The Glove portrays the struggle of a homeless man as he tries to find a fitting glove for his left hand. Compassionate and realistic, the short is a compelling and touching account of greed, meanness, hope and modesty. Although some areas could have used improvement - particularly the editing and sound design - The Glove puts forward an emotional, empathetic perspective on the struggles of not having a home, especially in wintertime.

 

It’s Bucharest in winter. An old, homeless man is trying to find a glove for his left hand, his right hand being injured. In an attempt at buying one, the man comes across exorbitant prices. The only time he could afford a glove, the street vendor refuses to sell him only one. The film follows the emotional path which this vital quest has driven the man to. Disappointment, sadness, resignation, hope and happiness are some of the feelings that the unnamed man experiences during his pursuit.

 

The director, Vlad Dorofte, has managed to depict the character’s emotional turmoil without offering much detail about his life. Therefore, the character development is weak to nonexistent, since the storyline doesn’t reveal more than his short term quest for a glove. Although it succeeds in instilling empathy for the homeless man, the film’s emotional impact is not as strong as with a solid character development.

 

In terms of cinematography, the black and white picture - as neutral as it manages to be - contributes with a bleak tone to the general atmosphere. Employing either more contrast or cold blue tones could have helped enforce the sensitive mood of the film. The editing, as well, disrupts at times the film’s pace and is inconsistent all throughout. The fade to black transitions are particularly disruptive and harm the short’s atmosphere. Likewise, the sound design could have used some improvement: the choice of music is especially quirky since it doesn’t fit either with the plot development or atmosphere.

 

Be that as it may, The Glove is an unusually compassionate and sensitive short film. One of its main assets - besides the appearance of a renowned actor, Adrian Titieni - lays in its ability to instill powerful emotions. Although it doesn’t dig deep into the main character’s psychology, we are still moved to tears when he comes to the end of his quest. In the end, The Glove succeeds with almost entirely no dialogue in bringing close a character that could be closer to us than we might think.