“Take this sinking boat and point it home – we’ve still got time.”
- “Falling Slowly”, as performed by the Frames
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The film’s genre is debatable: ‘musical’ can only describe so much.
Once (2006) is an Irish film directed by John Carney. Besides being a film that should be recommended for any aspiring director or script writer, it is everything an independent film should be: moving, successful, inspiring, and simple. Above all else, the music and plot tell a beautiful story.
Glen Hansard stars as a Dublin street musician who only just manages to scrape by with the use of his aging acoustic guitar and the money he makes from fixing hoovers. That’s right – a musician who fixes hoovers. Hansard, a professional musician outside of the film, portrays a likeable character who is not afraid of facing his own lofty ambitions of recording his music on something other than his pocket-sized recording device. He meets a girl who is lyrically gifted and plays the piano and the two forge a smashing partnership that blossoms into what initially appears to be an unlikely romance. Together, they play songs that they really did write and perform outside of the film. Their songs of love may have echoed their feelings for each other as the pair dated for a considerable amount of time.
But I’m not here to talk about all of the details of this film, nor of Hansard’s love life.
The first idea that pops into my head about this film is that it shares such a compelling story and is yet so simple. The music of course plays a central role in the emotional pathos of the audience, but there are other features that Mr Carney has incorporated to good effect.
For instance, the two main characters’ names are never given: they are simply known as Guy and Girl (this also appears in the film’s credits). This is interesting and not very common, but it is also purposeful. Just because the audience does not know their names does not mean that we do not know who they are. There is only a guy, a girl, and their music. The story is so much more than any name could ever mean.
In this beautifully descriptive still, Guy and Girl are shown to be connected through their music. Any barriers in their age difference, responsibilities or financial situations temporarily collapse.
Girl frequently plays the piano inside this piano shop, as she cannot afford one herself. The shop owner knows her and allows the two to play together. It’s the first time in the film that this happens and as soon as it does the rest falls seamlessly into place.
As previously mentioned, one of the most striking things about Once is that it is an independent film. In other words, it does not come under a major Hollywood label and its estimated budget of €180,000 (£154,000)[1] is incredibly miniscule. It is a film that could be written and directed by a student, but take nothing away from its brilliance in simplicity.
The shots in the film are often hand-held, which further stresses how the audience is able to get closer to the film and relate to the characters, especially Guy. Without giving too much away, the ending sequence is one of the most effective that I have ever seen in any film. It’s not so much that director Carney relies upon specific camera-related techniques, rather he is more focussed on depicting the emotions in the film as portrayed though the interplay of the music and mise-en-scene. Guy’s final action in the film is unexpected and one that is likely to touch you deeply. It also shows how the development of plot can make or break a film, regardless of how clever the directing is.
***
***
So, there you have it: a simple film with a heart-warming story and interesting Irish accents to top it all off. The music itself is half of the film's voice.
If there is one thing that this film proved to me cinematically speaking, it’s that a small film-festival feature can go a long way to entertain, enlighten and most of all inspire any audience – even if this sort of thing only happens Once.
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