Slap

'Slap' is a BAFTA nominated short film, directed by Nick Rowland. It is about a teen boxer (Joe Cole), who is forced to hide his secret passion for cross-dressing. Chelsea Lupkin accurately notices that the film, "Aggressively confronts standards of masculinity in sports culture and how one young man attempts to construct his own sense of masculinity under unyielding gender confused conditions." This is definitely true of Rowland's film and the fact that he taps into the issue of suppressed expression in sport explicitly, is what makes the film so interesting. Sport is one of the most difficult areas to express oneself due to the perceived idea of masculinity that is so closely linked to it. These contrasting stills help to depict the contrasting feelings that he is battling with.





Rowland's inspirations tell us a lot about his vision when creating the film. He said, "Growing up my idols were the likes of Eddie Izzard and David Bowie. I have always admired people who have the courage to express their sexuality. I'm interested in how people like to put others in boxes. If someone can't be put neatly into a certain box, people don't know how to label you and freak out." This concept can be seen visually through his gritty British tone, which adds to the realistic, relatable atmosphere of the film. 

The short film is both tense and uncomfortable to watch throughout, with both effects cleverly heightening each other. The themes are raw, which is effectively conveyed through the cinematography. For example, the use of the handheld camera when Connor is chasing away the men who were trying to beat up Archie (Elliott Tittensor). This is effective as the shaking adds to the tension and reality of the fight. Heightened sound effects are used throughout the film also helping to build tension. The heavy breathing of Connor when Archie is banging on his front door, begging to be let in helps to draw the viewer into the situation, which really adds to the pace of the film. The dialogue is intelligently put together as the emphasised silence between speech adds to the discomfort of the film. The bleak setting also adds to this as it conforms to the genre of social realism.

The genre of social realism focuses on giving the audience a true indication of what life is like, in this case it is related with the setting in the north of England. The setting of the slightly run down house, and boxing club are evidence for this. The room in which the party scene is based also adds to the element of discomfort because the room is big, creating a sense of emptiness within it. This could be seen as reflective of the discomfort felt by Connor as he struggles to be his true self. It can also be seen as reflective of the discomfort felt by other characters as they struggle to understand his true self.

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