Some foreign film critics said that "Everything Is Lost" is a work full of "existentialist consciousness". All unnecessary details are omitted. An old man, who is he? where is he from? Why is he at sea? Does he have family waiting? None of this matters, nor does it provide any clues. The old man played by Robert Redford is actually an abstract concept of "person". This movie is only about the struggle of people to survive in an abstract sense.
However, the movie presents thick and rich in minimalism. The movie is full of details of the old man's various efforts to survive, and his actions are coherent and have a beginning and an end. Unlike most movies, the old man is shaped entirely by body language and expression. There is no story, no dialogue, and no supporting roles. Every body gesture and subtle expression performed by Redford is telling the old man's heart in a desperate situation. world. If you go deep in and observe this person, you will find that there are so many details that you can discover.
Not to mention the majestic seascapes presented in the film, and the mystery and horror captured by underwater photography.
This movie makes people naturally think of "The Boys' Pie", and I personally think that "Everything is Lost" is more profound and simple. There are at least CG tigers around the drifting youth pie, and there are various real or fake fantasy landscapes in front of them. The movie is full of symbols and images, and the author's philosophical thinking is vivid on the screen; and the old man drifting at sea, he is the only one. People and the sea are together, and the way of the film is forbearance without the slightest fiction. While "Pi" is romantic and philosophical, "Everything's Lost" is thoroughly realist.
At the same time, I will also think of "Gravity", which was released in the same period. It is also a story of a person surviving alone. "Gravity" uses space landscapes and CG special effects to distract the audience from understanding Sandra Brook's survival dilemma; "Everything is Lost" uses a basic The "real-time" narrative rhythm omits all unnecessary side branches, and the purer documentary approach is indeed more immersive and has a strong empathy for the elderly. I believe All Is Lost is a more powerful film than that. (For all the accolades "Gravity" has received, I personally think it's a bit of a misnomer.)
Of course, two literary works also come to mind, Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" and Defoe's "Moby Dick." The same is the lonely struggle of man at sea, but the two novels have a more metaphysical motive: conquest. And "Everything Is Lost" is very basic, all the efforts of the old man are only for his own survival. It also tells about the power of human will, but "Everything is Lost" removes the metaphysical high-level motivation, and presents the hard struggle for the most basic survival, which is actually more real and moving.
Reality is the basic tonality of "Everything Is Lost", and almost half of the "reality" in the movie was created by Redford alone. For a filmmaker of his level, it's almost pointless to talk about acting. What I admire even more is that a 77-year-old man with a great reputation, for such an experimental independent film (note that the director of this film is simply unknown), he will not hesitate to put himself into a miserable situation. He has become one with the characters. One of the charms of this film actually comes from the respect that people will inevitably give Redford.
Redford, who was handsome when he was young, has become a symbol of male power step by step since "The Tiger and Leopard". He didn't know when he suddenly got old, and during his middle age, he played many roles full of inner strength. And he is old, this "Everything is Lost" can be said to have allowed him to reach new heights again. At this time, the inner strength and will of the characters have been revealed and hidden. There would be no such realm without 77 years of life experience.
At the end of the movie, even such an old man fell into a desperate situation when his hopes were shattered again and again. This is the best part of the movie. For the audience, the hour-long slog with Redford will be hugely rewarding. For me, this is the greatest joy of watching a boring film like this.
Finally, I have to transcribe a voice-over at the opening, the only monologue in the movie that goes into a sentence:
I'm sorry... I know that means little at this point, but I am. I tried, I think you should all agree that I tried. To be true, to be strong, to be kind, to love, to be right. But I wasn't....All is lost here, except for soul and body, that is what's left of them, and a half day's ration... I fought till the end. I'm not sure what this worth, but know that I did.
Sorry... I know it doesn't make sense to say this now, but I do want to say it. I have tried it and I know you will agree I have tried it. Be real, strong, kind, and do the right thing. But that's not how I am... Everything is lost here, only the soul and body left, and half the day's rations. I worked hard until the last moment. I'm not sure if it's worth it, but I did.
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