Gone

I recently came across a really creepy but insightful short story in video form. It's by a guy named Zeke Shore, who apparently made every part of the video, including the music. Before I tell you my interpretation of it and taint your opinion, you should watch it for yourself. It is a little creppy, just so you know.


Gone - A Short Film by Zeke Shore from Zeke Shore on Vimeo.

First of all, I thought the video itself was really interesting and well done. The music is very fitting, and the still-frame animation gives it the perfect character for a story like this. He does a great job of changing the chords of the piano to match the scenes of the evil factory at just the right times. I love how Zeke created a cartoonish scene to tell a serious story.

The story draws you in and then almost instantly intensifies at the end. It's no happy-ending type of story, but I think there are some very interesting points that the creator may be trying to make. First of all, the factory is evil and creepy. It's cold, and is opposite to a real person making a hand-made product with care. The maker of the product has no relationship with the consumer.

The commercial is insightful. Ardor, the company selling souls, is targeting people who think that they can purchase personal character with money. These are the kind of people who associate identity with what they buy. The box says "Luxury Brand" on it, seemingly indicating that money and luxury are correlated with happiness and good character.

Then there's the lonely guy watching the commercial. He is either someone who thinks that having the next trendy product will make him happy and popular, or he is so beaten down by life that he'll try anything to change who he is. He could be both, and he may think that this product is the last resort to getting someone to love him. Either way, the person lacks confidence in his own character.

Finally, the installation of the new soul. The guy's depression, desperation and/or lack of confidence leads him to do something incredibly stupid, and it costs him his life. Because he didn't have a positive influence to rely on, he looked to the product to tell him how to be happier. Discernment requires self-confidence, so he was unable to recognize that he was getting hoaxed. Even more disturbing, the company knowingly handed him a suicidal lie for money.

Why do I like this story so much? It causes me to think about some problems that we all face. Sometimes we can be like Ardor, taking things for ourselves at the expense of others. Sometimes we can be like the buyer, convinced that material acquisitions will shortcut us to satisfaction. Sometimes we can be like the commercial when we flaunt material wealth and send the message to others that money makes us who we are.

Maybe we know someone who is struggling, and we can do something to help them escape the trap. We can recognize the hoax going on around us, and take some personal steps to stop it's propagation.

I'd be interested to hear all of your interpretations and opinions in the comments. Post up.