'He has no right to heaven, no claim to God', says the nurse, to which the priest replies, 'Your place is not to judge, but to bear witness to the glory of his holy decree.’
Imagine stumbling upon this piece of dialogue and thinking to yourself – should I choose sides or try to understand a little bit more before making such a grand decision? Does a deathbed confession absolve one of their deadly sins? Does confessing mean they are changed now, entering the afterlife with a little less weight? Is this sort of confession genuine in the first place? Who are we to judge?
Now imagine how this piece of dialogue plays out in the overarching premise of a short black-and-white film. 'Viaticum' is a unique piece of storytelling that blends genres, themes, and techniques to provide viewers with the most immersive experience. A young man welcomes the priest who's about to perform the Last Rites for his ailing father. The nurse tending to the father's needs is also present in the room. She stops for the holy ritual and positions herself next to the priest.
The young man kneels, and because of his father's mumbling, he suggests translating his last words, which are more like noises than actual constructs. The priest agrees, and so the confession begins. The man on his deathbed starts with some seemingly insignificant sin, and then, as the situation unfolds, his last murder confession catches everyone off-guard. Or, so it seems, as the young man and the priest continue with the ritual while the nurse is the one who protests. She won't bear witness to a holy ritual that absolves this murderer of his deadly sins.
The priest and the nurse argue while the young man leaves the room to take a jar of barbecue sauce to dip the sacramental bread in. Yes, you read that right; the sauce is this family's legacy, so it would be unfair for his father to leave this physical world without tasting it one last time. However, things take the most unexpected turn when the priest leaves, thinking that he's done with the Last Rites.
There’s not one way to approach 'Viaticum'. That said, it must be analyzed from different angles to grasp it thoroughly, understand its subtext, meaning, and purposes, and acknowledge the messages it wants to send. Even though it adopts elements of levity and is genuinely lighthearted at times, it's so thought-provoking and multilayered that we shouldn't take the comedy for granted. 'Viaticum' is one of those films that stays with the audience for a long time after experiencing it.
The director balances the dark comedy with heavy-handed drama that pushes us out of our comfort zones. It’s not only the theme of religion that is omnipresent; the short film explores the father-son relationship, delves into the priest’s ambiguous indifference (for him, it’s practically ‘another day at the office’), juxtaposed against the nurse’s moral and ethical dilemmas, and finally – the culmination of it all, the final intense blow. The ailing man takes another victim; the nurse struggles to breathe, and when all is said and done, the young man encounters an image that he’ll never forget – his father, dead, on top of the nurse, also dead.
The director’s decision to make 'Viaticum' black & white fits the concept and characters. It’s worth acknowledging that the black and white nuances aren’t intimidating. Conversely, they are accessible, with subtle patterns that make the world feel both claustrophobic and welcoming. It’s in these contrasts that 'Viaticum' shines – they invite the viewer’s curious eye, they touch upon some film language theories in the editing, and considering the pacing, the contrasts leave some room for interpretation.
The filmmakers don’t take the audience by hand – it’s not their intention in the first place. Instead, they want the viewers to figure out some stuff on their own. In essence, 'Viaticum' is an art piece made by an erudite ensemble of filmmakers and intended for an erudite audience that wants to be moved and inspired by this form of storytelling.
In all fairness, 'Viaticum' excels in all of the key departments, such as camera, lighting, production design and acting. It runs into some issues here and there - the first interaction with the son and the priest can barely be heard because of the music; the reflection of the crew’s equipment in the priest’s glasses – but these are just a finesse compared to the great job done so far. In conclusion, 'Viaticum' is a creative and artistic short film that delivers on its promise, which is to take the viewers by storm, provoking them to rewatch it multiple times to uncover more hidden meanings and additional layers of complexity.
Written by Dimitar Dimoski