The characteristic of highway movies has always been the unknown in the process. It may be the spiritual transformation of Che Guevara in "Motor Diary", or it may be the self-liberation of women in "The End of the Road". Usually its way forward will become clearer and clearer, like Forrest Gump, who is constantly running, has finally proved his worth, but the film "Scarecrow" has gone the other way, as the mileage of the two male protagonists increases. , The destination in their hearts is gradually blurred.
Max’s dream is to go to Pittsburgh to develop a car wash business. As for why it is Pittsburgh, he himself can’t say clearly. Just like your weight loss plan today is to turn 1,000 hula hoops, the number 1,000 is just a psychological presupposition. After all, the more specific the plan. The easier it is to achieve, at least it seems that way. Max’s notebook is densely listed with the expenditure details of car washes. He likes to talk to the National People’s Congress about his career plans. Even though most of the time the listeners are not interested, in Max’s view, his ambition on the small ledger is like A cheque for the future.
Leon did not have any ambitions in his career. After many years of life as a seaman, when he set foot on land, Leon only wanted to go to Detroit to meet his own flesh and blood. He didn't even know the gender of the child, so he could only be embarrassed. Choosing a small table lamp with an unobvious gender orientation as a gift may also have the meaning of driving away the shadows buried by the father's absence in the child's life. In short, Leon is looking forward to this family reunion. He is so optimistic that he even forgets how incompetent he is as a boyfriend and father.
After meeting two men with visions for the future, they quickly integrated their plans. The destination was set to Pittsburgh. He stopped by Max's sister's house in Denver on the way, and then went to Detroit to witness Leon and his family reunite. All this seems so logical that it makes us a little uneasy. After all, this is not a comedy like "The Hangover". The wedding will be held as scheduled after a whole night of madness. Max and Leon are more like those who are not favored by God. They must learn to grow in the mud, and this "growth" is mostly a compromise.
The personalities of the two are so distinct, it is not easy to get rid of the edges and corners. Max is a typical thorn. He uses his fists to solve problems. He armes himself with indifference in life. He claims to "do not believe in anyone or like anyone". Leon is more like a child. He likes to use funny movements to adjust the atmosphere. When Max picks up girls, he doesn't even know to walk away. He just plays with the plastic model on his own, looking like that. It's just as ruthless as Max will stand for Leon when he is bullied, and even yell out of control in the hospital. It turns out that he is not as cold-blooded as he said. Lotte Ru Leon completely collapsed after hearing his girlfriend's lie. The moment he walked out of the phone booth, the world collapsed. He exhausted his last bit of strength to make a strong smile in front of Max. Since then, his naivety has ceased.
It turns out that this is a story of life bringing people back to their original form. Max and Leon struggled with their personalities. In the end, they only played the funny scarecrows, who wanted to shock the world but were humiliated. Dare to live in peace and peace is just a short-term peace, maybe someday God will lay down the last straw on the back of the camel. At the end, the movie is indeed a bit desperate. When Max dances a "striptease" in the tavern, even Leon can't believe that the original sniff can become the grandstanding today. Suddenly realized at this moment that there are no edges and corners that life can't polish. This kind of fate without exception creates a deep sense of powerlessness. Max eventually went to Pittsburgh, but he lacked his original determination. We don't know how his car wash plan will develop, and this is also a kindness left by the screenwriter to the audience.
The film took off the Cannes Palme d’Or (tied with the British film "The Employed") that year, which is enough to show its artistic achievements. I have to mention the performances of Gene Hackman and Al Pacino. , This combination of high, one short, hard and soft is the key to the success of the film. In the 1970s, Gene Hackman was at the peak of his career. In 1971, he won the Oscar winner with "French Drug Network". After "Scarecrow", he participated in Coppola's "Dialogue" and also won the Palme d’Or, two consecutive times. Acting in the Palme d’Or film also proved his superb acting skills. At this time, Al Pacino had just made a big fire with "The Godfather", because he had previously participated in the director Jerry Schatzberg's "Poisonous Sea Mandarin Duck", so here is the second collaboration. Unlike a character like Mike Corleone, Leon, played by Pacino in the film, is a somewhat pitiful guy. This contrast did not stump Pacino. He successfully interpreted it with clear eyes and mischievous body movements. The childish part of this character is revealed, and the scene where the fountain goes crazy reveals a deep despair. It can be said that Gene Hackman and Al Pacino's inseparable rivalry made this film, and it also created another classic of the two male protagonists.
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