An indescribable movie. Let’s call it a road film, with endless mountains and roads, and different people on the road. There are indeed elements of road films, but they are not quite like road films: calmly describe the experiences of people on the road. , no violence and bloodshed, no suspense and killing. The camera seems to be covered with a layer of fog, and all the plots are unfolded in a slow and dense atmosphere. It is neither rushed nor slow, neither humble nor arrogant, but it attracts you to read the story of a paragraph and a character. Let’s call it a feature film. There are various wanderers who keep appearing, and one after another of their little stories. The heroine records and feels other people and herself like a bystander. There is no coherent plot and relatively large plot points. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is a documentary. From the perspective of the heroine, the film records everything from the beginning of her nomadic life to what she encountered on the road. The end of the film returns to the place where she started, which seems to be the connection between the road and the soul. A return to reflection. The Land of Nowhere is so special, more like a poem for the homeless, which makes people ponder and have endless aftertastes.
In terms of lens language, everything in the film is basically presented from the perspective of the heroine, allowing the audience to naturally follow the heroine's journey, perspective, and mood fluctuations. The heroine's journey naturally promotes the development of the plot. I think this is a relatively simple method. The main line is clear and clear, which naturally brings the audience into the perspective and position of the heroine, and starts this nomadic life with her in the future.
Judging from the color tone of the film, it is not too sunny and gray, as if the lens is covered with a layer of fog. After reading the original book of Nowhere, it is not difficult to find that this color tone is also in line with the current situation of the film or the contemporary American RV family. Once on the road, it is difficult for them to go back to the house, what is the future? Still on the road. The gray between black and white represents the greatest desolation and loneliness in the universe.
The cast of the film, apart from Mrs. Cohen, other homeless people, such as Linda May, are real characters and homeless people. It is the greatest reality to let them perform themselves. The casting of such actors, It can also allow other actors to penetrate into the vast group of homeless people and find their place.
I have to say that the director is very good at digging out the core of ordinary people and things: every homeless person has their own story. The head of the homeless lost his son, and the wife of Cohen lost her husband. Between heaven and earth, their hearts have nowhere to rest. Combining with the original work, we know that although many of them were forced to become RVers because of economic distress, they still have a rich heart. For example, an old lady suffering from cancer mentioned that she saw the beauty of swallows on the road. Later, she recorded a video and sent it to Mrs. Cohen. She passed away soon after. The homeless gathered around the fire and each threw a stone at her to give her a eulogy (she loved stones during her lifetime). I think this plot is extremely romantic, and the sincerity of human nature displayed in ordinary life is moving. I think this is probably the most attractive part of this movie.
Heidegger once said: poetically inhabit the earth. Facing the "U.S. dollar tyranny" mentioned in the film, and facing people who actively or passively choose to wander, Zhao Ting uses her method to present their hearts. Quoting the most classic sentence of the film: See you down the road. I think this is a reflection on you and me.
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