By Jeff Kubik
…murder.
Soft for Digging is a film of few words. In fact, in the course of this 74-minute film, there are fewer than five minutes of dialogue. It just goes to show that well-executed cinema can say a lot without a single word.
Elderly Virgil Manoven’s world is solitary and simple, isolated among a forest of skeletal autumn trees against the backdrop of perpetual dawn. This silent world of seclusion is shattered, however, by a chance encounter in the forest as he searches for his only companion, his cat.
Virgil watches in horror as a man and child carry a body into the forest for burial. He then witnesses the murder of the child, strangled by a length of rope. Proving the existence of either murder is impossible, however, leaving Virgil tormented by visions that urge him to uncover the truth.
…find my murderer…
In Digging, we see a brilliant effort by director/producer/screenwriter J.T. Penny to create an unsettling and absorbing feel using a minimalist approach that emphasizes powerful images over dynamic characters and situations. Without sound cues, the film forces the audience to become an active part of the narrative, therefore allowing them to become absorbed in the story.
Frightening because it’s so involving, conjecture and uncertainty allow this film to be unsettling without directly attempting to scare the audience.
Digging is, of course, an independent film and not to be confused with any movie containing razor-sharp claws or well-used machetes. There are no screaming co-eds or elaborate prosthetic monsters. Soft for Digging is slow, deliberate and thoroughly engrossing. This film is a work of art and, like all great artwork, it is deeply affecting.
Boo.
In the Off the Beaten Path category, catch this horror at CSIF (Currie Barracks) Oct. 5 at 9:00 p.m.