Pasternak

A review of the short story 'Pasternak' derived from the 2014 film- 'Wild Tales'!

Pasternak - (Damian Sczifron - 2014)

What is Pasternak?

‘Pasternak’ is the first short movie placed into the anthology film ‘Wild Tales’ directed and written by Argentine filmmaker- Damian Sczifron.

The film follows our main character to begin with, a young model named ‘Isabel’ as she catches her company flight, she then meets our second main passenger ‘Salgado’ as the plane sets off. Soon enough they find common ground as they are both able to recall interactions with a man named Gabriel Pasternak. Shortly after the name is spread around the plane and everyone is able to admit to having a past with Pasternak, all who have seemingly wronged him in a way. It is then also discovered that everyone’s plane tickets were bought by someone else- this is when fear begins. Soon enough it is revealed that Pasternak is the pilot for this flight and chaos arises as the pilot cabin becomes locked and the plane begins to dive down- down into a house on the ground, the ground of Pasternak’s parents.

Narrative structure

The short film follows a basic narrative structure of three acts, starting by introducing us to our main character and foreshadowing the events that are about to take place as she asks about the company ticket she received. this acts as a setup following into the chain of fear.

Next we are introduced to the setting of the film- we are first brought into the airport, as Isabel is depositing her suitcase to be loaded onto the plane. the next shot we are given is of Isabel getting her hand luggage settled as she meets Salgado.

Throughout this first opening segments there are many enigmas that we could take as foreshadowing- for example: Isabel asking about the company tickets as she boards the plane drawing importance to an almost forgettable detail otherwise. A second example of what could be an enigma in this opening scene is the shot we are given as Isabel places her hand luggage into a storage container above her seat- we are from the perspective within the storage holder and this creates a claustrophobic feel almost signalising danger. This same feeling is continued into the next scene as we are shown the plane setting off- assuring they are now in the air and help would be much more difficult to obtain. There is a second shot after this however, we are now back inside the plane and the camera is focused on the window next to Isabel- the camera then slowly falls back showing the emptiness of the plane and yet also creating a claustrophobic sense once again as we are introduced to the small area they are contained in and trapped in the air- in a way these leading scenes work hand in hand to create a feeling of isolation.

the film is conducted and the story is unfolded almost as if we are also on the plane, following along each turn along side the passengers. the shots utilised are from either behind seats or utilising eyeline so we feel immersed in whatever is happening- this is effective as it helps to build up suspense and shows the film exactly how it would of been from the perspective of the other passengers. This also creates a linear plot- as we follow step by step the progression as it happens with no distinct jump cuts- the film is paced and suspense in how it progresses itself naturally.

Cinematic influence

For the cinematic influence the film uses techniques to create suspension effectively- This tension steadily builds up throughout the film helping to keep the audience well immersed. Alongside this progression is the sound for the film, as it becomes dramatically exaggerated as time goes on. With sound cues begin to be added to create further tension- these sound cues also then begin to get louder and the pitch begins to increase uncomforting the audience and efficiently creating tension.

For the films genre I personally would label it as a thriller, characterised by its suspense and tension, although I think it could also fit into the action genre for the same reasoning as well as having some sense of drama due to its exaggerated sound cues as a result making it a hybrid of genres.

In Argentina (where wild tales was produced) it was revealed that action and thriller were some of the most popular genres- second to only comedy of which was the world wide favourite of the time. Therefore Pasternak would fit this well meaning the film was definitely culturally inspired.

Overall I would not say that Pasternak has much other cultural significance- as the story is the shortest of all the films featured in wild tales and is the opening film- the film was just meant to create a setting of what was to come and therefore I don’t imagine much further meaning was placed into it unlike the films to come.

Meaning and effect

I would say that the film is very effective in creating meaning especially out of small and forgettable details. Every single character we are introduced to has meaning and a backstory to be shared- there is no wasted character or dialog.

Not to mention the film was most obviously a story of revenge and ask each character reveals how they wronged Pasternak we understand more and more why he has led himself to do this although it may be extremist. However the film portrayed this message very well, although we may not agree with pasternak’s actions we are able to understand why he has taken them.

Lastly the use of exaggerated and tense sound cues and scene progression has been effectively used to help create meaning- creating a foreshadow of danger from the very start and slowly but surely building it up to the films end twist of Pasternak being the pilot- flying each passenger to their death for wronging him throughout his life.

overall

Overall I really did enjoy this film, it was only 8 minutes and is the shortest of all the tales told in the entire film however I think the story telling methods and presentation of the film was very effective. for the length the film was it followed through a traditional structure and did so very effectively and created an immersive feel throughout- I thought it was a very captivating opening to a film and it intrigued me to what other tales I would be introduced to.

I did not really have many issues with the film as it was a simple tale however I think it was meant to be as simply the opening into a sequence of longer more in depth tails- it was merely paving the way for what was to come.

3.5/5- i found it an effective and captivating opening that made me excited for what was to come with the other tales, although on its own the film did not add up to much and was rather simple in the way it was presented.