'Christian' Analysis

'Christian' Analysis

'Christian' is an Italian short film, directed by Roberto Saku Cinardi, and is a mythical religious drama set in one of Rome's roughest suburbs. The film follows a man named Christian over the course of a day, as we explore his routine and, somewhat unusual, daily activities.

The film opens with a shot of Christian looking at himself in the bathroom mirror, as the film's ominous score begins to play. This is followed by a close-up of his hands, which we notice immediately are bandaged, as he prepares to take painkillers. The opening credits appear on screen as Christian journeys across part of Rome. This section of the film features a number of establishing shots, all of which expertly set the film's tone as bleak and hopeless, with the weather constantly remaining dull in each shot. It is also clear that this film takes place in one of Rome's poorest neighbourhoods, as the camera focuses in on large blocks of old flats and broken down street signs. Our lead character enters his grandmother's apartment, with the second shot inside of the apartment being an over-the-shoulder of Christian walking with a cross and religious painting directly ahead of him. He then sits and stares at the painting of the Virgin Mary for a brief few seconds. The film chooses to establish religious imagery early on. More establishing shots feature of the dull and grey environment in which the film's characters live, clearly drawing sympathy from the audience. 

Tracking shots follow Christian as he walks from the apartment to his car, with the camera then remaining in the car (focusing on Christian) as he goes to drop off wheels at a mechanics. We are constantly kept up-close and personal with the lead character as we experience his seemingly mundane daily life. However, while at the mechanics, one of the workers asks where he has been and what he has been up to, saying that he hasn't seen him in a while. This adds to the mystery surrounding Christian, as well as the tone set by the music during the opening scene. We then get a montage of Christian's daily activities, which includes a brief shot of him approaching a, clearly religious, homeless man as he prays, and kicking something out of his hands. The next scene shows Christian entering a run-down bar, which continues the trend of the tracking shot, as we constantly follow him everywhere he goes. He greets everyone he passes and then proceeds to kiss a woman. Just as it looks as though Christian is about to engage in sexual activity with the woman, she says: "I guess you haven't missed 'her' that much." Christian responds in anger, slamming his fist against the wall and walking out, as though he realised what he was about to do was wrong, that it was a sin. He argues with a man on his way out. The man pulls a gun on him and Christian responds by saying: "You're full of debt and you spend all your money on this gun." He further questions the man's motives for carrying a weapon and then simply places it on the table and leaves. 

The scene of Christian in the bathroom, from the beginning of the film, plays once again. This time we see the scene completed, uninterrupted by credits, with a close-up shot of Christian removing his bandages to reveal wounds in the palms of each hand. The constant religious overtones and imagery that have been so prevalent throughout the film begin to make sense. From the scene with the woman to the interaction with the homeless man, to the very name 'Christian'. It has become clear that he is supposed to be a messianic figure of sorts. One that has returned to help the people of this poor neighbourhood. This is all but confirmed and reinforced within the next and final scene of the film. Christian wakes to the sound of gunshots and runs to the street to find his friend has been shot. He speaks calmly, but with emotion, to the man as he begins to die. Christian then runs his hands over the wounds of the victim, as they slowly begin to fade and the man is brought back to life. The man asks him what happened, as Christian panics and begins to run away. We see his grandmother praying and another shot of the shooting victim as the film comes to a close. 

This film clearly sought to portray a modern day Christ-like figure, and I feel that it accomplished that goal. The constant intrigue and mystery of the film, as well as the way in which Christian was portrayed was what allowed the filmmakers to be successful in their goal. I personally liked the choices made regarding how he was presented. It was never blatantly obvious that he was supposed to be a messianic figure, but at the same makes complete sense on a second viewing. The filmmakers also chose to update the idea of having a Christ-like figure to modern society, in order for it to work. His interaction with the homeless man conjures up religious imagery, but Christian's actions toward him show the lead character as flawed. His anger, shown in the bar scene, as well as the temptation to sin also highlight this point. Furthermore, the fact that he has tattoos that are on full display throughout the entirety of the film, goes against biblical teaching. His flawed nature is what allows him to be a modern day version of Christ. For these very reasons, this film was able to inspire me during the writing process for our short film, as our film will feature an updated version of a figure from Greek Mythology. Seeing how the filmmakers of 'Christian' were able to present their lead character as a modern day human being, will certainly help me to do the same.