I’m going to be attempting to breakdown the short film ‘Necktie’

3 ACT STRUCTURE

Act 1: We are introduced to the first character, a young girl with blonde hair, standing in the woods. We are shortly after, shown the two pairs of legs next to a tree, whom we find out are two young boys. As they walk towards the girl, we also see another pair of girls legs by the tree.

The boys present the girl with a choice of two guns. She picks the one on the left.

END OF ACT 1

 

Act 2: The boys walk to the other side and while we don’t see the exchange actually happen, there is another girl whom is presented with the remaining gun.

We can at this point also see that they’re all wearing school uniforms, which besides the almost ritualistic manner in which they are carrying out this event, adds a certain air of decorum.

They are readied for the stand-off, and are signalled to shoot by the girl next to the tree.

They fire off their pistols and the blonde girl is shot and collapses.

END OF ACT 2

 

Act 3: The girl, now wounded, laying on the ground delivers a line and then appears to die. She is then carried off down a dirt road along with everyone else walking out of the woods.

END OF ACT 3

 

I chose Necktie, as it came off as a Black/Dark comedy to me. Especially with the over the top line delivered at the girls death, the sudden dramatic music blaring in, and the way the credits speed by. The surreal nature of the whole event, especially how the children react and even came to do such a peculiar event, also pushes this idea of a black comedy to me.