Salamander

Short film ‘Salamander’, written and directed by Paul Rothman, definitely possesses all the resources and characteristics of an indie film but perhaps lack the charm and allure expected. ‘Salamander’ depicts the stereotypical, white trash, all-American trucker, who has a lot to say about a certain urban legend and Joe Biden.

As bizarre as this plot may seem, the radio and beer cans in the opening sequence provide key clues to the theme of this project, being the issue of conspiracy theorists and their influence or at least attempted influence on American society. The dialogue (all though cliché in parts) is convincing and succeeds in its portrayal of modern-day bar talk and the portrayal of the contemporary village idiot.

Whilst the small budget is very much apparent throughout the feature, this does not hinder some satisfying and, in some places, aesthetic cinematography to shine through. The strength of the film is highest in its opening credit sequence where sound and cinematography unite to create something almost arthouse and, in many ways, ominous.

The ending is definitely not the strong point of this film though it is comical and provides the only possible ending considering the direction the plot was taking. Ultimately this project certainly knows how to do bar scenes but lacks the elegance and fine tuning to class it as a high quality short. Regardless, its use of contemporary humour and off-piste plotline combined with the opening credits definitely make it worth watching.