The Black Hole: Textual Analysis

The Black Hole is a 2.5 minute short film which I found on YouTube. Though it is much shorter than the film which we are required to produce, I thought it was extremely memorable and shows how effective a short film based on a single controlling idea can be. Therefore, I have decided to analyse it for the benefit of our group.

The film begins with a shot panning across an empty office to the face of a bored, sleep-deprived office worker at a photocopier machine. The mise-en-scene of the office is reminiscent of the film Fight Club (2001, David Fincher), in that although is a bog-standard office, the colours are very bleak and dark - a Fincher trademark.

The camera settles on a close up of an office worker. His Non-Verbal Communication shows that he is extremely bored and possibly tired from long working hours. This is an instant hint that the events of the film could possibly be a figment of his imagination, and therefore anything could be possible within the film even if it is not physically possible in real life.

The next shot cuts quickly from a close up of the protagonist pressing the button on a photocopier machine to the expression of frustration on his face when it doesn’t work. He presses the button repeatedly and kicks the machine again demonstrating his frustration.

There is then a close-up of the machine printing off a large sheet of paper with a black circle on it. The shot lingers on this for a second, indicating its importance as the controlling idea in the film.

The film makes use of conventional shots and editing to mirror the mundane nature of the protagonist’s job. There is only the repetitive diegetic sound of the photocopier machine in the background.

After he has picked up the sheet of paper, looked confused and then set it back down on the machine, there is a telling shot from inside the black hole looking up at the worker. This is reminiscent of the trademark shots used by Quentin Tarantino when a character opens the boot of a car or a suitcase and the next shot is from inside. This gives a sense of mystery as it does not reveal what is inside, while showing the expressions on the faces of the characters.

There is also a faint and mysterious non-diegetic sound during the shot from inside the black hole. This adds a sense of mystery and strangeness to the whole scenario. There is a similar sound when the worker sets his cup down on the hole and it disappears inside, and indeed every time he touches the hole.

After he discovers the possibilities which the black hole opens up to him, his non-verbal communication changes from confusion to excitement as he looks over to the vending machine. The discovery which he has made affords him limitless opportunities, as he realises. At this point, the black hole represents many discoveries made by man. He has gone through the curious phase within seconds, and is now reaping the benefits of his discovery – a free bar of chocolate.

As he is eating the chocolate, a close up of his face shows his eyes fixing on something in the office. At this point his NVC changes to sheer greed, with the chocolate bar aiding in representing his gluttony.

A shot-reverse-shot between his face and a door marked “keep out” seal his fate. At this point, the audience knows enough to see that the film can only end badly for the protagonist who is about to abuse his discovery.

An effective shot from behind the door shows his silhouette approaching through the window, indicating that he is doing something he is not supposed to be doing.

As he reaches into the safe, we again hear the faint but foreboding noise from the black hole. As he pulls more and more cash out of the safe, the editing becomes rapid. This shows his desperation to get more money, and also suggests his guilt as he does it, looking around nervously all the time.

As he goes further into the safe, there is a faint sucking sound as he gets pulled all the way in. The noises all stop suddenly as the hole closes up and the paper falls off of the safe. It then cuts to cameras further away until it is a long shot of the safe from outside of the door, highlighting the fact that he now cannot be saved and he has sealed his own fate. We only hear the sound of the photocopier machine running ironically in the background, and the sound of him banging on the safe.