Depth (2022)

Living Deep in the Closet

As its name suggests, 'Depth' (its pinyin is shēn chù) is a Chinese film that addresses the complexity of being gay and living deep in the closet.
The 2022 short film portrays the story of Yi Ran, a gay boy played by Zeng Huaiyi. Through this character, Chinese screenwriter and director Ding Yuhan explores internalized homophobia. Yi Ran lives out his sexual identity by working in a bar and pretending to be happy with a girlfriend, played by actress Lu Meishan.
But the sudden visit of Zhou Mu (played by Shang Guolong) disrupts Yi Ran's life, and when feelings explode and he can no longer control his desire, his closely guarded secret may be exposed.
'Depth' problematizes the issue of sexual diversity and the lack of acceptance of one's own sexual orientation. Its 10-minute runtime is sufficient to expose the typical behaviors and negative emotions of closeted gay people, such as fear, shame, disgust, anxiety, low self-esteem, and avoidance or denial of everything related to their homosexual orientation due to the fear of being rejected.
Yue Zongao's beautiful cinematography and Xu Qiang's photography contribute to reflecting internalized homophobia, which is nothing more than the rejection or non-acceptance of one's own homosexuality.
The final images serve as a metaphor for the fear many homosexuals suffer from recognizing their sexual identity.

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Story: About a guy pretending to be straight by snatching himself a beard, but someone comes along and threatens to reveal his disguise.

Acting/Cast: Mediocre as expected of non-professionals, but putting in quite the effort.

Music: Forgetful.

Rewatch Value: Maybe if you care for it, but most likely not.

Overall Impression: One boy is definitely playing up his straightness, whether out of fear or to incite jealousy, is the question, or maybe a little bit of both. While the other determines to disrupt this lie. I am all for pain-pine-pitiful bouts of unrequited or requited love, but the violence between the two boys, only exasperated their misunderstanding towards each other.
The end scene, while poignant, serves an indication that some people will just run away from their feelings rather than confront them. The message of the film became muddy and convoluted when the execution wasn't up to par.

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