With 280 awards to its name, Davide Melini’s film ‘Lion’ is one of the most acclaimed short horror films in history. The Italian director and screenwriter released his fifth short film in 2017 and it has been viewed globally at many of the prestigious film festivals. ‘Lion’ stars Michael Segal as Jeff, an abusive father and husband wading his way through alcoholism. Tania Mercader stars as Jeff’s taciturn wife, Amanda and Pedro Sánchez as their son, Leon. Together they create a trinity, generating horror and fear that is on an almost biblical scale.
We are brought into their darkness via a chilling sequence of sound effects; shouts, screams, physical and verbal abuse. The isolated house where this takes place really emphasises the naming of domestic violence as a ‘hidden crime’ because of the fact it often goes unreported or undiscovered. As we cut to a television news report, the sudden juxtaposition of this type of crime with the widely recognised threat of terrorism has connotations of Oliver Stone’s ‘Natural Born Killers’. However Melini is perhaps suggesting the lack of media attention domestic violence receives as opposed to Stone’s portrayal of sensationalism.
In ‘Lion’, there is a clear binary opposition between light and dark however the high key and low key lighting work to similar, chilling effects. In the early scenes, we see Jeff in what can be assumed is a typical scenario for him. He drinks, smokes and watches TV, every so often shouting abuse at his wife and son. His repulsive existence is more effective in the brightly lit room; it forces us to see every element of his character. The mise-en-scene comprises of a dirty, littered room with every foul aspect mirrored in Jeff’s personality. Whereas here, the horror is in what we see, later in the film Melini makes use of the shadowy unknown – a trope of this genre. After the lion attacks Jeff, the lighting becomes dark and the horror shifts from what we see to what we fear we will see. Melini uses some great techniques to build a sickening apprehension as we are made to endure Amanda’s retribution.
Amanda’s demise is a somewhat unexpected development to the plot as she is kept away from the role of abuser by Jeff’s domineering presence. However she seems to tolerate Jeff’s behaviour and through her lack of action and perhaps her role as an enabler, Amanda too becomes punishable. But who is the punisher here? There is the possibility that an act of supernatural karma occurs in order to liberate Leon from his abusers. Perhaps some higher power making the evil pay for their sins.
A more plausible and intriguing concept, however, would be the idea that the whole situation is a psychological projection, born of hatred and misery. This theory intensifies audience alliance with Leon as we are more fully immersed in his thoughts and feelings. For something so violent and bloody to spring from the mind of a child brings a greater understanding of the world of pain that Leon inhabits. There are several things that would suggest that Leon is in fact, the lion. Whether he created the lion in his mind or assumed the role of the lion in reality is unclear. However the ties between the child and the beast are crystal clear. The name, Leon is of Greek origin and means Lion. The young boy even has a similar look to the lion – the same coloured eyes and unkempt, mane-like hair. Melini has been very clever here to create such subtle and mysterious parallels.
‘Lion’ is a clever horror film that makes use of both conventional and atypical methods of generating fear. The blending of real life issues and ‘slasher film’ moments works well without compromising the seriousness of abuse. Davide Melini has written and directed a powerful look into the effects of abuse on a child. The film is carried with ease by Michael Segal, Tania Mercader and Pedro Sánchez all of whom work together to create a dynamic that is sadly all too real for many children across the world.
Watch the trailer for the award winning film ‘ Lion’ below…
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