Operator

 Short Film Research – Operator (2015)

Once more a harrowing film, but in a much different sense. This follows a fire department phone line operator as they answer a call from a woman in distress. As the situation worsens, the fear and panic of the two become more evident.

This film utilises very slow and infrequent edits throughout, instead focussing on the performance of the main actor in a very Hollywood way. It’s only right at the end that the most impactful edit hits as we jump from a close-up to a mid-shot, removing us from the tension of the scenario and returning to the reality of the office. The mise-en-scene also paints a terrifying picture of what it’s like being a phone operator for emergency services as the woman just appears to be a normal person. She wears the same uniform as everyone else in the room, suggesting that all of them experience similar calls to this every single day, and yet they still come in the day after. The use of sound in this film is nigh unparalleled. It’s used to create an entirely fictive space that the audience understands to be a house on fire, but the severity of the fire is left to their imagination, which makes the scenario even more terrifying as we believe that Jemma has lost contact with the operator, making the tension rise to incredible heights within these moments of uncertainty. The panicked and anxious performance given by the lead actor also aids in the creation of such moments as this film is, at the end of the day, performance led, and the unsettlingly fearful vocal performance from the caller is also of upmost importance to this film’s success.

If I am to take anything away from this film, it would be the manner in which it builds towards narrative peaks of intense emotion. The microelements all serve the outstanding performance of the main cast, which is something that emulating would be perfect for my own film, as I intend to keep it relatively performance led, too.