Alone: Short Film Review
“What would it mean to marry someone behind bars?” That is the question that is posed by filmmaker Garrett Bradley. Alone, a New York Times “op-doc”, is a documentary directed by Garrett Bradley about a woman whose lover has been incarcerated for over a year. He proposes to her and she says yes, although her fiancé’s future hangs in limbo. This question and scenario are often posed by some people in jest, to see how “ride or die” they are for their loved ones. However, Bradley’s real-life documentary is much more serious and much sadder. Bradley uses this real scenario to not only show the difficulty of such a layered discourse, but also how this mirrors being broken up during slavery.
The film begins with the woman, whose name is Aloné (coincidentally), as she wakes up, reaching over in bed and not being with her lover, Desmond. Bradley says this feeling in the morning is what made him realize that loneliness can be measured by heat (or lack thereof). Aloné is alone, as she clutches for warmth from her pillows. She narrates about her and Desmond and how she misses him. Desmond is incarcerated in a private prison in New Orleans for nonviolent charges. He’s been in prison for over 12 months and still awaits an unscheduled trial. Due to the prison’s rules, Aloné isn’t even able to see Desmond. So, he tells her over the phone how much he misses her and needs her, then he proposes to her. Aloné says yes because she misses Desmond as well and wants him in her life.
What Bradley excellently displays in this piece, is that in spite of its documentary-style medium the film imprints a very personal and painful story upon the viewer. The film is shot in black and white, with a diversive coloring throughout. Many scenes in the film are bright and softly contrasted, paralleling with the orchestra’s string arrangements. Aloné’s voice, although saying depressing things at times, is light and she herself is hopeful of a future with Desmond. However, Bradley is able to reign in the brightness of the film and return you to reality. He brilliantly cuts the music and amplifies the exterior sounds when Aloné speaks to Desmond’s attorney about his case. He does the same thing when she goes to see her mother and sister to tell them she accepted Desmond’s proposal. In this scene particularly, Bradley doesn’t bring the camera into the house with Aloné. We just hear her sister screaming at her about the harsh realities of her situation. She reminds Aloné that she still has a life of her own to live and that she shouldn’t waste it waiting for Desmond who may serve an even longer sentence than she can fathom. We also can hear her mother’s disappointment in hearing her daughter’s news. Bradley then cuts the music back on as Aloné exits the house quietly, with tears in her eyes.
A woman Aloné speaks to compares this situation between Aloné and Desmond to how families during the centuries of slavery were torn apart from each other. Bradley, himself, says that this was part of the reason he wanted to make this film. “Instead of a whip, they use time to break you.” Is what the woman tells Aloné. Desmond has been incarcerated over a year, for nonviolent charges, and can’t even see the woman he wants to marry. The issue here is that the charges are nonviolent, and it’s never said exactly what Desmond was charged for, but knowing they are nonviolent, it’s safe to say that this an example of systematic abuse, which is why Bradley says it is comparable to slavery. He brings light to the horrors of the system and private prisons and how they treat their prisoners – stripping them of their rights, and particularly their right to fair due process.
Aloné and Desmond must hang in limbo as they await his trial and sentencing, holding onto their love. It’s all they have. Alone is only a small glimpse into what loved ones must endure in these situations, but it is still very powerful. It’s a love story. A sad one, but hopeful still. Alone was the winner of the Short Film Jury Award in Non-Fiction at the 2017 Sundance Festival. Garrett Bradley’s filmmaking and Aloné and Desmond’s story are powerful and well deserving of this recognition.
