Title of documentary: Inhale
Director(s): Sean Mullan
Year of production: 2017
Length (duration): 16 minutes
Keywords: grief; life; existentialism; experimental; abstract; philosophy
Link: https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2019/09/04/inhale/
By: Tomas Cepeda
Inhale (2017): Weaving in This Mortal Life
Love and Tragedy
Dealing with the pain brought by the death of someone we love is one of the human experience’s gruelling affairs. There is no natural remedy during the grieving process. How do we escape from grief? The lessons that come along the suffering are a unique representation of the existential nature experienced during this mortal life. We are often found pondering if our existence in this life gets passed on to the next. Is there even another life? And if love is lost, how does it move on? Sean Mullan’s Inhale (2017) examines the life of a man who lost both his wife and daughter but was able to transform the love into reverence for horses. An artful 16-minute film paints, to the rhythm of Jim’s heart (Mullan’s uncle), a picture of how life can be metamorphosed. Cinematic trickery in the form of close-ups, drone-shots, and slow-motion, encapsulate Jim’s story, which is narrated by him and deepened through symbolic imagery and the sonic representation of his mind. Director Mullan’s cousin provides a beautiful yet haunting cello to go alongside the images.
A Heartfelt Narrative
“We don’t die.” “We pass on, because there is a strong soul.” In the course of the film, it feels that Jim is closing the door on his past. Although Inhale (2017) continuously nods to a state of totality – a humble walk around the circle of life. The dominating narrative of Inhale (2017) accepts mortality while signalling to the fragility of life in philosophical ways instead of being frightened by the certainty of death. In that, there is an unconcealed truth that is mentioned several times throughout the picture. The themes presented exist on a profound level, some of which are driven by the film’s art, intending to create questions and begin the conversation in the viewers’ minds.
The symbolic speech of Inhale (2017) is entirely enchanting. For instance, as Jim tells his story, a literal fire is lit and is then put out. However, Jim’s chronicles continue to be shared, beginning a conversation about his deep-rooted and spiritual worldview. The flames may be out, although internally, Jim’s fire still outshines the embers of the fire that once was. A large portion of the narrative focuses on Jim’s spiritual worldview, which helps him have such a positive outlook on life given the circumstances. At times Mullan closes in on both Jim’s eyes and the horses to emphasize the notion that the eyes are a window into the soul. By the same token, the close-ups are part of the intimate frame of mind the film is attempting to capture; and is triumphant at that. Mullan worked at the stables for three months so the horses could get used to his presence and the cameras. The intimacy is also present in how the film captures the grace at which Jim interacts with the horses. There is a strong sense of unity between Mullan’s uncle and his horses, which is also performed to encapsulate the idea of fragility in life. It is a display of kindness and concern, as both man and horse display sensitivity.
Inhale (2017) also entertains the inherent differences between physical and mental pain while claiming they are not dissimilar. According to Jim, physical pain is much easier to deal with because it will eventually go away, “Emotional pain leaves more scars.” The similarity between the physical and the mental is that one can get used to physical pain, and you eventually “get used to the grief.”
It is reasonable to say that Mullan’s approach moves away from the long-established ways that the subject matter of grief has been explored. Inhale (2017) is unique in the way it seeks abstraction in conveying its messages and delivering Jim’s tales. The experimental and artful tactic employed by Mullan may not be of interest to some viewers. However, the striking appeal is wholeheartedly in the mood. From start to finish, it is a spellbinding suspended animation.
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