The Gunfighter (Eric Kissack, 2014) is a 9-minute short film of a comedy/Western genre. The film revolves around a subversive twist of a stereotypical Western in which the narrator of the film can be heard by each of the characters. The film builds upon this gag in many creative ways, as we soon learn that the narrator is in fact omniscient and knows many humiliating details about each of the characters. The score later becomes diegetic, further breaking the fourth wall in a creative manner. The film results in a traditional Mexican standoff initiated by the narrator.
Kissack aptly utilises this gag in order to satirise the tropes of a stereotypical Western. He establishes the archetype of this widely overdone genre by carefully selecting an appropriately cliché score, as well as mise-en-scène (including the interior of the saloon and costume design) reminiscent of the genre. Kissack additionally satirises the racist attitudes typically depicted within the Western genre, due to the saloon having a black bartender who is appears to be fully accepted by the characters, which is a detail that the narrator comments on.
The omniscient narrator joke is introduced within the first minute of the film, which demonstrates the concise and pacy nature of the film. Due to this short duration, the one and only gag does not overstay its welcome and the film is over just as the joke becomes old. The final standoff is yet another ridicule of typical Western flicks.
I enjoyed The Gunfighter a considerable amount and it has demonstrated to me how a concise and enjoyable story can be told in a very short amount of time. I did, however, believe that the film’s reliance on the single joke created a very one-dimensional tone.
Otis Morley’s A-Level Film Studies Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.