After watching it for the first time, because I was young and ignorant, I could only say that I reluctantly accepted it. I felt that the colors were too bright, the narrative was vague and chaotic, and it was too dramatic. In addition, there are scenes of indulgence, bisexuality, drugs, and sexual promiscuity from time to time, which gives people a hard and greasy feeling. Only the male protagonist really amazed me, so beautiful. I didn't watch the movie for a long time afterwards.
Years later, because I found a high-definition version of the movie, I revisited it again. The dazzling shots didn't bother me anymore - and to be honest, that's how people were living at the time, and the movie wasn't that much of an exaggeration. Don't make a fuss if you don't accept it - this time my focus is more on the music.
The characters in the movie have prototypes, and the basic experience of the protagonist Brian Slade is a reference to David Bowie (hereinafter referred to as DB). Just because the film focuses on the rise and fall of glam rock, it only focuses on the Ziggie Stardust period of DB, but basically holds a negative attitude towards the changes in its later music. This created a very interesting situation: when the director found DB and wanted to borrow some of his songs, he was severely rejected by DB who had read the script, and the 5 songs originally promised were no longer allowed to be used. But then, those up-and-coming stars in the rock music scene who grew up listening to DB's songs and regarded DB as their enlightenment mentor and idol, as well as DB's old friend (and even the prototype of the other protagonist Curt Wilde) all lend a helping hand, and consciously formed a group. Two temporary bands, The Venus in Furs and Wylde Rattz, wrote music for Brian and Curt respectively. The members of these two bands are all shocking enough to pull out one, from Radiohead, from Suede, from RoxyMusic, SonicYouth... It can be called a cross-border carnival. Not to mention the bands and musicians who directly contribute songs. The most interesting is the song "Satellite of Love" from Lou Reed, who is an old friend of DB himself and one of the prototypes of Curt Wilde. Due to DB's refusal, we could not have heard any of his voice in the film. But I don't know if it's intentional or not, but the harmony part in this "Satellite of Love" comes from DB, and the choice is very subtle. This song was used during Brian's honeymoon period with Curt, the happiest scene in the whole film.
Perhaps many people do not notice, this film also has an executive producer Michael Stipe. This person is the lead singer of the famous American band REM in the 1990s. This film can gather so many rock celebrities, I think one reason is that only musicians can truly understand the meaning of that era of passion, reverie and creativity, and will understand the helplessness when a form of music dies. sigh and let go.
"This movie is like a pop song I like, people can't tell what it's trying to say, but after listening to the song, people listen to it over and over and understand the lyrics, even if they don't understand the content. Love the voice of the singer too. You learn something new every time you listen to it.” —Christian Bale (reporter Arthur in the film)
A book or movie, read at different stages of your life, can bring If you have different comprehension and understanding, then it must be a good work. Almost 10 years later, that is, nearly 20 years after the film was released, in 2017, when both the prototype characters DB and Lou Reed passed away, I found this film again. At first the motivation was purely to revisit the songs in it. But this time I finally understood it and read it 2 or 3 times in one go. This time I saw the other side of Brian's beautiful exterior, and throughout the film, that is his selfishness and sacrifice.
There is no doubt that he is talented, his lifelong goal is to become a "pop icon" and he has always worked hard for it. But he was too persistent, even at the expense of everything that could be sacrificed. When he had nothing at all, he met Mandy, who was familiar with the world superstar, at a party, and immediately launched an offensive to make her his wife.
"I'll find some way of connection
Hiding my intention
Then I'll move up close to you
I'll use you
And I'll confuse you
And then I'll lose you
Still you won't suspect me
This "Ladytron" is a song specially written for this plot. If you don't read the lyrics, anyone thinks it's a romance at first sight. However, the version I read this time also translated the lyrics of the background music, and immediately had another interpretation of meaning. Then he used this relationship to get in touch with superstars, get involved in the music world, get a seat as a singer in a small club, and meet his first agent there. The agent was helpful, but there was no better way to make him famous, so when he met a second agent who said "I'll make you a star" to him, he got one of his eyes. Ryo, immediately abandoned the former manager. And this betrayal made the former agent suffer for life.
Scum? Really crap. But he is so beautiful, like a kind of wine mixed with poison, that can even make people forget the anger that should exist, and become only pain and nostalgia. Yes, appearance became his tool too, and he was happy to be dressed up like a doll, with eyeshadow and lipstick, in shiny clothes and high heels, or naked in blood red velvet, as long as he could be famous, saying " Rock and roll is an x-girl, and it requires heavy makeup", just to make people remember themselves firmly. And this time he was a big hit.
So nothing is impossible to sacrifice, not even Curt Wilde, the only person he may have ever loved with all his heart. If you're not so cheesy, you can see that this is not just superficial same-sex love, but symbolizes a great attempt to combine glam rock with garage music. Before Brian became famous, he fell in love with this form of music at first sight at a concert. Curt's music has the unbridled wildness that he could never have. In comparison, how weak, naive and pretentious his own music seemed. So after becoming famous, he could have met more American celebrities, but like a star-chasing fan, he shyly found Curt Wilde, who was at a low point in his career, and persuaded his agent to let the two work together. He'd seen the powerful impact of this music, and it made him jealous and want to take it for himself ("I wish it was me...I wish it was me." - Brian Slade), but this Second, he incorporated more worship and admiration than that selfishness.
But the combination still failed. This involves a musical concept: Brian's glam rock is meticulous, elegant and perfect, and is more inclined to commercial operation. And Curt's garage music belongs to the category of underground music, which tends to improvise on the stage and never stick to any form of performance. That's why Brian and Curt performed so perfectly in the live scene, full of bewitching tension. But back in the studio, Curt couldn't record any music that satisfied his manager. I didn't understand this part, I just thought it might be because Curt sang too rigidly without passion. But then I noticed that their main conflict was "he was half a syllable early" and "if you want to make changes, I hope you tell us in advance". That's why Curt was furious when he heard it, like a lion that wouldn't put on a chain. In the end, the two broke up. When they parted, Brian took the lead in pulling the curtains and retreating into the shadows. Curt threw away the cigarette butts and closed the car door. Although they were both heartbroken, no one was willing to back down.
"Both are selfish people" - Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Brian Slade) said in an interview.
"He (Brian) is more selfish than I (Curt)" - Ewan McGregor (Curt Wilde)
Even this time Brian dumped others first, and he was hit harder than ever because his love for Curt wasn't mixed in False, so deep into the bones, I even believed that they could change the world. After Curt left, his world collapsed, becoming increasingly depressed, unable to continue the concert, but was rejected by the agency when he wanted to stop. In desperation, he made the biggest sacrifice in his life - "killing" himself, directing a fake assassination farce on the stage, and completely ending the artistic life of this man named Brian Slade.
Before leaving him, his ex-wife Mandy said angrily: "Have you ever had a second in your life that you care about anything other than (fame)?"
"The world is built on pain, and the birth of a child needs to go through pain, the star's Birth is the same," Brian replied. In his view, pain is a matter of course. If success has to be accompanied by pain, then pain is fine, whether it's for others or for yourself.
Brian Slade just disappeared. A few years later, a man named Tommy Stone appeared. He was well-dressed like a gentleman, sang popular pop songs, and talked freely about high-sounding political ideas. If it wasn't for reporter Arthur's revelations, no one would have linked him to Brian. Because he has achieved a real makeover (plastic surgery), and has become an idol in another form of music by breaking with the past and reborn. Regardless, in the end he got everything he wanted, albeit beyond recognition.
"We tried to change the world, but we ended up changing ourselves." - Curt Wilde
Is this a tragedy? Not really, because Brian didn't really die. Neither did Curt, who was still able to sneak in to see Tommy Stone in concert. A film reviewer put it very well: "We were all Brian, but then we all became Tommy." Although we did not die, our once clear personalities and passions were gradually eroded by social trends in the process of chasing our goals. do. It's hard to say it's good, but it's also hard to say it's bad. Only when I look back on the past, I feel a trace of nostalgia more than regret.
Gee, but it's hard when one lowers one's guard to the
vultures But, me, I regard it
a torturous hardship that smoulders
My ordeal
Like a peppermint eaten away,
like a mint, slowly dissolving
Will I fight, will I swagger or sway? Shall I fight,
put on a pose, or just go with the flow?
Hee hee, m'lady, she cries like a baby ,
scold us Watching her slowly fall Hail to the monkey, we're having a funky reunion nicotine stains in his eyes. He 's got nothing to protect but his pride. All smothered in kiss or be drowned in blissful confusion. All smothered in kiss or be drowned in blissful confusion . See her tumbling down, see her tumbling down, see her tumbling down, see her tumbling down, see her tumbling down, tumbling down. Down
The song "Tumbling Down" near the end is Brian's last glam rock appearance. He's studded with sequins, draped in colorful feathers and the most exaggerated eyeshadow, singing alone in the splendid classical hall. This kind of dress that pursues gorgeousness as much as possible, so that it becomes a little distorted and disgusting, seems to be the principle of reincarnation. The "he" in the song is himself, and the "she" is glam rock. In the end, in the face of the irresistible trend change, he was powerless to recover, and could only watch her collapse and collapse. With the most glorious chapter, pour petals and sing a gorgeous elegy for it.
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