Human nature is always forgetful and eager to be remembered. Ever since, since the day when the mankind learned to record, various "storytelling" professions have always been engraved in the long historical picture. Court historians, folk storytellers, novelists, and today's cross talk actors, journalists, and filmmakers can all be regarded as "story tellers." But the problem is that they don't seem to tell stories well now. It seems to be more important than telling the story seriously. Also, with the iron rice bowl and money bag, who cares about those "stories". It really does.
In 2002, the "Boston Globe" published a series of reports exposing the scandal of "child prostitution" in the Catholic Church in the Boston area, which caused global shock. The "Focus" reporting team behind it has spent nearly 2 years investigating and collecting evidence. In 2003, this series of reports won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service that year. And this award is Pulitzer's most important award. In 2015, the movie "Focus" was released in North America. Director Thomas McCarthy used 128 minutes to tell the true story of the year. In 2016, "Focus" won the 88th Oscar for Best Picture Award. In 14 years, the two teams have won the highest praise in the industry because of the same story.
Let me talk about movies first. Unlike most movies that constantly create dramatic conflicts and use soundtracks to set the atmosphere, Thomas McCarthy’s storytelling method is almost "cold." The full-film lens is stable and solid, and the medium shots and close shots are often used, and even close-up shots are used very carefully. Like most documentaries, the director uses the most realistic and daily observation perspective to present the story. After all, the power of reality is strong enough. But reality and daily life do not mean ordinary. The director's control over the composition and picture, as well as the pursuit of details, are amazing. For example, in the vision used to explain the environment, there will always be a looming church.
The churches located all over the city are like the ubiquitous church power. Mitchell Garabedian, the "rights lawyer" played by Stanley Tucci, made this point directly in a conversation with Mike Rezeendes, played by Mark Rufagg.
In addition, the style of the soundtrack is also very restrained. There are even no soundtracks in several key plots. Coupled with the precise dialogue design, the clear presentation of character relationships, and the progressive narrative method, the whole movie can be regarded as almost impeccable. However, these are all storytelling skills. The more shocking thing is always the story itself. A group of reporters exposed such a big scar in the church, and the difficulties and obstacles experienced in it can be imagined. The influence of the Catholic Church in the Boston area and even in the entire United States cannot be underestimated. To put it simply, Roman Catholics account for 24% of the total population of the United States, and the Boston area is a major Catholic town with 45% of the population. Speaking of irrelevant data, at present, China's "organization members" account for less than 7% of all citizens. If it were not for a strong sense of social responsibility, I am afraid that no one can complete this task under such tremendous pressure. This is the reporter's insistence on basic professional ethics. There are several plots in the film, which are equally impressive. When the reporting team realized that the Geogen case was by no means an exception, they decided to find out the priests who had been transferred or left "due to illness" or other "unconventional factors" by means of reverse tracing. At that time, most of the information was only in paper records, so the team members could only use the "scale reading" method for investigation.
So libraries, subway stations, cafes, and kitchens have all become places for them to read at night.
Word by word, never let go of any clues. This is an adherence to the spirit of journalism professionalism. When Mike was struggling to obtain evidence that Cardinal Bernard Law knew about the facts of the priest’s child sex as early as 20 years ago, but chose to turn a blind eye to it, he and team leader Walter Robinson asked whether he was the first to report the issue. On the issue of facts, huge disagreements have arisen. At this moment, the emotions accumulated over a long period of time finally cannot be suppressed.
This is also the most emotional section of the film. What broke out here was not only the fear that competitors might pre-report, but also the anger, even panic, in the presence of such horrible evidence. Reporters have always been people of flesh and blood. However, beyond human nature, journalists need to be calm and rational. Telling the story, but throwing a stone. Ripples are the real goal. Robbie, who has been immersed in the news industry for decades, clearly understands this. To expose the crimes of the church, what is needed is not just a single case, but a system. The final facts also proved that Robbie's choice was correct. However, no matter how experienced reporters are, there are times when they ignore clues. At a plenary meeting just a week before the publication, people discovered that as early as 1993, McLeish, the lawyer who represented many "priest child prostitution cases," sent a list of 20 people to the newspaper. Robbie, as the person in charge of the city edition, chose to ignore this list. The newspaper editor Ben Bradley turned his head and asked, "Is it you? You were in charge of the urban edition." Robbie replied, "Yes, it's me."
In a word, it is the courage to face yourself and face the mistakes of the past. Thousands of newspapers were printed in the early morning a week later. Robbie was sitting in his car and watching the newspaper delivery cars file out. At this time, whether he was calm or turbulent, I couldn't imagine the complexity of his emotions. . After all, this scene is eight years late.
The next scene is also the one I like. The night before the official interview was reported, Sasha Pfeiffer, played by Rachel McAdams, frowned and looked at her grandmother nervously. And the grandma, who wears reading glasses and reads the sample journal carefully, is a devout Catholic all her life. In the background, is the Christmas tree still lit with colorful lights.
Before I finished reading the article, my grandma slowly raised her head and said in a trembling voice, "Sasha, can you pour a glass of water for me?" In just a few seconds of footage and a line, a report can be helpful to the whole society. , What a huge and even devastating impact it has brought to everyone has been incisive and vivid. Touching details like this are everywhere in the movie. Truth, persistence and courage echo in the movies and reality. ... Since the movie is about news reports, take the opportunity to say a few more words. In the School of Journalism of the National People's University where I studied, there has always been a well-known ridicule: Girls should be boys, and boys should be beasts. Indeed, in the media industry, whether at home or abroad, most of the cases are poor, suffering, and tired. To make matters worse, sometimes you even have to touch a lot of content that is contrary to your own value identity. Coupled with the fragmentation of traditional journalism in recent years, the new media industry is mixed, and even the writers can't help but ridicule: If a reporter's daughter applies for a journalism major, she will definitely be interrupted with two legs; if she is a son, all three legs will be interrupted (( fog). Moreover, the students often laugh at themselves and regret that they have gone into the wrong line. However, when I was really asked whether I regret entering journalism school, my answer must be no. Garcia Márquez, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and author of "A Hundred Years of Solitude" and "Love in the Time of Cholera", was also a journalist. He said: "Journalism requires extensive cultural knowledge, and the journalism work environment itself illustrates this.... We call journalism the'best profession in the world', and we hope to continue to improve in this profession. Alberto Yellas Camargo has been engaged in journalism for a long time. He was elected President of Colombia twice, but he did not even graduate from high school. "Regardless of whether you are really engaged in journalism in the future, the most important significance of learning journalism is that it can make people a better citizen, and even a better person. It is not only a multi-angle and multi-stance thinking mode, but a calm and objective perspective on issues. They are all the basic qualities that a modern citizen should have. This year is known as the "first year of Internet content entrepreneurship". Looking at it, it is indeed a prosperous scene. Weibo internet celebrities and live broadcast bloggers can become "sayings." People of the story"; whether it is chicken soup, poisonous chicken soup or hot gossip, it is a "good story" that attracts the public's attention. The pressure of KPI, the temptation of traffic, and the problems and stigma suffered by the journalist industry over the years The embarrassment of the media environment has made many journalists ashamed to admit or even abandon their previous journalistic ideals. Therefore, the cost of safeguarding justice is getting higher and higher. And ideals seem to be inseparable from the old-fashioned and clumsy. Many times, reposting an article in the circle of friends is already the best effort that can be made. This is simply a terrible reverse elimination. It is also because of this. At this moment, the appearance and award of "Focus" is particularly important and meaningful. It is a reminder and a wake-up call. After all, human nature is always forgettable. Therefore, when people go out of the theater and prepare to go to the toilet At this moment, or when you get up and pour water from the computer, you can arouse a trace of sincerity, persistence and courage in your heart. Then I think the greatest expectations of the storyteller and the people in the story have been achieved.
View more about Spotlight reviews
