A short film, 9:30 minutes long, Solace directed by Gianluca Cuscana delves into the unchartered terrain of human relations and the edginess of love. Produced by Simone Neviani “Micheal”, it features Vincent Parfitt “Desmond”, Chiara Gizzi “Victoria” and David Soncin “Marcus”, in other side roles. The theme of eros and thanatos is hard to miss in the plot and frames. In the same vein, the fragility of trust and human relations. Like any piece of art that could be fragile and transiently pleasing and valuable, Solace leaves that impression to jolt our perception of love, friendship, and the life of underworlds.
The opening scene sets the tone for the ensuing actions. A knife, a determined protagonist who hits a wooden frame, dramatic music, and a mise-scene that shows partially the motive behind what Desmond plans to embark. Then we see a conversation scene in the dark; it is in there that dialogue and camera angle convey the message. The protagonist wants to go all-in against his will, life, and untrustworthy lover. Isn’t he afraid of the consequence, why is acting in that manner? The close-ups and the dark setting imply the proximity and the fate of his desperate actions. The scene is not over two minutes long, but it shows that the death drive is real and part of human nature.
The next two scenes take us to where Desmond meets Victoria. She is a seducer and he falls into the trap. The acting, frames (shot-reverse shots), lighting, and dialogues dictate the course and keep the viewer longing to see if his suicidal plan can be salvaged or not. He drinks faints and she gets in control. The tension and climax are then portrayed roughly with two death scenes both with sheer violence and done with a knife. Desmond’s kills and then get killed. There is a trace of blood, gore violence, and a reminder that our animal and vengeful sides operate strong. The pounding words that sound Shakespearean aurally jolt the audience “Your face is as twisted as your love.”
Cusano’s Solace portrays an old human story. Humans are fragile, particularly when love and desires get involved? Can we succumb to our desires and put aside betrayal? His aesthetic and short film conveys the message that humans as Desmond and Victoria are as rough and crude as it can get. A scar can not be healed, and it is not just a mafia story but common to all of us. The film’s strength is to show the infusion of life/death drive through strong acting by all cast, smart camera positions/angles, and minimalist mise-en-scene. The Thanatos has an edge over our Dionysian side, violence can erupt anytime and our emotions driving our actions; all features Cusano Solace incorporated.
Grade: A-
© 2020. UniversalCinema Mag.