Stark and brutal, Ave Maria is Skip Shea’s silent short film that depicts a torture scene in a New England wood, where the victim is a man of the cloth.
David Graziano plays the aforementioned clergyman, who awakens to find himself tied naked to a chair, without a seat, surrounded by masked women wielding some eye-wincingly terrifying tools. With nothing but Alessandro Moreschi’s “Ave Maria” playing in the background, the man is subjected to horrific violence (not on camera), in a frank response to the controversial topic of sex abuse committed by religious officials.
With the style of the short film harking back to classic silent cinema, Ave Maria has an engrossing combination of whimsical aloofness and dark horror. The violent and disturbing scenes of torture and ritual are carried out in a way which seems incredibly uncomfortable against the natural backdrop of the woods, and the crackling sounds of “Ave Maria”. This essence of unnatural tension reinforces the themes of the story perfectly.
A special mention must be given to Director of Photography Nolan Yee - whose splendid use of close-ups and an array of framing techniques make the film a visual treat.
The masked woman may have been more effective had they shed their anonymity at some point, making a gesture for the victims of such atrocious crimes. This would also have developed the story beyond a simple revenge fantasy.
That being said, Shea’s film is deeply troubling (in a good way), and Graziano delivers a strong performance as the lead, yet doomed, character. Aurora Grabill is also worth watching, in a role which seems bewilderingly intriguing.
Fans of short films and classic cinema will be in their element with Shea’s affecting and thought-provoking movie, although squeamish viewers may want to bring a bag.
Male viewers will probably want to cross their legs.
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