Six Shooter
2004; Ireland; 27 min.
Director: Martin McDonagh
Screenplay: Martin McDonagh
Cast:
Brendan Gleeson - Donnelly
Brendan Gleeson - Donnelly
Rúaidhrí Conroy - Kid
David Wilmot - Man
Aisling O'Sullivan - Woman
"Six Shooter" was our first Art of Film black/dark comedy experience. What this type of comedy does, is it takes a topic that is taboo and not humorous at all, and turns it into satirical comedy. Dark comedy solicits many laughs of discomfort and unease. Nervous giggles erupt from viewers who aren't exactly sure how to respond. There were many of these moments as our class watched the film. The topics that the film dealt with included cot death (the equivalent of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)), suicide, and murder. The plot begins with the death of Donnelly's (Brendan Gleeson) wife. We see her lying in her bed in the hospital room. One of my favorite moments in the film occurs right after. Donnelly is talking to his late wife and says, "I brought you the photo of David." The camera then zooms in to a close-up shot of the photo of David, a rabbit. While this may not sound funny in writing, the scene was very amusing. Donnelly later boards a train in which he encounters a couple (David Wilmot and Aisling O'Sullivan) dealing with the loss of their child due to cot death, and another strange man. The man on the train is, in my opinion, the funniest character in the film. There's one hilarious scene that involves him telling a story about his experiences with a cow. Another funny line that I like that this man says is, "I would have shot Marvin Gaye if I was Marvin Gaye's dad." The last scene of the short film is both shocking and so very comical at the same time.
Another thing I found interesting about this film is the fact that none of the characters have names except for Donnelly. Maybe it's to emphasize the fact that these people could be average people you could encounter. They come with their own background and stories. It shows how people have so many problems. Maybe Donnelly being the only one named is to demonstrate that he's in his own world after having to face his wife's death. Overall, I would recommend this short film - it was quite entertaining!
iRate: 3/5 cows
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