The words of William Shakespeare "It is not in the Stars that our destiny is preserved, but in ourselves...." elegantly open the short film The Black Enamel by Simone Caridi. The rustling of the wind that accompanies much of the film, from the very first shots, seems to disperse the famous words of the English playwright and poet, enveloping the ancient, ruined and isolated dwelling in the woods, where the story takes place.
Inside, on a desk, candlesticks hold white candles that illuminate the room of a writer who sits down and, surrounded by his books, begins to write on a sheet of paper. It is impossible not to immediately notice the black nail polish on the man's nails as he, immersed in his creative and imaginary world, brings to life what the viewer will see next.
The narrator, who is the writer himself, accompanies the story he is writing from the very beginning, revealing in part how each character is created. The narrator also emphasizes how decisive his position is for the fate of the protagonists. In fact, like an invisible puppeteer, the writer creates, guides, and destroys his characters, who are nothing more than puppets in his imaginary and dreamlike world, moved at his will.
In the woods, a soldier with the symbol of a wolf on his face and a girl dressed in red who personifies revenge open the story. The sequence in which the writer seems to paint the face of his newly created character with his pen is poetic and surreal, an excellent combination of writing and imagery, because in reality the writer is describing that moment linked to the symbol on paper.
However, in Caridi's short film there are other interferences that remind us that the events we are following are the fruit of a writer's imagination. In fact, sheets of paper appear, affixed to trees, with the actions that each character must perform according to the will of the writer. Even the girl who plays the role of vengeance acts at the writer's behest, carrying out his will and expressing his thoughts.
The alchemist is another character who plays a part in the story. Lured out of his home by the screams coming from the woods, he encounters the girl.
The Black Enamel (2014) is a very interesting short film lasting about 14 minutes, which has a certain charm both for its stylishly shot sequences and for its story and characters. Caridi's work has an intense poetic and fairy-tale quality that has its roots in Gothic cinema, given certain basic elements such as the historical setting, the ancient mansion, the rustling of the wind, and the cries of nocturnal birds that embellish the whole.
To create the ideal gothic atmosphere, better lighting would have been necessary, as here it is too intense and in some sequences almost seems to represent daylight. It would have been better to use dimmer lighting, which would have imbued the entire work with mystery. More careful makeup would also have highlighted the actress's beautiful face.
Finally, the unique and fitting musical composition created by harpist Claudia Murachelli highlights some sound distortions that may have occurred during recording. At least, this is what can be heard from the video on YouTube, a channel that in no way represents proof of the technical quality of the film in question.
The cast gave an excellent performance.
The story is original and has a distinctive ending that focuses entirely on the relationship between the writer and his literary creation, introducing flashes of the famous fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, which is completely overturned here. The girl who embodies revenge is reminiscent of the little girl in the aforementioned fairy tale because of the red color of her clothes and her wandering in the woods where she meets the wolf, in this case a symbol representing the canine that appears on the faces of the male characters.
Sanremo-based director Simone Caridi (The Pain of the Doll) wrote the screenplay for the film and is also the director of photography. The cast includes Jessica Zambellini, Franco La Sacra, Anselmo Nicolino, and Fabio Casazza.
The poster for the short film was designed by illustrator Alessandro Scibilia.
The Black Enamel was produced by the Sanremo Cinema Ass.
