This is an extremely short film presumably dealing with a young disabled boy's efforts to communicate to his beautiful nurse that he is hopelessly infatuated with her. It could have been a poignant, touching, and realistic short subject. Instead the filmmaker seems intent on doing nothing more than exploiting the situation for shock value, like a carnival freak show.
SPOILERS FOLLOW--so if you don't wish to know what little plot there is, don't read on. However, you may be so repulsed by the "plot summary" that these spoilers may actually save you the trouble of seeing the film:
As the film opens, a nurse comes to visit the disabled boy, and he very explicitly takes her hand and pleads, "Touch me". She knows exactly what he means, does not respond, and quietly goes downstairs. As she works at a desk, the boy, who normally uses a wheelchair, crawls out of bed, drags himself to the stairs, and slowly, painfully tries to crawl down the stairs, all the while moaning, "Touch me", in an ever increasingly desperate tone. Finally he collapses at the bottom, whereupon the horrified nurse runs to him, cradles his head in her arms, and takes his hand gently as he gasps one last "Touch me", and goes limp. Whether he dies or not is left up to the imagination. Fade out. End of film.
I found this treatment of the plight of the disabled to be repulsive, offensive and disgusting. Yes, it is horrifying to see the boy twist his way downstairs, but is this intended to make a point, or is it just for shock value? The film gives the impression that nobody was really interested in telling any kind of story, just to dwell on the pathetic sight of this boy dragging his body down a long flight of stairs and possibly killing himself in an attempt to declare his love. There is no understanding, no empathy, and not even an indication that the director is interested in anything resembling characterization, plot development, or any of the basics of film narrative. There is just the feeling that he was leeringly, voyeuristically, interested in the boy's situation, not trying to identify with it.
SPOILERS FOLLOW--so if you don't wish to know what little plot there is, don't read on. However, you may be so repulsed by the "plot summary" that these spoilers may actually save you the trouble of seeing the film:
As the film opens, a nurse comes to visit the disabled boy, and he very explicitly takes her hand and pleads, "Touch me". She knows exactly what he means, does not respond, and quietly goes downstairs. As she works at a desk, the boy, who normally uses a wheelchair, crawls out of bed, drags himself to the stairs, and slowly, painfully tries to crawl down the stairs, all the while moaning, "Touch me", in an ever increasingly desperate tone. Finally he collapses at the bottom, whereupon the horrified nurse runs to him, cradles his head in her arms, and takes his hand gently as he gasps one last "Touch me", and goes limp. Whether he dies or not is left up to the imagination. Fade out. End of film.
I found this treatment of the plight of the disabled to be repulsive, offensive and disgusting. Yes, it is horrifying to see the boy twist his way downstairs, but is this intended to make a point, or is it just for shock value? The film gives the impression that nobody was really interested in telling any kind of story, just to dwell on the pathetic sight of this boy dragging his body down a long flight of stairs and possibly killing himself in an attempt to declare his love. There is no understanding, no empathy, and not even an indication that the director is interested in anything resembling characterization, plot development, or any of the basics of film narrative. There is just the feeling that he was leeringly, voyeuristically, interested in the boy's situation, not trying to identify with it.