Because it took a few days to complete, the writing idea may be very jumpy, and I said a lot of nonsense that has nothing to do with the feature film. I thought it would be better to post a diary, but I wrote it to the end, so let's do it!
The so-called genre is nothing more than the characteristics and elements that can be categorized into categories. Genre movies are works with identifying characteristics and elements as the core. The various elements in the modular genre movies will be combined in the most stable and conventional way. Use a set of narrative templates to "thread a needle", and this product is called "action" in the current language. When every part of the movie is firmly clamped by conservative capital, the only value of a work is the temporary profit left to the studio. With the high level of commercialization of movies, the original difficulty and risk of genre movies are naturally increasing day by day, so a contemporary Hollywood classic such as a live-action adaptation of an animated movie, a remake of a classic old movie, the development of a sequel to an IP, and the official opening of the XXX universe The new-century genre movie scene composed of the operation slowly opened, and the audience was increasingly tired of mass-produced assembly lines and theme park products in an era when excellent genre films that were not clichéd became more and more rare.
The contemporary Hollywood film industry and film ecology are of course not in the scope of what I intend to talk about. It’s just that in the 1920s when this genre is already rare, every time I see a genre that is only a little unique, I can’t help but be excited for a long time. , And encountering a great work that can completely break free from the shackles of the genre model and has a unique texture that is difficult to replicate, it will be full of emotions, and "Baimeibao" is such a great work.
Sports or sports is also an important genre, and boxing is the most important branch of sports movies. In addition to the bloody fighting scenes, the audience in a boxing movie will also expect to see stories similar to "little men turning over." In the movie "Barton Fink", the protagonist as a screenwriter was invited by a Hollywood film company to create a wrestling-themed movie script. It’s not difficult to see the type of boxing movies, not just the sport of boxing itself, but also the inspirational motivations such as “winning by hard work”. structure. From this point on to watch "Hundred Meme", until the heroine Maggie was knocked down by a foul on the court, this work seems to be able to seamlessly fit the above-mentioned genre characteristics, as if you can see through the drama at a glance A little carelessness will allow the audience to easily throw the work into the vast pile of "routine films". Even if the plot of the movie suddenly turns at the moment when the protagonist is knocked down, it is at best an anti-type, anti-type. Routines are like those in horror movies that are labeled "reverse". When we think that the protagonist has eliminated the enemy in front of the screen, the real "ultimate boss" suddenly appears from behind, and the movie comes to an abrupt end. Evil overpowering right or righteousness overpowering evil, this resultant swing is for horror films, just as success or failure is for a sports film, it is just a stereotype impression and cannot completely reverse the genre itself. Without the brilliance of the genre model, it is impossible to stand out from the crowded "routine film", let alone leave a famous film history.
"Baimeibao" is the kind of movie that can easily be classified as a "routine movie", although its story is indeed very moving in terms of (anti-)typed routines, and it seems that it can be more accurately classified as "better" "The Routine Tablet". It is true that to evaluate this work, it is indeed impossible to talk about it without this routine, but the most important point is also the reason for the quality gap between this film and the other routines. In "Baimeibao", the type ( Routines) are only tools and means, not ends. Here I want to make a simple explanation with the example of "The Sixth Sense" (as a suspense thriller genre), which I love very personally. The main line of the story of "Sixth Sense" is about the psychotherapy process of child psychologist Mike to the boy Cole who claims to be able to see ghosts. As a genre of suspense and thriller, the film naturally has no lack of suspense, reverse setting and thriller. The display of the horror section. But the real excellence of "Sixth Sense" lies in the two detached genres parallel to the main line, and the hidden lines of the story surrounding the relationship between Mike and his wife and Cole and his mother. Shamaran also constructed suspense and horror. The inner world of the characters and the relationship and emotions between the characters and the characters are moved, and the traditional types are endowed with uniqueness and depth.
The so-called tools and methods are often expressed in a certain framework, a certain identity, a certain concept or a worldview. The narrative development of the film needs to be centered on this, but these things themselves are not what the film wants to really show or express, but only rely on These tools cut in, and use this as a basis to complete the core achievements above it, that is, the purpose. This is the genre creation's drunkard's intention not to drink, and genre films that can do this are rare. ("Images" are not in the scope of discussion here)
Film critic Roger Ebert once commented on "Baimeibao": "This is not a boxing movie, but a movie about boxers." This sentence perfectly interprets "Baimeibao" as a How this boxing-themed genre film implements "genre is only a tool and a means, not an end", also shows the real greatness of the film-the characters. "Boxing" itself is only the worldview of the film, it is only a tool. It is the soul and purpose of the film to tell the people who participate in boxing and the people who are boxers.
Throughout the whole movie for more than 120 minutes, boxing plays account for a lot, but the weight of boxing itself is very light. These purely physical action wrestling actually have a deeper meaning. Here I will no longer use words to repeat the specific character images in detail, but will focus on a few boxing scenes.
In the first boxing scene at the beginning of the film, the "one's" boxer was inseparable from his opponent, but the blood began to bleed uncontrollably under his right eye. At this time, Frankie appeared inconspicuously from the right corner of the frame. In the narration from Eddie, he expertly helped the boxer to stop the blood, and his sophisticated nursing skills immediately left a deep impression on people. , But he is not the protagonist at this time. The boxer who stopped the bleeding became more and more courageous on the field. From the outside of the camera, he glanced at Frankie off the field from time to time. He was also waving his arms and fists, as if he was on the field. Boxers fight together. The old man's enthusiasm for boxing at this moment is no less than the cheering and screaming crowd. "Boxing is about dignity. It's about winning your own dignity while depriving your opponents." We can also vaguely perceive the meaning of boxing for Frankie. It may be the dignity of life.
Maggie played at the end of the boxing. She was an outsider, standing far away from the exit. The high-contrast lighting made half of her cheek hidden in the shadows. She did not pay attention to the field, but to one side. Frankie, we can also vaguely realize the meaning of boxing for her: she has not yet integrated into the arena, and her "lateness" seems to imply that her no longer young life is too late for boxing, but she is watching Her eyes and smile are still filled with indefinite expectation, and Frankie may be the person in her life who has been looking forward to appearing.
This is the first boxing scene of the film. Obviously, all of its meaning lies in the characters. Although the background, identity, personality and other aspects of the characters are not clear at this time, they are just a few simple actions and expressions. , Has given them a vivid life posture, a life posture as a boxer.
The second boxing scene took place about one-third of the movie, and there are some background content that need to be sorted out before explaining this scene. First of all, why Frankie agreed to train Maggie before. The movie did not answer this question directly, but the reason is definitely not pure. It is undeniable that this woman who wants to practice boxing has a certain meaning for Frankie, who just lost Willie. But from the dialogue between the two, we can see that Frankie’s promise to Maggie is more of a helpless sentimental promise. He wants to get rid of this annoying girl as soon as possible (the reason why Frankie is not willing to train female players is not Clearly explain, the main reason should be for the protection of the players), which is why Frankie will throw Maggie to Sally perfunctorily. So there was a second boxing scene.
But Frankie's attitude towards Maggie has obviously changed in this boxing scene. This is not only because Maggie's clumsy actions on the court made him regret and dissatisfied, but more importantly, the "shadow" Eddie told him: Sally didn't want to Let Maggie win the game. On the contrary, if she loses, it will be better for her, because then he will have the opportunity to challenge the lightweight championship. Maggie is just a stepping stone for him. This truth is the key to Frankie’s change of attitude. As a boxer and who also regards boxing as his life as his dignity, he naturally cannot accept such disrespect for the boxer, out of the protection of the players (this is very important, from one hour This can be seen in the story of Eddie telling his 109th boxing match, which is why Frankie has not let Willie participate in the championship for a long time), he immediately walked out of the audience to guide Maggie. When the referee asked him "Is this your boxer", Frankie still hesitated for a moment. This is a true ambivalence portrayal. He finally broke his principle of never training female boxers and accepted Maggie out of sympathy. It is out of protection and dignity. In fact, this is the most fundamental and important principle for him.
The whole significance of this boxing scene lies in this. It changed and deepened the attitudes of Frankie and Maggie towards each other, and established a connection between the two boxers.
Since then, several consecutive boxing scenes in which Maggie defeated her opponent by an overwhelming advantage made a narrative transition, showing Maggie's unmatched status in her class, and also making it possible for Frankie to promote her promotion. So the film progressed smoothly to the next important boxing scene.
The next boxing scene is very special, because its focus is not boxing, but the process of Frankie stopping Maggie's bleeding. Through Eddie’s narration before the start of the scene, “Then Frankie did what he hated doing, he took a risk, he promoted her to a level, which almost became a mistake,” and Maggie’s performance on the field. , We can know that Frankie’s act of promoting Maggie may actually betray Maggie’s trust in him. After the level rises, the opponent will be stronger. If Maggie fails miserably, then Frankie has not fulfilled his responsibility to protect her, so in the narration The term "hated doing" is "hated doing". This desperate decision puts the trust between the two at risk-Maggie was hit by the opponent and the bridge of the nose was broken, and the blood flow continued. So when the trust between the two is at stake, the process of "stop bleeding" realizes the re-establishment of trust, and it is higher than the original: Frankie realized that Maggie was hit by the opponent in the bridge of the nose and realized that the situation was not good. Maggie's protection had to persuade her to give up the game, but Maggie insisted that Frankie stop the bleeding. She felt that as long as she could stop the bleeding, she would be able to defeat the opponent. At this moment, the two people have absolute trust in each other, so Frankie helped Maggie stop the bleeding, and Maggie successfully defeated the opponent in a short time, and the two people's trust in each other rose to a new height.
It was at this time that Frankie said "Mo cuishle". After experiencing this boxing match, Frankie and Maggie had become inseparably connected at this time. From this moment on, every Maggie boxing match is no longer a simple boxing, but a dialogue between Frankie and Maggie, two boxers who trust, respect, rely on each other, and even love each other. Common life experience.
Before the last boxing match, there is a "boxing match" that is very, very important. It does not belong to Maggie and Frankie, but Danger and Eddie. Although this boxing match happened deliberately, its existence is essential for the two characters. We know that Danger “fallen” here after being abandoned by his parents. He is practicing boxing all the time but he has never really fought a boxing match. Eddie was defeated and lost in the last boxing match of his life. He lost an eye and could no longer participate in boxing matches, but he still wants to continue playing. What does boxing mean to them? For Eddie, that was his life, the deepest and most memorable memory; for Danger, it was the only straw he had connected with life, and the only motivation for his life to continue. Danger gave up after being tragically knocked down. It was a kind of fateful tragedy. He returned at the end of the movie. Didn't he give up? I don’t think it is. I was forced to continue, because that is the only meaning of life; while Eddie completed his 110th boxing match, he took a few seconds to look back in person after leaving the field for decades. In the first half of his life, I once again felt the taste of fighting in the boxing arena. This supporting role also has his own character arc.
The last key boxing scene is probably the most demonstrative of the whole film. Its meaning is to bring out Maggie's tragic ending, and it is also a scene for transition and turning point in narrative. Here I want to talk about Maggie's "losing" from the perspective of the character itself.
Maggie's "loss" was a turning point and the final result of her boxing career. Maybe we can explain why Maggie lost from some perspectives, it seems that losing is an inevitable result; we can also say that Maggie's loss is deliberately arranged, and her loss can bring the depth of the movie to a higher level. But in my opinion, Maggie's loss does not need to be too much commentary. This is a question about the audience's attitude towards the fictional characters in the film. In a stereotyped genre movie, "characters" do not exist, because what the producer wants the audience to see, what the audience wants to see, is how specific genre elements are presented through narrative, and the movie People are just puppets in the hands of creators. Their existence is only to complete the arrangement of the plot. They do what the plot requires them to do, and the characters often do not have a three-dimensional image. For a movie with characters as the core (often non-genre movies), characters are no longer tools that can be played at will. They have their own background, experience, personality, emotions, choices, etc., even if they are fictional Yes, but they are still "alive." The reason why a movie can impress the audience is nothing more than that; when a character is real enough and the image of ta is fresh enough, the author does not need any utilitarian sensational means , Only need to follow his possible life trajectory, it is enough to infect the viewer with sincerity. The so-called "After the invention of the movie, human life has been extended at least three times longer than before". This is probably the case. We can follow those fictional but so real characters and use limited lives to perceive them. Experience all kinds of different lives. Maggie is such a character. Is there anything less real about her loss? I can't find it; if I were a spectator in that stadium, would her loss make me feel deliberate? I can not find. She lost, but the movie is still going on, her real life is still going on, so we can see, after Maggie is bedridden, the last time with Frankie, and the last choice.
If you want to interpret the film "Baimeibao" from the theme, you can have a lot of ideas. This story will have a certain specific reference to everyone, but it is precisely because it is true and fresh. Living characters make all interpretations possible. No matter what the story means to the audience, the touch gained from the characters is eternal.
Finally, I would like to briefly talk about the photography of this film, more specifically, the lighting in combination with the characters. The high-contrast lighting almost always keeps the character in shadow, sometimes even turning into a silhouette. In this way, the intention and role of lighting can be linked to the four characters in the movie (including Danger). Their lives are in a state of deficiency, and their lives are not "complete". In other words, there are some things that will last forever. Lost from life from life. For Frankie, it is the daughter who never even answered the letter; for Maggie, it is the family who does not love her at all; for Eddie, it is the lost right eye and boxing career; for Danger, it is abandonment My family: And perhaps more importantly, for them, there is nothing but boxing in their lives. The gloomy texture brought by the high-contrast lighting is highly compatible with the life state of the characters. The half of the face that is always hidden by the shadow seems to be talking about the incompleteness and difficulty of life.
Coincidentally, it may be unnecessary over-interpretation, but what a sharp contrast between the shadows cast by the high-contrast lighting on the characters and the high-bright lighting in the boxing arena, it seems that only the body is on the field, waving gloves and swaying. In the few minutes of sweating, life has a complete and absolute meaning. The high-contrast lighting also gives the film a unique sense of softness and depth visually, and the eyes and dialogue between the characters become extremely gentle and deep.
As Roger Ebert said, "This is not a boxing movie, but a movie about boxers." Every boxing scene is a life experience of a character, a period of time inside and outside the arena. Life experiences are intertwined together into the unique life veins of these characters. Every second is bursting with moving light, and every frozen moment is shining and shining like a star.
2021.05.17
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