Ivan Kander
It’s rare to find a short with the scope and scale of Kristof Brandl’s God Forgives, We Don’t. This is a war picture: an honest to goodness—all caps—WAR PICTURE! True to conventions of the form, there are cliché moments (a love left behind, brutal battle scenes, young soldiers facing imminent death). But, despite the film’s reliance on genre conventions, it’s hard not be impressed by the craft on display. Shorts rarely have the budget or ambition for combat sequences such as this and Brandl’s execution of them is visceral and thrilling. The muted color, stunning production design, and 16mm film stock only add to this appeal.
Again, the film covers somewhat broad territory. War is hell! It’s a refrain Hollywood has been singing for decades (from Saving Private Ryan to Full Metal Jacket to Paths of Glory). Heck, the film doesn’t even seem concerned with an actual historical event, instead focusing on an unnamed conflict and the aftermath of forced conscription. It’s war boiled down to its purest form. Some may balk at this approach, but I sort of like that it eschews the need to give us context to the situation. As cinema viewers, we know this milieu, so why waste time justifying it to the audience? Moreover, it reveals a central point: when you’re in the sh!t, does it even really matter what you’re fighting for?
That being said, I don’t want to make excuses. As a story, it feels lacking in innovation and the dialogue and performances (especially in the secondary “love” story line) feel clunky. It’s almost like Brandl and his talented team got so excited to make a war movie they sprung into battle without taking the time develop the screenplay to match the impressive production values. I hate to use the phrase “style over substance,” because this is clearly more than a stylistic endeavor: it’s aiming for some big and cathartic moments. But, I just wish that the themes didn’t feel so broad, the characters were more precise. That’s not to say it’s void of dramatic resonance. It just feels like we’ve treaded these muddy waters before.
At Short of the Week we often wrestle with the question: when does craft overpower a limited story? God Forgives, We Don’t might be that rare representative example. Let’s face it: a short with this precision of style and tone is not something that comes around very often. It’s an enormous production (for a short) built by a talented team of hardworking entertainment professionals making something for the love of cinema. It’s brutal and intense. And, even if the central kernel of the story falls victim to cliché elements, I’m inclined to honor the chutzpah that it takes to make something like this.
Brandl is a clearly a talented filmmaker (as a cinematographer he has shot impressive projects for Skrillex and Charlotte Cardin). Nevertheless, when it comes to story substance, I still think he has work to do. But, God Forgives, We Don’t is clearly a stepping stone on a much larger path. It’s the kind of film to appreciate despite his shortcomings. And, in effect, we’re quite eager to see what Brandl and his talented team of collaborators come up with next.
If you’re curious to read more about the film’s production process (and if you’re reading this site, I imagine you are), check out this detailed behind-the-scenes blogpost about the film on Colossale’s website at the link below.