Yellow is set in the macho and unimportant world of amateur dirt- track racing. The crowds are small, the stakes are low, but the risks can be high. The film plays out a driver seeking to do better to please his boss, and do more on the track. It is a simple narrative in some ways, but it plays out very much on its tone and atmosphere. There is a grittiness to this small world which is tangible – it feels like a real place and time, and doesn't just leave the viewer as an observer. The dark presentation and the ominous soundtrack help it with this, and where it counts the film is impressive with the racing scenes.
Technically these are great (from the sound design through to the look and sense of being in the car) but they add to the drama and tension building across the characters. The film builds well across its running time – which is quite long for a short film with limited dialogue, but yet it easily sustains the time. The payoff is a brutal conclusion that is impressive on several levels, and is well served by the credits letting it all linger in the same ominous way that it had been built.
