On the surface, The Hollow Men is a short film about a hitman who decides not to kill his target and has to pay the price. However, I’d like to think it’s a lot more than that. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of using the narrative tropes of a genre as merely a backdrop for subtler, more character focused moments and thematic storytelling. The Hollow Men uses genre to explore the theme of depression from the perspective of Ellis. The plot of a hitman trying to track down his target is merely a vehicle to explore themes of mortality, judgement and existentialism. I do think that the final film was largely effective, even if some aspects weren’t exactly what I originally intended.
I think the characters of Sonny and Kane were both explored effectively, with their respective actors bringing new depth to their roles. Sonny is a young man who has made a mistake and done something terrible. Sonny causes the conversation to turn overtly philosophical and I think Mackenzie managed to make this both engaging and believable. Ryan’s portrayal of Kane managed to turn a character, that I knew if handled poorly could come across as a 2D psychopath, into something simultaneously threatening and entertaining.
However, I think unfortunately the character of Ellis is perhaps slightly lacking. He comes across as too much of a blank slate. I think Rhys did a fantastic job portraying the character, but unfortunately some of his moments wound up having to be cut for time. Ultimately, I don’t feel we managed to fully do the character of Ellis justice. I think perhaps it is worth going back to the edit and adding some of his moments back in. For example, a moment which had to be cut, but I feel is very important in developing Ellis is when he has finally found Sonny at the reservoir. In the final film, Ellis reaches for his gun, but hesitates when Sonny notices him. However, this was originally a much longer, and perhaps more effective, moment. Ellis was meant to actually raise the gun, point it at Sonny and then hesitate, lowering it again. It’s a small change, but it’s an example of something I think would help explain Ellis’ inner turmoil. I really enjoyed working with all of the actors and look forward to working with them again in the future.
I think the film is well edited, particularly in the final scene however the pacing feels slightly off to me. I think there should be a little bit more time for the film to breathe and for us to just exist in that space with the characters for a moment. I really value moments like that in films, however I feel like the film is currently in too much of a rush to get to the next plot beat.
Visually there’s some really nice stuff in there. I think the car scene and the camp scene turned out very well, even if the light can be inconsistent. For the most part I think the cinematography is professional looking and I think the film effectively manages to tell the story visually. However, the moments of action could be better. For example, in the final scene, things look a bit flat and unattractive.
Another reason why this final scene looks unattractive is because of the location. It is much better kept and doesn’t feel as remote as the rest of the film. It’s a shame, because I think we had done pretty well shooting around all of the roads and buildings etc for most of the film, apart from the final scene. For example, in Sonny’s single, there is a fence and a building plainly visible in the background. I don’t think details like that are going to take anyone out of the film, but they are at conflict with the aesthetics and themes of the rest of the film.
I really like the costume design. Each costume really suited the character and the respective actor. Kane had a sort of overly constructed James Dean thing going on, which really suited his cocky personality. Ellis’ clothes feel worn and unflashy. Sonny’s clothes are too big for him and look like he’s maybe wearing someone else’s clothes. All of these work really well, although perhaps it would be nice if Sonny’s clothes looked a bit dirtier and well-worn. The set dressing was generally pretty good too. I really like the look of the campsite, however I do think some more detail would have been nice. I don’t like the car that Ellis drives. The rest of the film’s aesthetic is quite post-war influenced, but the car is the one thing that jumps out to me as just obviously modern. However, I think the religious imagery was effective, for example the rosary beads hanging in the car, the literal picture of Jesus amongst Ellis’ possessions and the bread and fish that Ellis and Sonny eat.
Ellis and Sonny’s ‘last supper’ is just one example of the religious symbolism present in the film. Another example is the very end when all three characters are ‘crucified’. Jesus (Ellis) is in the middle, the penitent thief (Sonny) is on the right and the impenitent thief (Kane) is on the left. I don’t expect anyone to catch all of these little details, but I think the fact that these kinds of layers are in the film make it a much more enjoyable experience for people who really pay attention.
I think the sound design is extremely professional. The sound really ties the car scene together and surprised me with how much it sells the illusion of a moving vehicle. I also think the sound in the final scene, really elevates what’s going on onscreen. Unfortunately, I do find the amount of birdsong in the camp scene a little bit distracting however. I also think the more surreal moments, particularly at the end, aren’t given enough time to fully develop. All of the sounds morph together where it would have been nice if it was a bit more textured and moved from one sound to another. However, overall, the sound came together really nicely.
The score fits the film really well and is exactly the sort of thing I wanted. It gives me Nick Cave vibes, which is never a bad thing. I think the score really elevates the film’s production value.
Overall, I’m happy with the film. I think, while there is definitely room for improvement, the film does manage to feel professional and fairly polished most of the time. We’re obviously all still learning; however I think we did a good job. I do think the film was always going to be considered quite niche. After all, it’s inspired by a genre that’s not very common anymore. I never expected it to have a very wide appeal; but I do think it’s going to be an interesting piece to a lot of people, and I do think it is engaging for its audience. I really do love this film and I have learned a great deal from making it and from getting to work with so many amazing people. I hope people love it as much as I do.
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