Wordless Secrets Only Cinema Can Discover

"I'm looking right at you and there you are." "But are you certain it's me that you're seeing?"

WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD REVEALED is a rare wonder. It's an indie short that is avant-garde in style, a mix of black box theatre presentation with David Lynch surrealism, and despite its trippy moments, manages to have a grounded and emotionally resonant central core.

Millie (Sarah Dugdale) is a servant who emerges out of her bedchamber and converses with her masked Master (Greg the Green, who also directed the film). The Master is obnoxious with Millie, answering her questions with riddles and mocking her for just trying to be a basic servant, and begins asking her probing and forward questions. Millie is uncomfortable but must be subservient to this strange conversation, as per her station.

Cinematographer Taylor Kare really shines here, as there's a lot of great visual allusions to the iconography of other works, particularly PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. The opening shot of Millie emerging out of bed with the white mask lying beside her is also reminiscent of EYES WIDE SHUT, by way of the album cover of Billy Joel's THE STRANGER.

We don't get any further context into what exactly is going on, where this is happening, how this strange world works, nor who the Master really is. A reference is made to the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale, and frankly, this film feels more at home in the land of the Brothers Grimm than it does in our world. Yet even in this abstract and theatrical setting, it feels like we know exactly as much as we need.

Eventually, the Master claims that he is invisible, which leads to my favorite piece of directing in the film: him removing his mask only to reveal his face is wrapped in a gauze that is an identical hue of white to the mask (another nod to the iconography of a similar work: Claude Rains in THE INVISIBLE MAN). Not only is he wearing a second mask under the first, but for a moment, the gauze really does look like an actual ceramic mask. I really applaud this effect; it's easy to get white gauze and a white mask, but to make the two look so much the exact same hue that they are almost interchangeable is a wonderful effect.

What does the story as a whole mean? I suppose on a surface-level, the story makes us question what "visibility" actually means. The Master claims he is invisible, and while we never get any confirmation if he is literally invisible and spying on girls undressing as he claims, there is definitely something uncanny about his existence.

It's also possible he has a facial deformity of some kind; this is never stated, but since PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is being subtextual referenced, it's something on our minds. If this is so, he has chosen to make himself invisible to the outside world.

The Master also alludes to possibly being blind, which Millie is unsure about. If he is literally blind, then by extension everyone is equally invisible.

But our visibility comes down to our actions, and as he berates Millie for being an insignificant servant, she is invisible to him and to society; in fact, he has never even bothered to learn her name before this conversation. There is also a commentary on the injustice of their social statuses; while being "invisible" is something he enjoys and finds empowering, it is a curse for her to be forever ignored and/or mistreated by her superiors. If he is blind, she might as well be mute.

And of course, the point is being made that all of us are more than just our physical bodies and where we are currently standing but a sum total of the actions and inactions we have taken.

WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD REVEALED is based on a play, and it retains that quality, given that most of it is one single long scene with heavy dialog and theatrical sets. Since I haven't seen the play performed, I can comment on how the story compares in a cinematic medium, but I can say that I appreciate many of the filmmaking choices. This feels like more than just a concert film, as many plays-turned-films tend to feel.

In particular, I like the distortion of reality as we cut from scenes of the Master facing away from Millie to suddenly facing towards her, as if he is a disembodied presence. The impressionistic lighting and trippy sound design also create a mood that's perfect yet hard to articulate. We get several closeups of Millie addressing the camera directly, seemingly breaking the fourth wall as she questions her Master. And I enjoy the use of dissolves throughout the conversation, adding to the stream-of-conscious presentation and conveying that, although these two characters are conversing, they may not actually be standing in the same room.

The acting from the two leads is also strong, with Sarah Dugdale having a very vulnerable and heartfelt presence, reminiscent of a tragic Cinderella character mixed with Scarlett Johansson vibes. It's harder to critique Greg the Green's performance given that his face is obscured, but his disembodied vocal delivery makes his character feel like a combination of a privileged socialite and a creature out of a Hammer movie.

Is WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD REVEALED perfect? I think as is often the case with avant-garde films, your mileage may vary on how much of this abstract style you enjoy. The film is a bit long, and there are moments you have to just accept that the characters speak in longwinded philosophical musings instead of natural dialog.

For example, right at the start of the film, the Master asks Millie what her name is, and instead of her just answering him, the two go back and forth several times, him taunting her with riddles, before she finally answers "Millie." It's not a naturalistic conversation and part of me wished they would just get to the point, but I also acknowledge this is an aesthetic choice.

I always hesitate to call any movie "too long" because every audience member's ideal runtime is going to vary, and I always champion indie films going for unconventional approaches. But I will say that WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD REVEALED feels very focused, and I was never bored during its 24 minutes (excluding credits) of trippy otherworldliness. I've seen other films consisting of a single long conversation that are shorter than this and drag considerably more.

I also, to be honest, am not a fan of the title WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD REVEALED. It's a bit clunky to say and doesn't really have a ring to it. Even just simplifying it to "The Invisible World" would have felt more literary.

But fortunately, the ultimate strength of WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD REVEALED really is that you come to care about its characters, with Dugdale in particular being endearing and sympathetic. There's a lot of style on display here, and I would love to see these same filmmakers tackle a longer and more ambitious film in the future, which I'm sure could be a visual feast. As it stands, this short film is thought-provoking, opulent, rich in ideas, hints at a larger world, and is performed with the grace of a ballet. It not only shows us the wonders of the invisible world, but makes us look at the more relevant secrets in our own world and within our own souls.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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The fantasy genre features imaginative and often magical worlds, characters, and events. It explores realms beyond the boundaries of reality, featuring elements such as magic, mythical creatures, supernatural powers, and fantastical settings. These stories can take place in entirely fictional worlds or blend fantastical elements with real-world settings.

Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The mystery genre features the investigation and solving of a puzzle, typically a crime or an enigmatic event. Mysteries are known for their suspenseful narratives, intricate plots, and the challenge they present to readers or viewers to piece together clues and solve the central mystery alongside the characters.

Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Chinatown (1974)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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