'Empty' is a short film about a young girl who is in recovery for anorexia nervosa. I decided to watch and analysis this film as it is one of the few that has the aim of raising awareness on both eating disorders and form in which they can come in. The film establishes its genre and theme through the use of each of the micro-elements. Additionally, the film uses the traditional codes and conventions for a short film.
The film is presented to the audience as a realistic drama - almost a documentary, due to the real life dialogue and phrases used by the film. Throughout the film, Keira is shown to be struggling with a nasty 'friend', who is later revealed to be an physical embodiment of her anorexia. Ana tells Keira that she 'looks like shit' and that she 'doesn't have an eating disorder', and that she is 'the only one that's stood by' Keira throughout her journey. These phrases are clear examples of the types of thoughts that a person with an eating disorder may experience, especially when relapsing. This creates realism for those in the audience who have had an experience similar to this in the past, in addition to making the film relatable and impacting for an audience who may have suffered from either eating disorders or any of kind of mental illness. Keira's use of dialogue during her therapy session has a similar effect in creating a realistic and dramatic atmosphere through her uses of the words 'in control' an 'disgusting', which is common vocabulary for those struggling with an eating disorder.
The use of non-diegetic and synchronous sound combined with the use of a voice over to demonstrate the thoughts Keira is fighting when facing her eating disorder allows the audience to understand the kind of things running through her head that makes 'just eating' incredibly difficult. This contributes to the sense of realism created by the use of dialogue, and emphasises the struggle people with mental illnesses go through when trying to perform the simplest task.
Throughout the film, continuous editing is used to present the reality within the film for the protagonist and for some members of the audience. This keeps the audience focused on the narrative, and exaggerates the realness of the situation in addition to sticking to the linear narrative created by the film and its storyline.
Shot-reverse-shot is also used frequently throughout the film to enhance the audiences understanding on each of the characters and the emotions they are feeling during the narrative. This exaggerates that the film is a drama - with the primary focus of the narrative being on the way each of the characters feel, and how the situations they are put in effects them. The utilisation of shot-reverse-shot also allows the audience to connect with the characters on a much stronger level despite the limited amount of screen time each of the characters get. Keira gets the most screen time, supporting that she should be the primary focus of the audience should be on Keira, as she is facing a difficult and emotional time, and she may see things differently to those in the audience who have not experienced a mental illness.
The drama is also represented through the use of mise en scene, such as the costumes that both Ana and Keira are wearing. Their costumes deeply contrast one another, creating a representation of binary opposites in regards to light vs. dark. Keira has blonde hair and is wearing very pale, light clothing - representing that she is very pure and innocent in comparison to Ana, who wears black matched with red lipstick and a red top, representing that she is dangerous with bad intentions. The black that Ana is wearing also represents the depression that Keira faces from allowing Ana to influence her and take over her life. The red of her lipstick and top has connotations of danger - which could represent the danger that Keira faces of being hospitalised or even dying due to her illness. This pushes the idea that the drama of the film is caused by Ana, who is pushing Keira to do something that is very dangerous and can really effect her physical health in addition to her mental health.
The realism of the film is also represented through the use of props, in particular, the breakfast bar that Keira carries around with her. The bar represents the start of Keira's real recovery, something she has been putting off/avoiding due to her anorexia's strength and power over her. However, at the end of the film, where Keira ignores what the 'voices' in her head are saying and she eats the bar, this represents her new start and her strength in fighting against her eating disorder. This represents the theme of the story too, by making it clear that no matter how strong and persistent a mental illness may seem, you can beat it and go against it with nothing happening to you; this is created with the aim to inspire those with a mental health condition to fight against it for a 'normal life'.
The utilisation of camera angles and movements helps to demonstrate how emotional and vulnerable Keira is during the period of time in the film. Close ups are frequently used throughout the film to represent the emotions that Keira is feeling, and how weak she is - both physically and mentally. In the terms of her mental weakness, this is represented through the ease in which she conforms to anything that Ana says, and her low mood. Her physical weakness is portrayed by her thinness and delicacy. Keira's appearance conforms to the dominant ideology of those with anorexia - that they are young, very slim, white females - the film does not entertain the possibility that some males, or someone of a healthier weight could be suffering with the same illness, and instead focuses on the traditional stereotype that everyone is aware of and knows.
Through the film, the theme and message that is put across is one with the aim of raising awareness of mental illness, and informing those struggling that they are not alone, and should not be ashamed or embarrassed about their illness. This is presented through the dialogue of the therapist, in addition to the message at the end of the film, that serves the purpose of comforting and assuring those diagnosed. This conforms to the conventions of a short film and the idea that they are created with the intention of presenting some sort of message or theme across to the audience. The use of only three characters further conforms to these codes and conventions, by allowing the audience to focus on one character throughout the film and develop an attachment to her - making them care much more about her story and the emotional trauma that she is going through.
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