"The Black Button" is a seven minute film about a man who is brought into a strange room with no way out. He is confronted with a heavy choice: to kill someone and take $10,000 or leave and go back to where he was with no money.
This story has no narrator; it really tells itself as a dialogue between a confused man, Mr. Robinson and a seemingly knowledgeable man.
I think that the more knowledgeable man, the one "in charge" is the the "narrator" of these stories, for he guides the other man, pressures him, and tells him the truth at the end. The knowledgeable one is the one with all of the knowledge and power in this film, so it would make sense that he is also guiding the plot to an extent.
There are no spectators, which puts more pressure on Mr. Robinson, for it is his choice alone and the pressure is building on him. The loneliness emphasizes how much of a personal decision Mr. Robinson is making, telling much about his character. Also, it means no one is judging him, so they cannot influence his decision.
We provide the information that Mr. Robinson is probably a desperate man who is having a tough time supporting himself and his family. Also, we think that Mr. Robinson is probably in a mystical place, judging by his surprise at being in that white room, making us wonder what will happen.
Time is mostly chronological, but it does have one flashback. The film throws the audience into a strange position that is obviously unfamiliar to Mr. Robinson, and then recounts how he got into that position at the end of the film when the climax is reached. I thought that rearrangement was really effective, because it draws the audience into the story at the beginning, and then brings in a semi surprising twist to the whole story. I say semi because the surreal setting alludes to some kind of strange event happening to make Mr. Robinson be in such a setting. Time seems to be presented in a classic way, but it might be slightly formalistic.
The genre is probably psychological, for it studies the base instincts and ambitions of human beings, while also appealing to the human conscience and faith. This one highlights the conflict between desperation and conscience. The genre evolves from psychological to also an allegory of following your conscience and avoiding avarice.
The social context is a growing amount of consumerism that may create greed, but this could be an important lesson in any time period. Also, the faith mentioned in this film could be trying to reinforce the strength of faith in a time with mainstream atheism and agnosticism.
This narrative shows the universal human traits of having a conscience, desperation, greed, and regret despite being in a mystical/surreal environment.
Overall, a classic story of conscience vs. desperation with horrible consequences.
