Review of The Awakening (1990) by Josef H — 12 Feb 2011

Nacho Cerda's "Awakening" is an effective little eight minute piece and the beginning of a trilogy of death. It tells of a student who falls asleep in class only to awaken and find that everything and everyone around him has come to a complete stop and is frozen in time. There are some very effective scenes in this short film and the black and white cinematography lends it a very old school feel. What brings the film down, however, is the lack of explanation, a problem that plagues many short films. Before he falls asleep, the student is staring at a bill, and more importantly the symbol of the all Seeing Eye atop the temple. The eye and temple become a recurring theme throughout the short but what they have to do with the proceedings is left completely unexplained. There is also some random imagery after he awakens that is never returned to or elaborated upon.

Maybe Cerda did this purposely but it just left a feeling of you wanting more. In the end, this is a good film but it would perhaps have been better served as a longer short, perhaps an episode of Twilight Zone or something.

Story: D.

Acting: B.

Direction: C+.

Visuals: B.

Overall: C+.

**1/2 out of 4 stars.