Circle
released 2015
www.ink2quill.com

”Cirlce” is an American drama, horror, sci-fi, thriller produced by Justin Bursch, Mike Callaghan, Scott Einbinder, Autumn Federici, Megan Glass, Jon Kyle Hansen, Eric MacIver, Michael Nardelli, Tim Nardelli, Mike Partridge, Brad Reinke and Brent Stiefel. The music was done by Justin Marshall Elias and it was directed by Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione who also wrote it. Actors include Julie Benz, Mercy Malik, Carter Jenkins, Sara Sanderson, Lisa Pelikan, Lawrence Kao. Cesar Garcia, Michael Nardelli, Jordi Vilasuso, Matt Corboy, Michael McLafferty, Kurt Long, Fay Dewitt, David Saucedo, David Reivers, Brent Stiefel, Jay Hawkins, Muneer Katchi, Han Nah Kim, Marc Cedric Smith, Nasrin Mohammedi, A.J. Hudson and Chrystal Masters.

”Circle” is a film with a simple story that asks some very deep and disturbing questions about human nature and the effects of a stressful environment on the individual. 50 people are placed in a room around a circle, facing each other without any knowledge how they got there. Each person is in a circle they cannot leave and every few minutes a person is randomly struck dead unless the majority votes who will die next. It´s assumed that the last person remaining will walk away alive and free. This story clearly poses some interesting questions about character and the individual under stress.

This story really is metaphor exposing the flaws in a democratic system. When the individual stands to lose too much from an adverse vote the democratic system becomes an arena. In an ideal situation, when the outcome is not so extreme, each vote would be cast according to a set of guidelines that are deemed fair to the group. These guidelines would be based on moral values.

Ideally, the right thing to do would be a sacrifice by each and every of the 49 people and not a forced vote. All 50 people would decide which one lived. But that would make for a short film that might be too philosophical for audiences. Like a kind of Plato´s Symposium where they discussed the value of life instead of love. I suspect they would have recognized the difference between a life well lived over a miserable existence. Yada yada.

If these characters were thrown in an arena they would have killed each other with their bare hands. Like gladiator combat. But, since violence was not an option for these scared individuals then lies and manipulation became the tools for control of the vote.

Another element of the story I really enjoyed was the diversity of the 50 people. They were people from all walks of life and differing belief systems. From sociopaths, and that there were, to the selfless. There was even a man who refused to take part in the vote.

”Circle” is a good story with a very good ending. It really highlights the cruelty of captivity where some are forced to choose between their moral beliefs or their very lives. This is a good watch people with an unpredictable ending.

(Commentary by www.ink2quill.com )
I2Q

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