Alink filmed in black and white. While the colors were limited to mixtures of tints and shades, there was vibrancy within each frame throughout the movie. Cinematographer Thomas van der Gronde along with Alink masters textures, color, and light by highlighting the range of grays within the black and white spectrum utilizing patterns on clothing and a well-managed set design.
Alink did not use many different shots for each scene. Instead many of his scenes were long cuts, with some going to roughly three minutes for a single cut, which intensified the drama and suspense of the film. Slowly watching Tom experience the world around him makes the viewer almost beg for a break and resolution in the scene. The resolve is not always given as the story aggressively plays on the pushover and can’t-let-go flaws of Keizer’s character.
While not all cuts were long, these long shots brought depth to each of the frames. Furthermore, the perspective of the camera immerses the viewer into the scene, taking what could be the perspective from one of Tom’s crewmembers or another friend. The shots stray away from over-the-shoulder and stay in more close-up or medium shots to play into the immersion. The black and white also enhance the immersion by creating light sources within the scene instead of viewer-directed light.
The camera in many stationary placements moved focus between foreground to background seamlessly and with little distraction to the conversation, showcasing the cinematographer and crew’s skill. The movement of camera focus emphasized the acting and dialogue. The dialogue was rich and meaningful, and the beats between lines were filled with intensity on the actors’ faces.
The camera does not lie, and in black and white it could not be more true. This film could have shown many of the actors’ mistakes but through each scene, whether long or short, the actors brought an applause-worthy performance. In some dark moments throughout the film, the actors showed the truth behind some facets of the gay community and displayed realistic ecstasy, guilt, shame, and brokenness. Tom and Ajani explore the intimacy of gay sex with on-screen intercourse and a scene with notabally more nudity. Maneuvering the nuances of gay sex, Tom and Ajani quickly learn what sex is without each other.
