Writer/director Nanak McCann’s subtle short film A Rosary and a Diamond Ring resonates with its realism. The film takes place in San Francisco in 1971. Two soldiers – Joe (Byron Thomas) and Butch (Freddy Ramsey Jr.) – share Vietnam war stories in a bar. There’s humor, pathos and a shred of wistfulness in their tales. “I remember all the itching and scratching – but it wasn’t from the ants,” Butch says. Before they part ways, Joe gives Butch his prize possession – his mother’s rosary necklace, which he believes protected him in war.
At home, Joe surprises his mom Virginia (Chene Lawson). She’s ecstatic, rushing to make him breakfast, but Joe quickly becomes concerned that the child she knew has been changed forever. Joe experiences nightmares, flashbacks to the horrors of war: the piercing sound of bullets, his abandoned pregnant girlfriend, penetrating screams. Upon waking, he has a quiet breakfast with mom. “How long was I sleeping?” he asks. “Almost twenty hours,” she replies.
The film ends somewhat abruptly, seemingly right when it touches upon something deep and incisive. It almost feels like an excerpt, a beginning of a feature-length film, a sneak peek. Perhaps McCann’s goal was to specifically focus on that moment when returned soldiers wonder how long it will take to leave the war behind. The answer is pretty evident: never.
The acting from the three leads is fantastic. Joe and Butch’s camaraderie is apparent. Thomas delivers a subtle, poignantly introverted performance. Lawson also displays majestic acting skills. Her initial happiness, and then concern, evident with minute expression changes.
A Rosary and a Diamond Ring touches upon the effects of PTSD, the horrors of war, and reestablishing yourself back at home – but it feels a bit unfinished. Perhaps if McCann focused on a starker aspect of PTSD, or a powerful incident, then the film would stand out even more. Instead, the filmmaker just documents a soldier’s quiet return home. Perhaps that’s enough.
