The English Teacher (2020) Conventions, Tropes, Cliches

The English Teacher is a 2020, 12 minute and 14 second long, drama short film, directed by Blake Ridder. The story follows an English teacher who receives an email from a man who wants to be taught by him. As the story progresses, we see that the teacher seems to be dealing with some sort of loss or loneliness. It is revealed at the end that the man who he was teaching English to had killed his wife. 

Conventions:

• Close-ups for emphasis
• Dramatic/unconventional angles

Cliches:

• N/A

Tropes:

• Soft focus for for flashbacks/emotional moments
• Mirror reflection
• Glances to convey unspoken emotion

The cinematographer intentionally chose to not show the face of or reveal who is riding the bike, creating a sense of mystery and causing us to wonder who it is. 

Everything about this shot is done to demonstrate the isolation Robert (the English teacher) feels. This is shown not only though making him extremely small within the shot, but also placing him on the far side of the bench - rather than the center - to show that someone is missing.

(Shot 1)

(Shot 2). The combination of these two shots was extremely powerful as the combination of the shot showing one side of the bed empty then a shot of him looking sad/longinly at the area demonstrates he is sad about some one not being there. The composition of these shots create so much meaning, allowing a powerful message to be conveyed without the need for dialogue.

The scene from the opening was recycled to show its connection to the story as it's revealed to us that the woman from the beginning is Robert's wife who was killed by the man he has been teaching English to. This reveal not only allows us to connect the relationship of Robert's student to his actions, but helps us realize why Robert was shown to be so upset throughout the film. 

Like I said previously, part of what made this film's shots so powerful was the meaning they were able to convey without the use of dialogue. Melodramas as a genre rely on powerful emotions over dialogue so this helps fit the film more into the genre as well. The English Teacher is a wonderful example of how visual cues, framing, etc. can be used to create visually stunning and meaningful shots - something I aim to replicate within my shots.