Short Film Analysis

We were screened 5 short films in a recent lesson, each being between 4 and 15 minutes and totaling approximately 50 minutes. Each one employs a very stylistic approach to a certain subject matter. These styles help to reinforce each film's themes and messages. One of these films in particular I found rather interesting. I will now analyse it in further detail.

The film's title is very minimalist; reflecting the film's style.

Salaryman 6 (Dir. Jake Knight, 2002)

The theme and focus of Salaryman 6 is that of overwork and the feelings of repetitiveness and worthlessness that it can incur. It follows a Japanese salaryman (i.e. - a white-collar worker) named Shiode who begins to question his own life upon realising how repetitive and monotonous it has become. He comes to this conclusion after realising he has absolutely no recollection of the previous day. I suspect that Jake Knight (the director) would have undertaken research upon working conditions of white-collar workers in Japan, as well as how strenuous their jobs can become. Overwork is a serious issue in Japan due the culture largely being built on productivity and efficiency; a benefit that often comes at the expense of the well-being of its workforce. The film's co-writer, Ryoko Tanaka, is Japanese, and may therefore have experienced Japanese overwork first-hand.

Many close-up shots feature Shiode at one side of the screen.

Personally, I very much enjoyed the film and its stylistic approach towards presenting the issues at hand. I feel that it presents the subject matter very effectively. The film repeatedly uses very loosely framed and colourless environments, and aside from the narration from Shiode, no non-diegetic sound is ever heard. Certain shots are also used repeatedly. This, coupled with the intentionally dull setting and lack of sound, creates an unmistakable impression of repetitiveness, mundane, and fatigue; therefore an accurate reflection of the life of an overworked salaryman.

As I mentioned, I find the stylistic techniques used in this film to be rather interesting, particularly with regards to its cinematography. An interesting approach within the film is that Shiode is almost never observed directly, in that he almost never stands in the centre of the shot. In most cases, he is observed around a wall of through a doorway, or from a balcony above him. This makes the film seem like a voyeuristic journey; as though someone is observing Shiode's life, gaining insight on his repetitive daily routines. The settings themselves also play a crucial role. They seem very grey-scale and dull, this of course intending to reflect Shiode's life and routines. They also appear infinite and symmetrical, often covering the whole screen and not allowing room for sky or natural ground (which incidentally are almost never seen throughout the film).

An example of the colourless, symmetrical urban landscape. Shiode can be seen on the left.

This reinforces the idea of the 'urban jungle' that Shiode lives and goes about his routines in and its repetitive and monotonous nature. These techniques of loosely-framed colourless environments, coupled with the lack of sound and deliberately tiring visuals I believe, successfully present the fatigue and monotony in the life of a Japanese salaryman, as well as the psychological harm that such overwork can inflict on a person.