2:37

2:37 was the opening night film at MIFF 2006…

Set in a South Australian High School, 2:37 opens with a scene of blood oozing out of a janitors closet. When the door is finally opened, although we don’t see it, you know that someone has died. The film then backtracks to show the events leading up to this death, following a day in the life of several troubled teenagers.

It focuses around a number of key characters, whose lives are all interconnected. Each one is dealing with major issues, such as homosexuality, anorexia, smoking dope, disability, romance, lack of family support, etc. Each character is introduced one by one, quickly establishing who they are and where they fit into the school hierarchy. After this, a black and white close-up scene is shown, allowing each character to express their feelings, as if they were in a counselling session. We see “what’s happening” in the first shots, but we really get to explore the characters inner thoughts and feelings, in the more intimate black-and-white moments.

In an almost cliché fashion, the film reveals, for example, that the school sporting hero (aka the “jock”) is really gay and is having a relationship with his openly homosexual classmate (who’s having a hard time dealing with his parents and his peers), whilst at the same time as going out with the schools blond beauty (aka the “cheer leader”), who predicably suffers from an eating disorder. As the time rolls on, we learn more about the characters, and the problems they are trying to deal with.

From a viewer’s point of view, we already know someone is dead – it’s just a matter of working out whom. For me, the story is very predictable. You know almost instantly what troubles/issues are going to be “allocated” to which characters. It’s such an almost formula driven movie, I always felt a minute or two ahead of the story (although you can never be a hundred percent sure – which keeps you interested). You think the director is going to throw in an unpredictable spin – but for me, my instinct was always right.

In the end, the character (that you supposably “least suspect”, although I had a fair idea quite early on) kills them self in a most horrific scene. This is not an easy or enjoyable movie to watch. It has some horrible scenes, and nothing good seems to happen to the main characters. Even in the end, there aren’t a whole lot of positives for the key living characters. It’s just horrible event after horrible event until it climaxes on a scene which made me look away, and my stomach churn. I felt as if I was being violated by watching the screen.

Although it’s extremely powerful, and expresses a strong view in regards teen suicide, it’s really an upsetting film to watch. It is filmed in a very flowing and floating style, making great use of steady-cam. But, one of the most fantastic aspects of this film is the way sound is used to elevate the scenes to a completely new level. The musical soundtrack is simple, yet effective, but the use of sound effects and surround sound is truly amazing. The voices and sounds of the school yard seem to travel around the theatre. In the scene were the person kills themselves, the soundtrack is just as horrendous and sickening as the images on the screen. It really makes you feel as if you’re trapped in the room with the person, because even if you do look away, you can’t escape the intense sounds. It really affects you in a severely overwhelming way.

After watching the film, you feel completely exhausted and emotionally drained. Although you now know who the dead person is, and that the other characters will live to see another day, that doesn’t make you feel any better. I’m finding it hard to work out if the film actually served a positive purpose or whether it just highlighted a whole lot of negative things that effect teenagers, and indeed all ages, worldwide. But, the only thing the director wanted for this film is for people to leave the theatre and talk about the film, the issues raised. The director has certainly achieved this aim – this is a film that must be discussed after viewing. But whether it should be viewed in the first place, well, I’m still undecided. Although I’m glad I saw it, I don’t think I’m going to sleep very well tonight. Definitely a powerful movie (with an ultra powerful soundtrack), however I almost felt as if I was being bullied into feeling predetermined feelings for the characters and their situations. It was kind of like following a train track of predicable emotions that just make you feel like crap. I guess in the end, it’s a life changing experience.