Have you ever sat through a conversation where no words were said?
Incredulous as it sounds, I believe that all of us have experienced it at one point or another. Take for instance, the dagger-like stares your mother gives when you walk in the door late. You probably might have responded with a sheepish smile.
Such instances like the one above are often short moments that complement verbal conversation (think: the reprimand that comes after). Thus, I find silent films and their ability to perfectly convey messages, rather fascinating.
In fact, I've taken quite a liking to the one below.
I especially like the whole backwards motion way of filming. It further highlights the difference of the couple. Of course, when the male first appeared, he was frowning. It shows how unhappy he was, the feeling of resignation further compounded by his slow gait. Also if you had noticed, the music started changing around the time that he laid his eyes on the female lead. His pause, and the intensity of his stare tells us that something has changed along with the music. As cheesy as it sounds, you start to feel.. hope. You could so tell that from then on, things would start on a happy note.
Another aspect that appealed to me was how each little action contributed to the allure of the film. Take for instance, his moment of confusion as the female lead slurped up her drink. Adding on to the intricacies was the slight tilt of his head and the hesitant step (literally) that he took to affirm his thoughts. I find it cute that he deliberated for a moment as he moved forward, seeking approval from the female lead and hoping that he did the right thing.
One very telling factor in the development of relations between the two would be the proxemics involved. From being a face in a crowd at a public distance to dancing together in an intimate distance, it shows how comfortable they are in sharing personal space.
Anyhow, did you realise the effect that music had in the film? I felt that the music was there for added emphasis, as it chronicled the significant events of the couple's relationship. Such as how it was slow at the start, and became more uplifting during the couple's interaction with each other. The music also added on to the despair felt when the female lead disappeared. In the end though, it veered towards a direction that was more fairy tale-like. In fact, it sounded a little like something from Disney. Well, to me at least. We may not notice it, but adding the right sounds and tunes to films bring it to a new level. Can you imagine a horror film without its suspense building music?
10 comments:
I've sat through so many conversations without saying a word, it sometimes leads to misunderstandings. Haha! I guess that is why in some instance, verbal communications are important so as to aid and complement the non-verbal cues
I like the short film! It is very interesting how it's totally free of dialogue, and how the rest of the crowd was walking backwards but the two leads. The lack of dialogue probably emphasizes the use of non-verbal cues even more. A small smile from the man speaks volumes about how he feels about the girl, and you can see his happiness as he starts to uhm, dance around on the pole. In the end, they are lost in their own world, dancing without a care.
this is actually quite cute! I like how they use people who actually look like an average joe and not some with a model's build.. It makes me feel more connected to the film itself..
hmm i disagree with kyun, i always find that when you don't talk in like.. mass conversations, you really get to understand more about the people than u do talking! But of course keeping too quiet speaks a lot about yourself so... haha
I always think that to be able to feel comfortable with a group of people (or just one)when no verbal communication involved must be one of the best things on earth. Like you're so at ease and so used to each other that you dont even have to speak to converse. I think non-verbal communication plays a big role here. Of course, group here limits itself to at most 5 people. When there are more people involved, its difficult to concentrate on a individual hence the need for verbal communication.
I like the film quite a bit. Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, two individuals actually managed to 'detach' themselves, find each other and read each other. Its not easy I guess, you got to filter everybody out to do that. I feel that the film brings out the importance of non-verbal communication; your body language could draw people towards you and similarly, turns people away from you.
I feel that non-verbal communication is the most beautiful form of communication. haha. without words said, we can feel so much more, see so much more, know so much more, hear so much more. I feel that sometimes words mean nothing. Somehow words are empty and hollow without actions to accompany it. Actions alone can say so much. Its the same in Art. There is so much meaning and beauty waiting to be discovered by those who truly appreciate communication in its purest form..
To kyun and jo, it's true that people might tend to misunderstand certain things when you're all quiet! They might think you're cranky or angry or something. But I agree with Jo that, you do get to see more when you take a step back to observe instead.
To g, quite a few interesting points you brought up! I'm with you that people who reach a certain level of familiarity with each other are able to converse without saying much. You already know what the other is thinking, that a slight movement/action would suffice. "your body language could draw people towards you and similarly, turns people away from you." I agree, it's very telling. You probably could tell whether someone was in the mood for socialising or not based on their body language.
To Eleen, words of a romantic! Haha, as the phrase goes, actions speak louder than words.
It's a very interesting, sweet and cute film! There's a video by coldplay called 'The scientist' and they also use such a technique. When I saw the making of that video I realised that it's not easy to direct and produce at all!
Non-verbal communication is really all around us. Even when we speak, we can dicipher if someone is saying something sincere by his facial expressions. In this case, there are no words, only body language and a beautiful setting are used. So it makes the connection between them even more obvious. The intensity of the music increases as we watch along which then leads to the kiss they share with each other. What a sweet video, thanks for that sherlyne. It made my day! (:
the clip, it is beautiful, i am a sucker for cheesy romance story.
even for someone like me, who dont appreciate silent clips, i enjoy the clip. shows how much emotions can be revealed through such delicate movement.
non-verbal comms is seen in our everyday life.actions,music,dressing,and even physical touch will help us to be more effective in discerning the situation that we are in.
however, i am still glad that we have a mouth to aid us in our communication. as much as non-verbal comm is in our everyday life, my preferred choice is verbal comm.
I think the piece of music used is nice !! If only I can get my hands on it .. haha .
Anyways , this video is very interesting as how it did not use any verbal communications at all . Everything is really left to our own interpretation to decipher what is really going on . And I believe most of us can understand the story behind this clip totally . I guess that shows not everything needs to be said out explicitly to be understood . Perhaps sometimes it is even better than non-verbal cues .
Notice how the main guy and girl are the only ones who can "move forward" ? I think that is why they are attracted to each other because both are similar to each other(being able to move forward) , and unique at the same time as they can do different things from the rest of world . Pretty much as what we have learnt in interpersonal relationships .
Look at the firm gaze the male lead gave, at 1:05 and how the female lead urged the male lead to approach her by waving, and then by sipping her drink! I guess they were of the same minds from the way they looked at each other.
Its intriguing how everyone is "moving backwards", keeping their eyes on the main leads who are the only ones who are "moving forward". Just like what Jasper mentioned.
The power of non-verbal cue!
It's really anomalous how the film is played backwards. I've indeed spotted the various non verbal messages. Thanks for sharing this video with us.(: Beauty of non verbal cues!
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