2. PLOT SUMMARY
RHINOS tells a profound, observational story about loneliness, human
behavior and love.
All Thomas wants is to read his book on a park bench in Ireland, until Ingrid
sits down beside him, clearly frustrated. She’s on holiday with her boyfriend,
but there seems to be some tension in their relationship.
Ingrid’s neediness and persistence pulls Thomas out f his introverted state,
and although they have no idea what each other is saying, they decide to
spend the day together and try to understand each other through emotion
and gesture.
Whilst visiting the local zoo, Thomas shows Ingrid his favorite animals, the
rhinoceros, and when he describes them it becomes clear there is a
comparison to himself.
RHINOS trades casual conversations for what can only be described as
monologues told to someone who doesn’t really understand them, the
chance meeting between the two and the brief amount of time they spend
together making for a sweet and eventually touching short film that’s not
concerned with being your typical love story.
3. MISE-EN-SCENE:
SETTING/LOCATIONThe first scene shows a female character [Ingrid] making her way through an
urban and populated area somewhere in Ireland to a quiet and peaceful park
where she meets Thomas.
To relieve some tension, Ingrid asks Thomas to show and introduce her to
destinations she is yet to discover before her flight in the late evening.
Thomas takes her to the local zoo where they seem to spend most of their
day and demonstrate an automatic connection between them both.
In the early evening, Thomas then takes her to a DVD Store where they
strengthen their chemistry and learn to understand each other through the
music.
4. MISE-EN-SCENE:
ICONOGRAPHY & PROPS
In the short film, RHINOS, there is a
scene which includes the General Post
Office (GPO) in Dublin. This is where the
Irish fought the British in the 1960s from
what I gather. It is an iconic location in
Ireland and there still remains bullet
marks engraved in the stone from the
war.
The zoo in that both Thomas and Ingrid
visit I presume is Dublin Zoo which is
again another iconic and popular place to
go to when visiting Dublin.
However, where characters are
concerned there is a contrast in
nationality in the extent there is a
restriction in language and conversation.
Thomas carries an iconic and easily
recognisable Irish accent, whereas Ingrid
has a thick German accent and is unable
to speak any English.
5. MISE-EN-SCENE:
COLOUR & LIGHTING
From the beginning of the short film, the
lighting is always reasonable bright
which gave me a feel of warmth and
hidden security. When Thomas and Ingrid
are within the arcade there is a temporary
darkness, but juxtaposing this is the
vibrant colours the arcade machines give
off sharing a sense of excitement and fun
within the darkness.
The lighting is very much dependent on
the ordinary daylight; as the day passes
hour by hour the lighting dims until the
point it is night and the sky is deep and
dark. This is a metaphorical
representation of the end of the
relationship between Thomas and Ingrid.
The colour black has negative
connotations and in this circumstance,
the night sky symbolises Ingrid having to
depart with Thomas to catch her flight to
Germany.
6. MISE-EN-SCNE:
MAKEUP & COSTUME
Thomas is portrayed to be a shy and reclusive Irish male who is initially found
indulged within a book in the park. He is seen wearing a standard khaki military
jacket with relaxed-fit jeans, a shirt and a pair of boots. Thomas has a full beard
with a full head of long black hair, both not very well groomed. I believe Thomas is
careless of fashion and more intrigued about exploring and experimenting.
Whereas, Ingrid seems to be more stylish; she wears a pair of trainers with tights,
a skirt and a buttoned up baseball jacket. Ingrid is a stunning female protagonist
with olive skin and long black, silky hair. Ingrid seems to be recognised as a
stylish character whom must take more of an interest in her appearance.
However, both outfits are still considered to be well within the current era and
indicates the short film is set in present time. Thomas almost uses his outfit, hair
and facial hair as a disguise, almost like a rhinos horn in order to shy away and
avoid being approached. Whereas Ingrid’s appearance is bold and confident
which is similar to her personality. The two protagonists are an example of the
saying “Opposites Attract.”
7. EDITING:
SOUND & VISION
The sound plays a substantial role in RHINOS as it is what divides Thomas
from Ingrid because of their unfortunate language barrier. The sound of the
characters allows the audience to build the understanding of the key subject
of the movie.
Whereas, there are visuals to allow viewers to recognise the emotions being
displayed by Thomas and Ingrid as an alternative way of communicating and
empathising one another.
Moreover, on occasions there is background music; for example whilst
walking round the zoo, a song called Changes is played in the background.
The reason for the song preference might be to signify the change in both
Thomas and Ingrid’s usual routine and lifestyle, or personality.
8. CINEMATOGRAPHY
The short movie opens with a low angle,
moving shot following Ingrid on her
journey through the street; the camera is
in the perspective of someone following
behind her. For the majority of the short
film from when Ingrid and Thomas meet
each other there is two person shot, or a
shot reverse shot. There is a few close
up shots as well; for example whilst they
are in the music store there are a couple
of extreme close ups in order to allow
the audience to identify the emotion on
their faces.
The way the film is majority filmed in a
two person shot, this is effective
because it emphasis’ the plot about
specifically the relationship between
Thomas and Ingrid. The camera position
highlights that there two protagonists
and no one dominates more camera time
due to the equality and ever-growing
appreciation they have for each other.
