The Survivalist: "It ain't easy...dying" The Survivalist is a 2015 Irish Independent Post-Apocalyptic film directed by Stephen Fingleton. The film is made by The Fyzz Facility and distributed by Bulldog Film Distribution and shot in Northern Ireland. Online resources suggest that the film had a budget of £1 million, which is very modest for an independent film. The film follows the character known as ‘The Survivalist’, who lives a very isolated life in the apocalyptic world, when suddenly two strange women appear. A following of events occur, when groups of raiders force ‘The Survivalist’ and the women to leave, threatening his once accustomed way of living. My task with this analysis is to figure out what makes this film independent, through it’s setting, story and characters. One thing to be noted about with The Survivalist is in fact it’s setting; it’s set in a rough, rural landscape. I believe the setting played a huge part in the making of the film as Northern Ireland is filled with many forests and rural locations, and a post-apocalyptic film would almost certainly fit in with the location. Even in terms of the actors and actresses; they are all from Ireland and the rest of the UK which adds a layer of authenticity as to where the film is set. Traditionally, Indie films tends to hire local actors and actresses, and The Survivalist is no different, by casting actor ‘Martin McCann’ (Graham and Boogaloo, Calibre, ’71) who helms from Belfast as the main titular character. The overall tone and vibe from the film is something that I note that mainstream cinema often neglects. Sure, it might be a dark film and at times quite depressing, but the way that is played by the characters development fits well. The use of minimal dialogue is also something that stood out to me, where can go scenes and segments without any real dialogue spoken, with the main character almost being mute-like in essence. This reaffirms this dark idea of isolation in a post-apocalyptic world, and I believe this is something ‘Stephen Fingleton’ wanted to experiment in this film, which works out very well. Another thing I picked up from The Survivalist is it’s pacing; it is very slow in many instances, with some scenes lingering on for a little longer, just to show the audience what this world is really like. I felt the pacing was like another film I analysed; Bad Day for the Cut, but The Survivalist almost makes the pacing of the former film seem quicker. The pacing of The Survivalist in some senses is quite slow, and lifelike; we see our main character spend an abundance of time out in his garden, burying bodies, and making food. What helps to cut up the pacing in these instances is the use of the jump cut, where we go from one time of day to the next. What I found to be very impressive from The Survivalist, despite it being a low budget indie film was its cinematography, which was shot by Northern Irish cinematographer ‘Damien Elliot’. What I liked about the way it was shot, was unlike many mainstream films, The Survivalist had a very realist tone to the camerawork, almost documentary-eqsue in some instances. The use of handheld camera, along with long takes adds to the films serious tone and works well along with the pacing as beforementioned. I feel like The Survivalist is a gritty and dark film with some interesting ideas and concepts proposed, but an enjoyable watch nonetheless. Sure, it’s pacing may at times be long and inconsistent for some audience members, and the lack of spoken dialogue also is something to take note of, but I feel like what the director has managed to achieve with this film is great, and it’s execution is tremendous.
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October 2019
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