SLAP

Slap

 SLAP - BAFTA Nominated Short Film from Nick Rowland on Vimeo.
Slap is a BAFTA nominated short film by Nick Rowland. It tells the story of a young boxer, played by Joe Cole, who has a secret of crossdressing that he is forced to keep from his friends and family. The audience watches as he struggles to confront his true self. This social realist film projects the issues surrounding the stereotypical masculine roles in our society. 




The cinematography within this short film is very natural, reflecting the tone of the film. The teen boxer breaks the fourth wall, treating the audience as a mirror. The composition of these shots forces the audience to acknowledge the juxtaposition of masculinity. While we see Cole applying makeup in the first scene, there are nude pictures of women in the background, showing the audience how he is being forced to fit this gender role. We see this repeated with the "STUD" condom machine, and the pornographic magazines hiding his makeup. 

Towards the end of the film when Cole's true identity has been harshly revealed after the party, the camera movement becomes shakier and less smooth which heightens the tension, this expressionistic cinematography matches his feelings and emotions. During this finale there is only calm non-diegetic sound to make the audience focus on what is happening within the shot, this contrasts with what is happening in the shot of Cole beating up his opponent. 



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