Confessions

(p. 48-49)

Soundtrack: Prelude by Nanase Hikaru


The camera pans along a wooded ridge edging a valley plain, through an uncertain darkness lit by smoke-obscured flames across the plain. It reaches a small space in the woods of the ridge where a bare camp—a blue tarp pitched precariously upon some branches and sticks stuck in the ground—is laid out, damp from a night of rain. The camera swoops down and zooms in from the aerial shots to about man-height from the ground, looking across the camp. Two figures lie sleeping on the ground. One is a young Boy. The other figure stirs, waking slowly from sleep. The Boy moves slightly but does not rise. The other, the Father, rises, and the camera follows him to the edge of the ridge. The fires burn steadily, flickering through the smoke and wind, as the Father squats. After a pause, he licks a finger and holds it up to test the wind. Another pause, longer, then the Father rises and turns. The camera preceeds him, facing him, as he walks back to the camp, continuing to withdraw after he stops until a full shot of the camp is achieved, the tarp-camp slightly to the left and bottom of the frame. It is now lit from within, and the boy’s figure is a shadow thrown against the back of the tarp, moving around. The father enters. Fade out.


Fade in to a shot of the two walking down a black paved road. Smoke wafts across the frame, and the surrounding trees are aflame to the right-hand side of the road, where rising slopes indicate mountain(s). Camera shot is coming from the side of the mountain, slightly angled to the right to take in some of the road ahead of the Father and the Boy, and the burning trees alongside. Camera continues to follow their steady, unchanging progress, until they reach a point where the fires burn on both sides of the road. They begin to pass, but experience some small struggle with each step. The mark of their footsteps appears behind them, indicating melted pavement. They stop. The father extends an arm, places his hand on the boy’s shoulder, and they turn and walk back to solid pavement together. Camera remains still, only pivoting to become angled to the left as the two pass, then follows them to where they set up camp on the road. Blackout.


Shot of the two packing up their camp, and setting out down the road again. They pass their own footstep-marks, this time with no difficulties. Camera follows slightly above and behind as they walk. After some time, new footstep-marks appear in the pavement, drawing closer as the two continue walking. The father stops upon reaching them, squats down to look more closely. The camera zooms in on the tracks and his face. He touches the marks, ruminates. Camera zooms back out as he stands up again, so that both he and the boy are in the frame. The boy looks at the father, who looks out down the road along the tracks. After a few moments:


Boy: (matter-of-fact curiosity) Who is it?


Pause. Camera zooms in on tracks and swoops down the road, following them while zooming back out and gaining speed, while voiceover:


Father: (a confession) I don’t know. Who is anybody?


Camera continues to sweep down the road increasingly quickly, until everything blurs into a blackout.

By nympheline

I think Andy Warhol is possibly the most insightful life-commentator that I know of.