What good are riches when affection is absent at the end of one’s life? That is the thesis that the short film For I Am Dead operates under—a magnificent countryside chateau serving as its backdrop for what is a true-to-form lurid period drama from writer/director Patricia Delso Lucas. Starring Al Nazemian as a wealthy and eccentric patrician named Oscar, who is drowning himself in the excesses of booze and the company of courtesans, who quickly begins to pine for the company of his young gardener Jude (Riggsby Lane).
Making good on the promise of its 1800’s setting, the short is an exemplary showcase of superb set design by Lucas, costume design by Miguel Penaranda, and the special effects. The location itself is gorgeous. A large rural estate with large, ornate halls and candlelight flickering in the background of nearly every frame. And while not outright gaudy like Oscar’s lavish living might suggest, the room’s emptiness and wide-open spaces accentuate the fact that this man is truly, deeply alone.
Nazemian is in terrific form, carefully constructing the persona of Oscar through his magnetic screen presence and narrations. His introduction in particular is haunting, as a handheld camera glides across the faces and bodies of the women he spends his nights with. The screenplay can sometimes come across as being a bit heavy-handed with its dialogue, especially when Oscar and Jude collide on their differing opinions of wealth and class—an extended exchange that feels a touch stilted from the gardener’s perspective. Some of the creative choices made in editing and voiceovers can take some time to adjust to for first-time viewers, who might need a little time to adjust to the short’s unique tone. That doesn’t mean none of it works, though; on the contrary, the film is imbued with the perfect blend of dark humor and bitter self-awareness, much like modern classics like The Favourite.
Where the short really comes together is in its gradual descent into darkness: a buildup that feels earned through Nazemian’s fantastic characterization. He’s not exactly afraid of death, but he’s certainly apprehensive about the idea of it. A nobleman with everything to lose and yet, despite circumstances, doesn’t feel the pressure of it at all. It’s a fascinating dichotomy that Lucas is able to conjure, and it’s that very dynamic that keeps this award-winning short compulsively watchable—culminating in a standout sequence that finds Oscar wandering the dim corridors of his manor, accompanied by a chilling arrangement composed by Tom Bourgeois that reaches a fever pitch.
For I Am Dead is an acquired taste of a short film, but it’s a powerful and eerie period piece featuring strong thematic appeal and a commanding lead performance from Al Nazemian.
