The plot of this short is quite oblique. An unseen, unexplained 'attack' is occurring, experienced by the audience only as the sound of gunfire and explosions and the frightened reaction of people on the street. The film mostly follows three strangers who gradually come together to try to 'escape'. Meanwhile, a man (a debut performance from regular Hal Hartley collaborator, James Urbaniak) is creating an audio recording (an audiobook, an interview, a lecture, it is never made clear), that vaguely describes a society in crisis, perhaps 'narrating' the events outside.
While the exact nature of events is unclear, there is something strangely presentiment, given subsequent attacks in NYC and other major cities. The whole film has a fairly rough 'guerilla' style to it, shot on location, mostly hand-held. There is a point being made here, perhaps about the imminent 'collapse' of society, but it is really left to the audience to interpret the filmmakers meaning. This is all fairly typically of Hartley's short films, and fans of his early features might miss the deadpan style and witty dialogue that is certainly not present here.
While the exact nature of events is unclear, there is something strangely presentiment, given subsequent attacks in NYC and other major cities. The whole film has a fairly rough 'guerilla' style to it, shot on location, mostly hand-held. There is a point being made here, perhaps about the imminent 'collapse' of society, but it is really left to the audience to interpret the filmmakers meaning. This is all fairly typically of Hartley's short films, and fans of his early features might miss the deadpan style and witty dialogue that is certainly not present here.
