a failure in the eyes of the society. It is a failure in the eyes of the house. Most importantly, he is a failure in his own eyes.
Samuel has failed the class 10 exam twice. His hard work is tireless, but he has no confidence in his hard work. Standing in front of the mountains of failure. He has extreme stress in his mind. There is a sharp and surprising interplay, which has deepened the sense of a fading future.
Samuel is a living example of how a broken man tries to invite self-strength within himself. One day he buys a simple dot pen from a nearby grocery store. As the pen is simple, maybe not limited to simple, Samuel makes a smiley mark on it with the help of tipex.
But this simple pen guides Samuel to a new horizon of possibilities, where he can live a successful life while enjoying his painting. The possibility that the society and the family have not found and the responsibility that has not been fulfilled will be fulfilled by that lifeless pen. This raises serious questions about the traditional role of society and family.
In today's competitive era, this film has given a strong challenge to the social consciousness that considers only marks and certificates as the only success in life. In South Asian society, education is seen as a ladder to gain prestige rather than acquiring knowledge. The film shows the reality of how students are forced to become machines due to this trend.
Director Joram Jona has portrayed the bitter reality of the students who are in the pit of despair by using the 'fantasy' element in the center of the story, which makes the audience feel seriousness and excitement.
In terms of characterization of the characters, Samuel's role is a perfect representation of millions of suffering students today. Her movements, the fear in her eyes and her trembling hands vividly portray her inner tension on screen. The character development is beautifully done as his journey begins with extreme despair and culminates in self-acceptance and artistic freedom.
On the other hand, the magic pen 'Max' is actually Samuel's inner voice or a symbol of lost self-strength and hope; Which proves that even in the dark a small ray can save life. In the film, instead of showing the parents as traditional villains, they are presented as parents who are worried about their son's future in their own way. But the director has subtly shown how their blind worry becomes mental agony for their son.
The strongest aspect of this film is the very sensitive issues it raises like mental health and student suicide. It reveals how the students feel completely alone when they are depressed and how even a small negative comment can force them to take a suicidal decision. It has also worked to break the misconceptions about mental health prevalent in the society.
Talking about the technical aspect, Zoram Jonah's direction has emotionally connected the audience with the character in a short time. The cinematography is also commendable. Where Samuel's mental darkness is shown by using 'low-key lighting' to show his depression. As he finds happiness in art, the scenes become bright and lively.
Background music has enhanced the feeling of the story. Especially the scene of suicide attempt and the sound used in the scene where the pen writes the message for the first time creates curiosity and suspense in the audience.
However, being a short film, there seems to be room for more time to establish the depth of Samuel's depression. Also, for some viewers, the concept of a magic pen may seem a little too fanciful.
Kanchan reports on current affairs in Online News.
