'High Maintenance': Short Film Analysis

9 Minutes | Directed by Phillip Van | Science fiction | 2006

'High Maintenance'

This short film was directed by Phillip Van in 2006 and offers an exploration into dating within the modern world through the utilisation of scientific elements utilised within the narrative, with this being most notably acknowledged through all of the main characters (supposedly) being robots. The film has a clearly open-ended three act structure that can be found to add to the overall simplicity and elegance of the setting and the plot line itself, which also helps to dramatise the high standards the protagonist has in regards to her romantic/marital relationships. Once again, the opening frame of the film is the title of the movie, adhering to typical genre conventions and implementing a subtle insight into the narrative before it even begins. It is additionally interesting to analyse the title of the film as being reflective of not only the expectations that the female main character has of her partner, but also adds to the concept of artificial intelligence, or in the case of this short film, artificial love which is presented as something that needs to be 'maintained' through equally artificial means.

At the beginning of the short film, we as spectators immediately assume that the voyeuristic perspective being offered to us through the intrusive camera angles and quick-paced editing is made to be a viewpoint into the dynamics of an ordinarily human marriage. The close-ups of the female protagonist not only work to align us with how she wants her relationship to be, but also intensifies her frustration at the 'mechanical' nature of her husband. It is important to consider, however, that the camera never shows the back of her neck - this adds an element of surprise to the plot line that shocks the audience and makes them suddenly aware of the slight clues referencing the narrative twist that had been carefully interweaved throughout the unfolding of the story. The way in which the camera has been made to pan in and out from the action happening within key sequences helps to make the relationship, predominantly the woman's role within it, the focal point of the film. Also, the way in which the screen fades to black at the end of every act in this short film gives the impression of time passing and a new problem/resolution occurring. The most significant of these would be after her character is depicted in a medium wide shot ordering a replacement model from the robotics company due to her lack of satisfaction for her original.

'High Maintenance'

The way that the proxemics between the main character and her first robotic husband are only ever breached during her creepy apology and the subsequent deactivation, and then finally when she says goodbye to his lifeless self with an even creepier kiss on the lips, can in some ways be interpreted as putting forth a message in regards to dating in the modern age. The advanced technologies that have been created and are a mainstream attribute to the world in which the main characters live are symbols of a not-too distant future. Already, we are using dating apps and are beginning to form fantasies about having relationships with robots made for the pure intention of pleasure - hence why it can be argued that the film acts as a warning for the way of life we are currently on our way to creating. This reality is quite clearly shown to be a dystopia that is nowhere near as lovely as once expected; this suggest that, ultimately, no false counterfeit of love can ever quite beat the real thing. 

The utilisation of sound within the short film is another interesting component of film-making that has been adapted to this movie as a means of enhancing the intensity of the narrative. The leit-motif music that plays in the background during the title sequence and at the end of every act is technological and stilted which once again signposts that this is a science fiction film, whilst additionally conjuring typical images associated with fairy tales and child-like nursery rhymes. The lack of dialogue and the presence of long silences within the plot work to reinforce the idea of a mechanical romance that is absent of the feeling and passion that should thrive between them. The way that the dialogue is repeated, once with her former partner and then again with her replacement partner illuminates the repetitive and fragmented nature of the relationships that she has, all of which lack true emotion - presented here as the most valuable and important feature of every human romance.

'High Maintenance'

The mise-en-scene found within the short film is generic of any home shared by young couples in modern day society, making them easily recognisable for the audience and inconstant sources of alignment for the spectators to follow. These typical tropes and conventions may have been adopted to propel the seemingly innocent story along and make the twist both shocking and completely unexpected. The conclusive part of the narrative, when the female character herself is deactivated by her new partner is incredibly ironic and encourages the audience to question whether or not it was justified. On the one side of the argument, she is simply a product of the artificial society in which she lives (both physically as well as psychologically) and therefore cannot be blamed for her actions; on the other side she was cruel to deactivate her former partner and replace him with another model so that she alone could have a better experience in regards to her relationships, this being an argument that is utterly subjective to the individual viewpoints of the audience members themselves.