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Title: Responsibilities
Synopsis: John is a lieutenant in a crime organisation. A major deal that he’s in charge of has gone terribly wrong. Now, people are coming to bring him to a final “meeting”. Does he stay loyal to the family or to himself?
Director: Yeo Han Hwee
Country: Singapore
Duration: 17min
Year: 2004
Rating: PG
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It reminded me an awful lot about a comic I read way back in 2001. A single issue. Short story anthology series are all but dead in comics. The comics world is moving towards a larger format of trade paperbacks and original graphic novels. More and more comics are created with an eye towards a longer story.
That’s what makes the story I mentioned above all the more remarkable. This book, in the span of 22 pages, told a story that stuck with me. It made me reconsider the art form of comics, taught me something new about narrative storytelling and basically it just moved me. 3 years later, I can still remember it vividly and hence this silly post.
The single issue that did it all for me was Spiderman: Tangled Web #4: Severance Package. Yes, Spider-Man turns up in one panel in this story, and the Kingpin is a significant player. But Rucka and Risso deliver something that many readers have been looking for from Marvel: a non-super-hero, non-Marvel-continuity-reliant tale.
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Editor:
Axel Alonso
Writer:
Greg Rucka (Famous Crime Fiction writer before his acclaimed stint on comics)
Pencils/Inks:
Eduardo Risso
Sep 2001
It's late at night, and the Cochrane household is slowly preparing for bed when the phone rings. Tom Cochrane picks up the phone and is told to turn on the TV. There is a news report playing about the capture of some illegal weapons worth "in the millions of dollars range." The camera briefly pans over the silhouette of a figure sticking to the wall, watching the arrest. Tom sighs, hanging up the phone with a "nice knowing you, too." His wife is concerned, and a little frightened, as Tom admits that the weapon sale was his job. He failed, and now he'll have to answer for that failure.
The phone rings again. This time it's Wilson Fisk. A man named Ritchie will be by to pick him up in about an hour.
As his wife watches incredulously, Tom goes to take a shower, shaving and putting on his best suit. He takes a minute with each of his boys, tucking them back in. He goes down to the kitchen with his wife begging him not to go. "He's going to kill you, Tom, you know that!" "Yeah," Tom says, "yeah, he is. Could I get a cup of coffee before I go?"
Tom slowly sips his coffee, while his wife begs him to fight back, run, go to the cops, anything. Tom refuses, telling her that this is what he signed on for. The family is set financially. All too soon the doorbell rings, and its Ritchie. Tom kisses his tearful wife goodbye and leaves his home.
As Ritchie drives him, the two talk. Tom asks if that "Chinatown thing" got fixed, and Ritchie admits that it hasn't but that the Kingpin said he'd give him another chance. The car finally arrives at Fisk tower and Ritchie tells Tom he will escort him to the top.
"It won't be necessary, Ritchie." Before the startled kid knows what's happening, Tom bashes his face into the driver's side window, steals his gun, and blows his brains out. "There are no second chances, kid."
Tom walks through the empty lobby, taking the elevator up to the penthouse, and soon finds himself standing before the Kingpin. Fisk asks Tom if he knows why he's here, and Tom admits he saw the bust on the news. He also admits his guilt. He takes out the gun and Kingpin asks if it's Ritchie's. "After what happened with his Chinatown sale, I figured that's why you sent him." The Kingpin nods.
His nerve breaking for a moment, Tom asks the Kingpin for a favor: "please let my family live." The Kingpin doesn't respond, just orders Tom to move to the front of the desk. He tells Tom to attack him, staging the scene to make it look like he's defending himself. Tom does so, and the Kingpin quickly snaps his neck.
After dropping Tom Cochrane's dead body to the floor, the Kingpin pulls out a cellular phone. The man on the other end asks, "do I go in?" "No," Kingpin replies. "Leave the Cochrane family alone. They're done."
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Doesn't it make for a fantastic short film? If anything, I'll be willing to bet my bottom dollar that this is the rough outline that 'Responsibilities' is set out with. Ugh. Does he actually think he'll get away with it? Hmmm. I guess apparently so. Hopefully Rucka is credited. Then again. Singaporeans. Copy and paste only. Anybody wants to check it out, schedule's below.
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Singapore Shorts Finalists
Screening Schedule:
April 16th Saturday:
11am – 2pm (Finalists)
2pm – 7pm (Non-Finalists)
7pm – 9pm (Finalists)
9pm – 11pm (Non-Finalists)
April 17th Sunday:
11am – 11pm (Non-Finalists)
In 1991, the Silver Screen Awards were introduced with the aim of creating awareness of the rich filmmaking talents throughout Asia as well as paving the way for a viable Singapore film industry. This year, over 70 entries have been received for the Best Singapore Short Film category. Screenings are held at the Goethe-Institut, 163 Penang Road, #05-01 Winsland House 2, Singapore 238463. Admission is Free.
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Film fest website is www.filmfest.org.sg/
