STILL LIFE
UK, 2013, 92 minutes, Colour.
Eddie Marsan, Joanne Froggatt.
Directed by Uberto Pasolini.
This is a film which one could recommend to audiences who want something that re-affirms the value of humanity. It is a small film, a comparatively little-known cast, but it is beautifully written and directed by Uberto Pasolini.
Have you ever wondered about what happens to people who have died alone, with few contacts or relatives, and what goes on before they are buried? Here are some answers.
The versatile actor, Eddie Marsan, who has had a strong career portraying supporting characters, coming through work with such directors as Mike Leigh, especially his star turn as a driving instructor in Leigh’s Happy Go Lucky. Here he plays John May, a 44-year-old man, living alone and without any friends, who conscientiously turns up at his council desk every day, visiting the homes or institutions where people have died, searching for some clues for contacts or relatives, filing them away, looking for the addresses of any possible contact or source of information, visiting conscientiously and patiently, explaining the situation to often-unwilling relatives, and he himself going to the funerals, often alone except for the officiating minister, gathering the ashes from some cremations and scattering them. At home, he puts their photos in an album which he obviously cherishes and looks at with great affection. And then, on the official documents, he writes “case closed”.
This might seem sad and pathetic, and in many ways it is. John May is a good man but seems never to have been able to relate intimately to anyone. There is no sign of any family. He is a meticulous man, a most tidy desk, a very neat kitchen, setting the table simply but well for his own meal.
John May is an interesting type study.
It is evident from the beginning of the film that John is an introvert – a very shy introvert. He lives very quietly by himself, keeps to himself at work, does go out to meet relatives of the deceased and attends the funerals, often by himself. It is his inner energy that moves him to follow up investigations in his work. He seems to identify with the J attitude, making practical decisions for the details of his work and appointments and very orderly in his private life.
With immediate appearances, John shows himself something of an epitome of the Sensing function. As already used, the word ‘meticulous’ is most apt. He shows just what attention to detail is.
The interesting focus of the film is on how John deals with people. At first, he looks to be the objective bureaucrat, aware of regulations and meticulous (once again) in applying them. As we get to know more about him, we become aware of the very personal interest he takes in the deceased, in contacting relatives and friends and supporting them in their grief. It is in these many encounters that John is a Feeling function man. This is his face to the world.
One day he is summoned by his boss and told that there is reorganisation in several councils for carrying out his particular tasks. He is being let go. However, his final case concerns a lonely man with only a document or two, but nothing really to identify him.
John makes it a personal and personalised quest, and is able to track down a fish and chips shop in the country where he discovers a former wife and a daughter, makes contact with the blind soldier who gives a most praiseworthy account of the dead man and his helping the blind man, and he buys a bottle of whiskey for two old friends, out on the street, who give their version of the dead man. John finally finds a daughter, goes to visit her and invites her to the funeral. He is able to build up a picture of the dead man, his qualities, his flaws, his responsibilities, his time in prison – enough to build up a small congregation to come to the man’s funeral.
John is a kind man.
The film builds up to a climax which we hadn’t anticipated, more pathos, but a very moving tribute to John May and all that is best in sympathetic human nature.
1. The title, that a person was still alive? The person in death? Still life pictures and portraits?
2. The London setting, the flat and the interiors, the streets, the office, churches and services? The train rides? The various images of the British countryside? The atmospheric score?
3. The portrait of John May? The screenplay and the images, his actions, dialogue, the opening and his activities, aged 44, single, living alone, the sparse flat, the need table, his simple meals? His precision, his desk? Routines? Loyalties? His sense of duty? Communicating with people connected with the dead? His research, his files, the photos, the album, entering the photos, his looking at the images? his affection for these people?
4. His job, audience interest in people searching for relatives and friends of the dead? A job alone? His finding the contacts? Inviting people to come to the funerals? The various ministers, the ceremonies, the Orthodox, the Anglican, the various hymns? Burial or cremation? The remains and his sometimes distributing them himself? His files, writing ‘case closed’?
5. His visits, the variety of characters, the photos, going to houses, collecting goods, goods to be given away? His giving some final humanity to the dead?
6. At the office, the young man with a white coat doing the crosswords, affable? His superior, handling the situations?
7. His last case, the boss coming to his room, downsizing, his being fired, going upstairs, the woman who was to take his place, later seeing her distributing the ashes in the churchyard? His asking for more time?
8. The anonymity of the dead man, Bill Stokes, the anonymity of his room, the landlord and the comments, finding the documents, the photo of the dead man? Tracking down the connections and John’s diligence, going to the provinces, tracking down the fish and chip shop, going to all the shops, meeting Kelly, her story, the daughter and the grandchild? Bill staying there, drinking and moving on? Going to the blind soldier, hearing a different story, Bill saving the man’s life? The two homeless men and the information about them, the drink, his buying the bottle, sharing it with them, sitting on the steps and listening to their story? Finding Bill’s daughter, the visit, her story about her father? The good and the bad, the surviving, his drinking, the deals, time in prison?
9. Inviting everyone to the funerals, the Greek son and the phone call, the long conversation and the man not liking his father?
10. The simplicity of life, travel by train, the gift of the meat pie and his eating it on the train, the ice cream off the back of the truck and his trying to hail down the track, enjoying the ice cream? The whiskey with the men? The tins of fish at home?
11. The finale, his doing good, promising to meet Bill Stokes’s daughter, the shock of his being killed by the vehicle?
12. The paperwork for John himself, the same details?
13. The church, his funeral, no one attending, the minister?
14. The crowd for Bill Stokes, all gathered by John, their looking over to the other funeral, not realising who it was?
15. The focus on John, and all the people whom he had served gathering round him in tribute?
16. A fine film of humanity and decency?
