A cadet discovers the master sergeant has a massive sore in a world where lies leave scars
This blogpost includes spoilers.
A really interesting concept overall. In all honesty, I didn't think I would like this film, but when it reached the final scene, when we are hit with the reveal of 'the biggest lie', I instantly thought 'damn, that was actually really good and really well timed.'
The crew see a massive scar on the back of the man that they're supposed to rely on and whole-fully trust. Their suspicions rise as to how bad the lie must've been, especially when Jeremy Shada's character discusses his 'hit & run' lie, and how it left such a small scar on his neck.
The audience has questions: what would be the worst lie in the world? Would it involve the deaths of many people? This thought process is definitely enhanced by the context, as they are military cadets, so the concept of death is relevant here.
The reason why the scar is so big, is because of the amount of times he has said it. 'It's going to be alright'. Shada's character is dying, but the man tells him 'It's going to be alright' over and over. We see the blood soak through his white shirt, and we are hit with the realisation of what his 'terrible lie' was.
Bringing in some of the stuff we've been talking about in the last few editing classes, is the importance of audience reactions. The group's leader cadet, sobbing at the reaction of the scar bleeding through. This is really important, and adds a extra layer of emotion with the film. We feel what she feels - regret, that they wanted to get this man in trouble for saying 'the best lie in the world' - a lie that they didn't think ever existed.
Comentários