The Amorphist

This two and a half minute film was inspired by the theme of ‘personal identity’. The montage includes various scenes depicting the character waking up, opening the door and stepping out only to find himself back in the room. It is this loop which repeats itself throughout the film with the character ending up in different rooms with different clothes. The film is quite personal to me as I have based the script off my own life where I have felt similarly. The inspiration for this film came from a poem I wrote last semester titled ‘The Amorphist’. The title is an anagram of the word Metamorphosis. The inspiration for the poem was Franz Kafka’s novel of that name which deals with the loss of identity. The poem is given below:

The world of fake squeak lies barren ahead. See!

Waiting for the crackling fire, burning down offices and factories in me.

Levels monotonous, automobile horns blaring and relentless enemies end

 -lessly towards silent life-expire of me.

Dehumanised souls stroll around. Six feet stomping on me, family.

The only one to acquire-enquire. Oh! Why me?

A verminous b_U*g% , the final boss myself, I find

I have stepped out of the gyre as me.

A game, from birth to death, now still and free

To step out the mire-y life. Look around and you too shall see me.

The film starts off with a clip of a clock ticking and coming closer to the screen. This signifies the repetitive nature of time, the routineness of life. We live a life with the same things happening again and again. We develop a routine and just slowly seep into it. So much so that we forget about it and it becomes involuntary. The approaching clock also signifies how at some point we will run out of time and then we will be helpless as the hands of destiny will have tied our hands up. Throughout the film, the character has a dazed and confused look as much of the rest of his mundane life is forgotten by him. Having only a few moments from when he wakes up to himself, he finds it too late to change and towards the end of the film just gives in to it. The final shots are those of blur or vibrant colours denoting the level of engagement he has left with himself. 

Another running theme here was disassociation. I was able to work better with this theme having covered it in the arts for mental health course I took last semester. The soundtrack for the film is a percussion track using a ticking clock so that it matches with the theme of the film. We may notice some blurring and unsteadiness in the filmography which was intentionally put in to signify the unsteadiness of the character’s subconscious. Having had no experience with video editing whatsoever, I have tried to do my best to convey the deeper meaning here. I have tried to incorporate horror in the film such that the viewer might feel the dread the character feels. Ending with the shot of a zoomed in figure, the film warns the viewer of this unhealthy lifestyle which might come for them next if it has not already. Elements of surrealism I have hoped to incorporate are: 

A blurring reality, unnerving sound elements, character’s lack of will, non-linear narrative and dream-like visuals.