No film expounds human emotions more meticulously than Carson Clay’s Playback Time. Premiered in 2007’s Cannes Film Festival, Playback Time is considered one of the best films of all time. It was all due the efforts of one man, Carson Clay who produced, directed and himself starred as lead in the film. Let’s analyze the masterpiece, Carson Clay’s Playback Time.

“This film is for all of us who hunger for truth. For all of us who cry out in pain. For those whose souls yearn to sing.” – Carson Clay quoted at the premiere of Playback Time in Cannes film festival.

Playback Time has opening that perfectly sets the mood of the film. As the credits roll, we see Carson Clay standing still on a gloomy escalator moving up. His expression and the lighting used clearly dictate the loss he has been through. The name of the film appears when the when the escalator reaches the top and we see a playback of the same scene again. No opening has ever done this. It gives a direct idea what the film is about. Put a pin📌 on this point. We will talk about this later.

Through a voiceover by Carson Clay himself we come to know about the breakup with his girlfriend. For him life has become almost worthless. A small fraction in infinity. He feels that a cop with a broken heart is useless. The teardrop signifies his pain. For him the city feels like Wilderness. The word “nothing” is repeated 7 times to exemplify the emotion. 7 has a lot of significance for many people and is considered a lucky number.

Carlson Clay quotes that in ancient times, Romans used to light fire in the skulls of the dead, that they might forget their past. This indirectly indicates the motive of the lead to forget his past. But no matter how much he tries, his job of a cop always leads him to incidences that reminds him of his relationship. Looking at a dead body reminds him that the relationship is dead.

In the scenes which show Carson performing his duty as a cop, he never makes direct eye contact with his squad to hide his pain. But his pain continues to eat him from the inside. In one scene we are shown a teammate constantly telling Carson that DeBrock is making the drop, asking permission to move in. But Carson, standing with his back facing the mate, is lost in his memories. Once he snaps out he puts on his glasses to hide his eyes and continues the mission. But it’s all NOTHING.

Times moves on and it’s winter time. Carson quotes that Seeds of love lie deep within him. He yearns for spring to come. Another girl, played by actress Sabine, enters his life for a moment. She is shown to be wearing red gloves. Red, the color of love. The only bright color in the frame. Showing a possibility, a hope of revival. She touches him on the shoulder, but it was not to be.

Carson still wants to show the world about his previous love. He relieves the time they had together. Through his memories. Playback Time is not about some sci-fi time travel. Time slips through Carson’s fingers like sand. It’s the playback of memories. 📌It is expressed by the playback of the escalator clip at the start.

Later on in the movie we see Carson enquiring about the new lover of his ex. He calls her selfish for being consumed by love and wonders how the man enchants her, beguiles her. But he understands that he has to let go. He yearns for a deeper and surer love. A love that begins fleetingly, but deepens and endures. A love that grows amidst the strangeness of life. It a beauty that we can always depend on. It is the beauty of friendship. The film ends with this beautiful message. The lighting, voiceover, dialogue and music of the film changes to a brighter and cheerful mood moving towards the end. It all started in a gloomy and closed escalator and ends in an open and bright sunny day. The lighting travels with the emotions of Carson. It uplifts you from the dark well of loneliness into the bright sky of friendship. It’s one of the best uses of lighting and color in a film.

Playback Time is a strange work of art. No video film combination stands up to the level of Playback Time. Each part of the movie has a meaning and signifies something bigger, something deeper.

Carson Clay is the best contemporary film maker and he is going to continue making such transcendent films. Let’s request him to release the ClayCut of Playback Time.
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If you made it till here then you have wasted 5 (maybe 10) mins of your life.
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