Sam Mendes's family is always in a state of disintegration, Lester is shot in "American Beauty", his wife Caroline almost commits a murder, and his daughter briefly elopes with the boy next door, Richie; "Revolution" The Weller couple in "The Road" both had extramarital affairs, and Mrs. Weller eventually died of a private abortion, leaving Mr. Weller guarding the mutilated home. The relationship between husband and wife in this director's family movies is always tense and bad, with constant conflict and gunpowder, which is unbearable like a nightmare. "American Beauty" is always sad but not sad, tragic but not miserable, "Revolutionary Road" goes further and more thoroughly, filled with the breath of despair. In the last scene of "Revolutionary Road", the old man turns off his hearing aids and silences his wife's nagging. This gradually silent scene is more impactful than the gunshot behind Lester's head in "American Beauty". Let people see the ferocious side of marriage. The family is divided and the husband and wife are in the same hatred. It is not because the family members are heinous, cruel and tyrannical. They are all kind people in essence. The director tries to make people see that the occurrence of these marriage and family tragedies is not just a personal problem. It is the problem of the entire society, the problem of the entire Western civilization. Sam Mendes embodies metaphysical thinking and criticism in these common themes of men and women who eat and drink.
If the keyword of "American Beauty" is "beauty", then the keyword of "Revolutionary Road" is undoubtedly "Paris". Paris is a city and a cultural symbol. This symbol has gained worldwide popularity and is a holy place in the minds of many people, just like Jerusalem in the minds of the three major religions. The elegant and the arty, the romantic and the pseudo-romantic, the dreamy and the delusional, a lot of people make Paris their destination, they're not in Paris, they're on their way to Paris. Mrs. Wheeler, who lives on Revolution Road, is one of them.
Western culture is an enterprising culture, with the traditional Faustian spirit of never being satisfied, always pursuing, and always improving. In contemporary times, the existential philosophy that emphasizes intervention and action without hope is regarded as the standard, whether traditional or not. In modern times, Western philosophies all encourage "active" and actively join the WTO. Kafka read "Lao Tzu" and couldn't understand it, and finally said, "My IQ is too low." Eastern philosophy persuades people to "look at the peak and rest their hearts", while Western philosophy makes a tragic declaration: the struggle to reach the top is enough to enrich a person's soul, and we should imagine that Sisyphus is happy. This kind of action-oriented philosophy has also penetrated into the daily life of Europeans and Americans, and the philosophers of the past dynasties also gave warnings to people's lives. Kant said: The unexamined life is not worth living. So secular men and women have a lot of anxiety and dissatisfaction after reviewing their own lives, so the mid-life crisis comes.
When it comes to mid-life crisis, it seems to be the patent of men, but it is not the case. Women also have mid-life crisis, and sometimes its severity is not inferior to that of men. Mrs. Kramer in "Mrs. Kramer" is a very talented designer herself. After becoming a housewife, she became trapped in household chores and became like a mother and a nanny. She obviously did not agree with such a role. In order to get rid of her own crisis, she ran away, divorced, found a new job with a salary that was a little higher than her husband's, and fought for the custody of her children. Through the struggle, she gained a world to display her talents and realized her self-worth and society. value. Francesca in "Last Dreams of the Covered Bridge" is also a housewife, her life is suffocated by the dull rural life, lack of vitality, and muddleheaded, but who cares about the midlife crisis of a country housewife, photographer Robert Kincaid The arrival of her life gave her a ray of life, four days of lingering death, a lifetime of unforgettable, devoted love once, and after the flames passed, guarding the remaining warmth of the ashes, she could also comfort the rest of her life. In "Two Sex, Three Traces", Lori is very busy with her husband and her son, but her husband is very sexual and steals everywhere. He is a recidivist and a stubborn anti-reform fighter. Lori holds the flag of treason high in the crisis. , invited Mary Jo, a lesbian who happened to pass by, into the house and lived a threesome life. This trick actually worked. The husband was obedient and frightened. Lori's problem was solved in a very different way. After examining their own lives, these women took action, and their anxiety and crisis were more or less resolved. And Mrs. Weller in "Revolutionary Road" is also middle-aged, and she also has her inner demons. Her early dream of being an actress was stranded. Under the influence of empathy, she turned to shape her husband. The job she loves, and she escaped from the stagnant suburban life with her, and went to Paris with her family to start a new life. Heidegger said: People, to live poetically. Mrs. Weller no doubt obeyed. However, the philosopher only made demands, but did not provide the means to achieve the goal. Mrs. Wheeler's idea was: go to Paris. The immigration plan seemed to be going well, but then obstacles appeared one after another, from a husband's promotion to a promising job, to an unplanned pregnancy, and a trip to Paris became a distant prospect. Mrs. Wheeler's vision of life was always unfulfilled, and in resentment, she aborted herself and bled to death. Mrs. Wheeler was too restless in the crisis, she acted out of her mind, she didn't solve the crisis, the crisis solved her. Writer Mu Xin said that Western culture is an anxiety-type culture, without the “cool and cool” oriental culture. Mrs. Weller upholds the spirit of Faust and follows the teachings of Western philosophers.
Obviously, even if the Wheeler family arrives in Paris, they may not be able to live the life represented by the word "Paris". Mrs. Wheeler may not be able to find a well-paid secretary job as she said, and it may be difficult to make a living in a foreign land. Not as peaceful and serene as American suburban life. Paris does have an irresistible temptation, but Paris is always there, on earth, it doesn't fly away, if you want to go to Paris, there is always a chance in your lifetime. Mr. Weller is engaged in the computer industry, which is very promising. After more than ten years of hard work, it is not difficult to become a millionaire. Then, if Mrs. Weller's plan is implemented, he can live a "Paris" life in Paris smoothly. And Mrs. Wheeler, who was born in an anxious cultural matrix, would not have such a long-term plan.
Perfection, passion, dreams, love, distance, eternity, including Paris, are all beautiful words, and they are all worth pursuing, but they are also dangerous words. If you want to get close to them, you need to pay a high price. Let them stay between lips and teeth.
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