In fact, since the 1980s, with the rise of American independent films, the audience of independent films watched in the United States has gradually become clear that they are not 18 to 24 Young people, but a group of stable middle-aged people, they not only stopped at the time when big studios produced entertainment-oriented big productions, but also paid more attention to marginalized groups in society and wider cultural phenomena. Of course, it is precisely because one of the characteristics of independent films is that they are greatly reduced by the shackles of the studio system, and their selection of film materials and angles are more personal and diverse, so those voices that are ignored by mainstream culture are in this type of film. The film [Earth Night], which was sufficiently displayed, and described cultural diversity and the problems of small people happening all over the world, became a typical work of independent films at that time in the prosperous early 1990s.
[Earth Night] is a typical low-cost independent production with a strong directorial style. It uses a segmented and independent narrative to show five different places in the world from late night to dawn. The story of what happened in a taxi at a different time of night. In addition, the themes and perspectives conveyed by each story are deeply imprinted in various places. For example, in the first story in Los Angeles, the author tells about differences and reflections related to Hollywood and focuses on life values, while the second story in succession takes place in New York and tells about the reflections brought about by immigration and cultural differences. The stories in Rome are rooted in the local religious culture, while the stories in Paris and Helsinki respectively show a romantic relationship with a blind girl and the cruel and unbalanced society and surroundings in the life of the low-level civilians. Through these five vivid stories, each with a chapter and the interconnection under the time scene, after the audience has seen the movie and experienced the whole night, the author's purpose has been achieved, in every corner of the world, as long as we properly If you pay attention, there will always be some stories and the little characters in them that exude brilliance. In this vast land, the stories are endless and even colorful. This is a cross-cultural vision, and it is also the diverse perspectives and creative concepts that independent filmmakers have always adhered to.
But even if the five stories are independent of each other, each chapter has a certain regular narrative routine. For example, at the beginning, a few empty shots of the city that were shot should be used, and then the narrative will be launched in a quiet state. The structure in the middle of the narrative also uses the behavior of outdoor taxis in front of the streets at night. Most of the other paragraphs show the closed interior scene of the taxi. The camera method and scene processing are also quite simple, and the camera lens is basically fixed. The camera is the main focus, and the scenes are generally dominated by close-up shots. The editing of the camera is only the most concise way of cutting, and there are absolutely no other fancy processing methods. Therefore, the five story paragraphs look unusually quiet and clean. The audience's attention is completely focused on the narrative and characters. Of course, because each story is short and concise, coupled with the vivid characters and interesting details carefully designed, each short film does not appear to be caused by the unpretentious director's handling. There is no anger and boredom, but instead "doing" in such "doing nothing" ------ the director's handling did not hinder the narrative link, and did not delay the narrative.
Maybe this will give a very strong illusion to the first time viewers who watch [Earth Night], that is, they will blindly think that the author's video style is very weak, and it is even difficult for people to perceive what kind of video characteristics he has. In my opinion, it is such a plain and imperceptible lens processing that will make the viewer ignore the director's traces that may be noticed in the presentation of the film, and will make the viewer focus on the film to the greatest extent possible. The story itself tells an objective perspective to enter the narrative to be presented, allowing us to welcome the beginning and development of the story in the stillness of life. But also because the director Jim Jarmusch has an old-fashioned narrative skill, he can extract the interesting drama from the bland and even some ordinary life themes. As for the first story, at the beginning of the story, it was divided into several strokes. Show the occupation and overall characteristics of the two people, and then use the coincidence of the phone call to set up the encounter between the two, and then vividly describe the difference and opposition of the two people in the large paragraph of the taxi scene, and the ending is about to turn when we expect it. When the climax of the story was suddenly ushered in another reasonable and slightly surprising ending, there was no stylized editing and soundtrack to assist the climax of the story, but a calm and disappointment People fall into a kind of aftertaste thinking, which is the ideal state of the perfect combination of director skills and image characteristics.
In terms of creative concept, the director has well adhered to the spirit of independent films, depicting the small people in the current social reality and the stories and scenes that happen to them that are easy to ignore. After reviewing these five short, realistic and interesting stories, the audience will realize that: in fact, our common life itself has been excavated by the author to have a unique charm. Make an unforgettable night on Earth.
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