The concern with films which use the black and white mode to tell the story of mental
illness, a topic that has gained more and more significance in a world that is within the iron-hold of a pandemic, is that they not only make the issue appear totally bleak and downcast, but also put into place a reductionist binary. As though the whole world is divided between the colourful lives of those
considered ‘normal’ and the dark, colourless lives of the misfits.
30 Days of Existence, however, does something stylistic with the aesthetic. There is a flow to the whole film, a smooth concurrence between image, audio and thought. The writing is sharp, concise. The visuals linger on the screen for just the right amount of time. The editing is clean. The voice over is subtle, and clear. Despite the black and white mode, there is something glossy to the whole visual.
While the viewer might find themselves indecisive about how much the film succeeds in its depiction of depression or even in making big headways for a conversation on the matter because there is no linear or standard narrative available for the topic, the film definitely doesn’t seem patronising or overstating. On the contrary, it aspires to be poetic. That intent comes through and is appreciated.
Read Less30 Days of Existence, however, does something stylistic with the aesthetic. There is a flow to the whole film, a smooth concurrence between image, audio and thought. The writing is sharp, concise. The visuals linger on the screen for just the right amount of time. The editing is clean. The voice over is subtle, and clear. Despite the black and white mode, there is something glossy to the whole visual.
While the viewer might find themselves indecisive about how much the film succeeds in its depiction of depression or even in making big headways for a conversation on the matter because there is no linear or standard narrative available for the topic, the film definitely doesn’t seem patronising or overstating. On the contrary, it aspires to be poetic. That intent comes through and is appreciated.
