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By Julia Kramer
He opens his eyes and discovers himself running. Running with one focus. Running towards what he is seeking – whatever that may be. In black and white, he runs from scene to scene oblivious to each male character. Each character reflecting the male spirit going off into utter tangents, from a man sporting a flaming torch to an exasperating merman crawling arduously across the spiky grass field, missing the water completely. Missing the point while the man persists to run to his point. He is the embodiment of belief and determination, and yet, as a viewer, one is at a loss as to his destination. But as the film progresses, the destination invariably becomes part of the journey.
Working on his first film, Carl Janes understood the quintessential elements of artistic experimentation striking profound symbolic resonance in The InBetween. With Andrew Barranca’s cinematography expertise, James was confident that his vision and Barranca’s texture would culminate an original piece of art. Filming in silent form, Janes and Barranca later implemented 12 different sound effects, using them piece by piece and disseminating them throughout the film. The sound effects varied from the primitive scratching of a nail driven into a board to the thunderous recording of the MUSC helicopters during the motorcycle scene.
With interpretive sound effects and symbolic texture, the film offers glimpses of progression in time based on each character. The film generates so many interpretive directions; nevertheless, one scene, in particular, notably fuels the message of art in motion. With the infamous Charleston native, Henry clad in a commander jacket and settled near the Morris Island Lighthouse end of the beach, the scene depicts him solemnly holding flowers in the wind. During the scene, Janes instructed him to envision an invisible beauty walking by on the beach. Thus, Henry becomes the tragic romantic character – a true Petrarchan pining over unrequited love. Yet, like the entirety of the film, the scene offers another perspective on interpreting an idea – in this case, love. For, Henry divulged that he envisioned his daughter whom he hasn’t seen in years.
This simple story epitomizes the myriad of symbolic angles the film engenders. The symbols become triggers of the human psyche – the complexity in which each must dive into with the knowledge of not knowing and the capacity to discover and build on this. Along with symbolism, there is a distinct part in the film when it switches from black and white to color. Dashing down a boardwalk, the running man is forced to stop once he approaches the edge. Instantaneously the lens switches into his vision, and the world elucidates the understanding of color once again. Heading to the stark red water tower, the embodiment of the film takes way. The man, sitting with a woman represent the absolute togetherness – an androgyny of union. Their stares take the viewer’s attention to the wall where a screeching hand, representing utter loneliness, maneuvers in a ghastly manner.
So, he opens his eyes and discovers himself running. Running with one focus. And when he stops – he finds the in between – the epicenter that loiters between all knowing and unity to complete loneliness. In this epicenter, we find ourselves, as viewers. As the lights flash on and we stretch and rise to our feet, we have this middle ground to take back with us. We have the symbolic weight of an epic film digesting in our brains – to feed on at a later date.
Charleston is so fortunate to host The InBetween’s premiere that offers a preponderance of artistic value and achievement.
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