Script to Screen: Late Afternoon Short Film Review

 

Late Afternoon – Short Film Review 

Late Afternoon (2017) is an Oscar-Nominated short film written and directed by Louise Bagnall. The film focuses on an elderly lady, Emily, who suffers from dementia.  

Late Afternoon flicks back and forth between Emily’s past and present trying to connect the two, a task which Emily struggles with, taking the audience on a journey alongside Emily. This allows the audience to empathise with Emily and understand more about who she is in the present at different stages of her life. Emily’s struggle to connect her past and present is reflected in many ways with one being her always chasing or struggling to catch up with something or someone. 

A common theme throughout Late Afternoon is identity and our loss of sense of self as we age. For example, as a child, Emily is seen shouting `hello’ into a dark cave. This could symbolise Emily’s search for her memories and her loss of identity as a result of both the process of ageing and her dementia. The cave could also represent Emily looking for herself. As an audience, this relatable because as human beings we always seem to be searching for our identity and when we think that we have found it, it often slips out from our grasp and we are left searching again. 

In the opening scene, the audience is led to believe that the character, Kate, is Emily’s carer. However, towards the end of the film, the audience discovers that Kate is in fact Emily’s daughters. This reflects Emily’s difficulty in making connections and causes the audience to feel a greater sense of empathy and allows them to experience aspects of Emily’s life alongside her. 

After Emily’s first childhood memory, it flicks back to the present, with Emily still appearing as her childhood self. This shows the infantile state that those suffering with dementia often return to. It also shows that we are all children at heart. The roles are reversed with regards to Kate as Emily’s caregiver. Later on, in the film, one of Emily’s memories displays Emily being Kate’s mother and caregiver. In the present, the roles have been reversed and Kate is now Emily’s caregiver. This aspect really resonates with me as my granny suffers from dementia and this has meant that I am now filling the role of the caregiver that she used to hold when I was a child. Once Emily’s memories have connected, she remembers who her daughter is, shouting her name, which is a change in her tone of voice from the rest of the film. This change in tone and repetition of Kate’s name is symbolic of her trying to hold onto her memories and the memory of her daughter.  

The audience can align to Emily’s experience of her fleeting memories as the experience is similar to everyday experiences, like going into a room to get something, forgetting what you went to get and then seeing something that triggers the memory as to what you’ve forgotten.  

Emily is not the only character facing conflict, Kate is also facing her own conflict. Up until Emily remembering her daughter, Kate calls her mother Emily rather than mum. Kate desires the mother-daughter relationship she has previously had but she doesn’t want to scare or upset Emily by calling her mum. Dementia has a big impact not only on the sufferers but also those around them. Covering the topic of dementia in the short film not only impacts the characters but also leaves a lasting impact on the audience.  

For the present day, Bagnall opted for warm colours and simplicity within the living room. Whereas, she opted for a variety of colours and open spaces when looking into Emily’s memories. This allows the audience to easily differentiate between Emily’s past (her memories) and present. As the film develops, more colour is introduced into the present day, reflecting upon Emily’s past and present slowly finding their way to each other.  

Bagnall always ensures that we are somehow brought back to Emily, emphasising that present day Emily is still there and that she is searching for her memories. It gives the audience a sense that Emily’s memories are slipping away. It also allows the audience to stay connected to reality and remember that present day Emily is still there, and this is a journey of her remembrance and realisation. 

Upon Emily witnessing her reflection in the photograph of her and her husband as well as her looking at her hands she displays fear and anxiety. This creates a sense of fear in the audience and evokes a sense of sadness. There is always an aspect of anxiety throughout the film, which reflects the anxiety that ageing induces, making the film more relatable and allowing the audience to have a greater sense of empathy. The transitions throughout the film flow fluidly, which is illustrates the rapid changeability of the ageing process. The emphasis on time also shows how time is constantly changing and before we know it we have changed and grown as people. It could also mean that we often get caught up in moments in time. 

In the final scene, a stick is being washed in and out of the sea by the current, with the stick eventually fading. The stick being used in this way represents that a big part of Emily, her memories, are being washed away. It is also symbolic in terms of the fact that memories fade and don’t last forever, especially as we age. The final scene brings itself back to beginning in terms of the biscuit breaking off into the tea representing a piece of Emily becoming lost. 

I focused on this short film as it will aid me in writing my screenplay. My screenplay is based around an elderly lady suffering with dementia and the ramifications it has on her. Late Afternoon is an emotional, thought provoking film that touches upon an often-misunderstood syndrome. It leaves a lasting impact on the audience and creates a sense of warmth within us.  

 

Bagnall, Louise, (2017), Late Afternoon