Today is the eighth anniversary of the death of "Brother". Mr. Deng Guangrong, the "student prince" who once invested in "The True Story", also died of illness two days ago. From last night to this morning, I have been listening to the online program "A Feifei" and Wong Kar-wai's works about missing "Brother", and also watching "A Single Man" directed by Tom Ford. . .
The background of the story is Los Angeles, where the Cuban Missile Crisis had just occurred in 1962. The protagonist, George, is a British immigrant who teaches English literature at the university. After his gay lover of 16 years, Jim, died unexpectedly in a car accident, he indulged in grief and despair all day long. One day, he decides to settle down and kill himself. But Kenny, a student who had long admired him, broke into his life that day, pulling him back from the abyss of despair like an angel sent to save him by his dead love. Unexpectedly, just as he was gratefully preparing to start embracing a new life. . .
The film exudes the taste of post-war America in terms of the characters' costumes, hairstyles, makeup and music. Behind the rapid economic development and material abundance, there are hidden concerns about "communism", "homosexuality", "ethnic minorities" and "pop culture". In such a social atmosphere, besides the death of his lover, the most suffocating thing for the protagonist is the loneliness that swallows him like an abyss. The director also expresses this through the image of being underwater. feel.
The music and characters in the film have a strong nostalgic flavor, and the handling of details, colors and rhythms are reminiscent of Wong Kar-wai's films. One of the highlights is Carlos played by Tom Ford's new favorite Spanish supermodel jon kortajarena. His appearance is the director's nostalgia for James Dean, a handsome man who symbolizes rebelliousness and love for his mother. A tribute to Wong Kar Wai's "The True Story", because a stranger's nostalgia for his hometown/past/lover is also the main theme of Wong Kar Wai's films. According to him, the reason why these memories are described in the movie is because he is afraid that he will soon forget it. Therefore, in his works, the description of video objects is far more specific than the narrative of the story. He uses films to create an atmosphere that allows people to experience the world in which the protagonist lives as if he were there. He does not use logic to tell stories, but uses images and music to tell stories about time. And Tom Ford also expressed his views on time through the book "After Many a Summer" (Aldous Huxley) mentioned in the movie, Kenny's conversation with George in the bar, and a passage from Charley.
Last but not least, when George is with Jim, Kenny, and Charley, the picture changes from indifferent gray to warm colors, implying that these are people who have a special meaning for the protagonist's life.
The whole film has nudity, but there is no pornography and sex scenes, but it still portrays love and affection in a beautiful and moving way, worthy of the talented Tom Ford.
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