Film Review – My Dad The Communist
A review written for the BFI Film Academy with Resource Productions
My Dad the Communist, directed by Lab Ky, was a short film revolving around the dysfunctional relationship between a son and father. The young Asian man acted as the son (as well as a child actor to reflect the continuity from infancy to adulthood), coupled with a female actress as his wife.
There was minimal speech in this film which I thought was very effective; the lack of dialogue meant that the audience could focus on the characters’ actions, and in case of the father, lack of emotional affection. The use of jump cuts also showed the difference between the son’s hopes and his reality, which emphasized the loving, father role that his dad was failing to fulfil.
Many of the scenes had minimal sound that I disliked – louder soundtrack or background sound effects would have enhanced the viewer’s experience. However, the lack of sound/speech in scenes focused on the father exaggerated the shock of when he actually did engage with his son, a seemingly surprising occurrence. I felt this creative aspect contributed to the emotional depth of the film, making it a very effective piece.
I would definitely recommend this film to those interested in conveying emotion and developing engaging characters using minimal speech/restricted total duration. The plot of the film was clear, understandable, and the final resolution concluded the film well. By creating a twist to the already established storyline/father-son relationship, the audience was intrigued to discover an unknown, loving side to the father that was believed to be non-existent.