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Two & Two
Directed by Iranian director Babak Anvari, Two & Two in my opinion has to be one of the best short films ever made. At only six minutes long, it is the ultimate proof that it doesn't matter how long a film is so long as it tells the narrative compellingly in its running time. Two & Two tells its story better than many films that take two hours and a half to tell theirs (I'm looking at you, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen). Unsurprisingly the short film was nominated for a BAFTA in 2011 for 'Best Short Film, where disappointingly it lost to Pitch Black Heist (directed by John Maclean).
The film takes place during a Maths lesson at a school in Iran. The teacher (Bijan Daneshmand) begins to scribble a familiar sum on the blackboard - two plus two - however instead of teaching that it equals four, the school kids are told that the answer is five and are instructed to repeat the (wrong) answer. One kid (Ravi Karimi) rebels against the teacher, refusing to learn that two plus two equals five when he knows the answer is four. The teacher refuses to back down and brings in a group of older students to reinforce his teaching.
One of the things I love about this short is its extremely powerful allusion to Iran dictatorship. The entire short is basically a metaphor for the Iranian army and the country's powers-that-be and the way that it tells that metaphor is extremely clever. One scene shows the older students use their hands as guns; whilst that may sound silly, in context it is actually extremely unsettling and highlights the horrors of life in a country run by a dictatorship. Then there's the central concept of 'two plus two equals five'; by using a sum everyone is familiar with and knows the answer to it successfully evokes its message in a simple and thought-provoking way. We all know two plus two equals five so when we see children forced to learn it we are made to question whether because a figure with the most authority in a certain scenario says something is correct if it necessarily makes it 'right'.
Then there's the sheer simplicity of the short film. There's no fancy cinematography, no multiple locations...it's simply just a group of schoolchildren in a maths lesson with a teacher. Many may read this and think 'Wow, that doesn't sound very exciting' - but it's the mundanity of the location that makes it relatable. Two & Two is essentially a story that relocates the political situation of Iran into an environment that we all have had to sit through at some point. Everything that happens in the narrative is at a very human, very grounded level and this helps to evoke a bigger sense of shock at the events which unfold over the course of the film. Who hasn't known - or even been - that kid in the classroom who challenges the teacher? Who hasn't known that stern, by-the-book type of teacher who won't take any nonsense from his pupils? Sure, the teacher in this case may be crueller than your standard battleaxe but it is still something we can all relate to with our school experiences.
It is a short that's extremely well-directed by Babak Anvari. The way that the older students come in draws direct parallels to the way a soldier would stand to attention - and that's all thanks to the way Babak Anvari has blocked them to walk in, arms behind back as though its the teacher's army awaiting orders. The motion where the students then pose their hands as though firing shot guns is also very slick; everything has clearly been very well-rehearsed before shooting. It's not your simple 'two fingers to represent a gun' either; they actually mime holding a gun and focusing on their target to aim. It's remarkable how precise and to-detail everything is.
This is all complemented by the excellent use of sound. The way the sound of gunfire for example is juxtaposed with the hands of the older students help makes the aftermath of the short all the more powerful and the decision to have composer Gavin Cullen's music only during the credits of the film means the focus is kept primarily on the shock of the events in the classroom whilst also emphasising the mundanity of a maths lesson. This ongoing conflict with the mundane and the sinister two plus two is five situation creates a sort of irony to what is supposed to be a place of learning. This school is no more an educational institution than it is a prison, the maths lesson being more a mindless brainwashing session than actual teaching.
Two & Two has no major actors but that is probably a good thing, as it would arguably distract from the plot if, say, Gary Oldman was playing the teacher and Tom Holland the student. Instead the parts are played by Iranian actors and it feels more authentic for it. Every one of the actors does a great job, from the older students to the kid at the end who scribbles the number five from his book. By far the best actor is Bijan Daneshmand as the teacher. He has a real disturbing quality not dissimilar to Alan Rickman as Professor Snape and you get the impression that he is the last teacher you would want to get on the wrong side of. Bijan Daneshamnd's teacher is cold, menacing and extraordinarily creepy - the most hatable, nightmarish teacher you could possibly imagine. He's the worst person you could have teaching a boring and sometimes frustrating subject like Maths...and not just because of the way he insists that two plus two doesn't equal four (although admittedly that does make him a poor teacher - what would Ofsted think?).
Overall, Two & Two is one of those short films you absolutely have to see. It is a storytelling masterpiece, masterful in the way it keeps its elements simplistic and uses the combination of picture and sound to represent the horrors of countries run by dictatorships. Babak Anvari has made the wise decision to set it all within a classroom - a situation we can all relate to. The acting is very strong, especially Bjan Daneshmand who is basically Two & Two's Professor Snape. Many directors should take note that you don't always need two hours and a half or three hours to tell a good story: sometimes all you need is six minutes. In those six minutes, Two & Two makes a bigger impact than any of Michael Bay's Transformers movies and showcases exactly what the cinematic medium can do in the right hands - and Babak Anvari is certainly one of those 'right hands'.
Directed by Iranian director Babak Anvari, Two & Two in my opinion has to be one of the best short films ever made. At only six minutes long, it is the ultimate proof that it doesn't matter how long a film is so long as it tells the narrative compellingly in its running time. Two & Two tells its story better than many films that take two hours and a half to tell theirs (I'm looking at you, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen). Unsurprisingly the short film was nominated for a BAFTA in 2011 for 'Best Short Film, where disappointingly it lost to Pitch Black Heist (directed by John Maclean).
The film takes place during a Maths lesson at a school in Iran. The teacher (Bijan Daneshmand) begins to scribble a familiar sum on the blackboard - two plus two - however instead of teaching that it equals four, the school kids are told that the answer is five and are instructed to repeat the (wrong) answer. One kid (Ravi Karimi) rebels against the teacher, refusing to learn that two plus two equals five when he knows the answer is four. The teacher refuses to back down and brings in a group of older students to reinforce his teaching.
One of the things I love about this short is its extremely powerful allusion to Iran dictatorship. The entire short is basically a metaphor for the Iranian army and the country's powers-that-be and the way that it tells that metaphor is extremely clever. One scene shows the older students use their hands as guns; whilst that may sound silly, in context it is actually extremely unsettling and highlights the horrors of life in a country run by a dictatorship. Then there's the central concept of 'two plus two equals five'; by using a sum everyone is familiar with and knows the answer to it successfully evokes its message in a simple and thought-provoking way. We all know two plus two equals five so when we see children forced to learn it we are made to question whether because a figure with the most authority in a certain scenario says something is correct if it necessarily makes it 'right'.
Then there's the sheer simplicity of the short film. There's no fancy cinematography, no multiple locations...it's simply just a group of schoolchildren in a maths lesson with a teacher. Many may read this and think 'Wow, that doesn't sound very exciting' - but it's the mundanity of the location that makes it relatable. Two & Two is essentially a story that relocates the political situation of Iran into an environment that we all have had to sit through at some point. Everything that happens in the narrative is at a very human, very grounded level and this helps to evoke a bigger sense of shock at the events which unfold over the course of the film. Who hasn't known - or even been - that kid in the classroom who challenges the teacher? Who hasn't known that stern, by-the-book type of teacher who won't take any nonsense from his pupils? Sure, the teacher in this case may be crueller than your standard battleaxe but it is still something we can all relate to with our school experiences.
It is a short that's extremely well-directed by Babak Anvari. The way that the older students come in draws direct parallels to the way a soldier would stand to attention - and that's all thanks to the way Babak Anvari has blocked them to walk in, arms behind back as though its the teacher's army awaiting orders. The motion where the students then pose their hands as though firing shot guns is also very slick; everything has clearly been very well-rehearsed before shooting. It's not your simple 'two fingers to represent a gun' either; they actually mime holding a gun and focusing on their target to aim. It's remarkable how precise and to-detail everything is.
This is all complemented by the excellent use of sound. The way the sound of gunfire for example is juxtaposed with the hands of the older students help makes the aftermath of the short all the more powerful and the decision to have composer Gavin Cullen's music only during the credits of the film means the focus is kept primarily on the shock of the events in the classroom whilst also emphasising the mundanity of a maths lesson. This ongoing conflict with the mundane and the sinister two plus two is five situation creates a sort of irony to what is supposed to be a place of learning. This school is no more an educational institution than it is a prison, the maths lesson being more a mindless brainwashing session than actual teaching.
Two & Two has no major actors but that is probably a good thing, as it would arguably distract from the plot if, say, Gary Oldman was playing the teacher and Tom Holland the student. Instead the parts are played by Iranian actors and it feels more authentic for it. Every one of the actors does a great job, from the older students to the kid at the end who scribbles the number five from his book. By far the best actor is Bijan Daneshmand as the teacher. He has a real disturbing quality not dissimilar to Alan Rickman as Professor Snape and you get the impression that he is the last teacher you would want to get on the wrong side of. Bijan Daneshamnd's teacher is cold, menacing and extraordinarily creepy - the most hatable, nightmarish teacher you could possibly imagine. He's the worst person you could have teaching a boring and sometimes frustrating subject like Maths...and not just because of the way he insists that two plus two doesn't equal four (although admittedly that does make him a poor teacher - what would Ofsted think?).
Overall, Two & Two is one of those short films you absolutely have to see. It is a storytelling masterpiece, masterful in the way it keeps its elements simplistic and uses the combination of picture and sound to represent the horrors of countries run by dictatorships. Babak Anvari has made the wise decision to set it all within a classroom - a situation we can all relate to. The acting is very strong, especially Bjan Daneshmand who is basically Two & Two's Professor Snape. Many directors should take note that you don't always need two hours and a half or three hours to tell a good story: sometimes all you need is six minutes. In those six minutes, Two & Two makes a bigger impact than any of Michael Bay's Transformers movies and showcases exactly what the cinematic medium can do in the right hands - and Babak Anvari is certainly one of those 'right hands'.