In 1991, British director Mike Newell was invited to make a film about the Mafia in the late 1970s. The film crew selected Al Pacino and Tom Cruise as the protagonists. At that time, the well-known gangster film director Martin Scorsese was preparing to shoot [good guy]. In order to avoid direct conflict with him, Neville's filming plan was temporarily shelved. By 1996, the filming of [Loyal Traitor] restarted, and John Nedup replaced Tom Cruise as Donny Blasco, but the film studio did not replace Al Pacino from start to finish.
Al Pacino appeared in the first part of [The Godfather] in 1972, and became famous and began his acting career in the golden age of gangster movies. From gangster to gangster, from robber and robber to police reporter, he continues to develop his artistic realm, and has created many shining characters. For the audience, Al Pacino seems to be the benchmark of gangster movies. figure. The film party chose him to play the role of the old Zuo, which is of course well deserved, and Al Pacino also lived up to his expectations, making him the last popular gangster role in the 1990s.
It can be inferred from the film that the story of the film took place in the winter from 1979 to 1980. At that time, U.S. President Jimmy Carter fought for re-election. When he left the White House, he was considered one of the worst presidents in U.S. history. In fact, not only Carter, but the entire American political circle in the 1970s was dissatisfied. He actually replaced three presidents in a row within ten years.
In 1974, the monitoring scandal caused by the Watergate incident continued to ferment. Nixon lost most of the domestic political support and was forced to announce his resignation as the president, becoming the first president in American history to resign during his term. In order to replace Nixon's position, then Vice President Ford was directly appointed as the next president without being elected. This was the first time in American history. Ford immediately pardoned Nixon after taking office, and the failure to revive the weak economy caused public dissatisfaction. So in the 1976 presidential election, Carter immediately defeated Ford to take office by a narrow margin. Compared with the tough Eisenhower in the 1960s and the aggressive Reagan in the 1980s, the people in the 1970s were full of deep disappointment, dissatisfaction and doubts about the government at that time.
The background of this era is also reflected in the [loyal and traitor]. Undercover agent Downey’s superior has a bureaucratic atmosphere from beginning to end. At the initial meeting, he indisputably asked Downey to introduce another undercover agent into the gang organization, ignoring Downey's dangerous situation. In order to cooperate with Lao Zuo, Downey needs to borrow a cruise ship temporarily, but the supervisor only prevaricates with short-sightedness. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why Downey was furious when he received the tax check bill from the government and interrupted contact with his superiors without authorization. In Downey's mind, such a hypocritical and ruthless government is not worth his birth and death.
In addition to political turmoil, the United States in the 1970s also faced a series of social crises.
First of all, domestic inflation and economic depression have entered a ten-year period of stagflation. In the film, Nick suggested to Hey Sang to rob the tanker, saying that "now oil is very valuable", which implies the oil crisis caused by the outbreak of the Fourth Middle East War.
Second, the United States withdrew all its troops from Vietnam and ended the protracted Vietnam War, but the domestic crisis caused by the Vietnam War did not abate. While chatting with Downey, Lao Zuo said, "The so-called army is a group of guys you don't know send you to kill another group of guys you don't know." This is obviously a true portrayal of the people's dissatisfaction with the Vietnam War.
In addition, the mafia forces have become more and more rampant, prompting the US government to pass a series of laws to combat organized crime. This is why Downey infiltrated the gang organization and approached Old Zuo.
In addition, it is worth noting that the sexual liberation movement that began during the Vietnam War opposed gender discrimination, strived for women and men to enjoy equal social status and political and economic rights, demanded changes to Christianity's prohibition on divorce, and advocated marriage. free. The sexual liberation movement strongly impacted traditional sexual concepts and sexual ethics. Affected by this, the American people's concept of marriage also changed greatly in the 1970s.
The breakup of Downey and his wife in the film is the epitome of this change in concept. Downey’s wife could hardly accept that her husband had not returned for several months and was negligent in taking care of the family, and demanded her husband to take up her responsibility to the family. Downey adheres to the traditional concept of family and believes that the husband's greatest responsibility to the family is to let his wife "receive the check on time."
The new generation of people who grew up in the Vietnam War had more open and radical ideas. The old Zuo’s son was addicted to drugs and eventually became unconscious. Downey’s daughter had a boyfriend at the age of twelve, and would call her mother a "bitch" when she was angry.
The distinguishing feature of [Loyalty and Traitor] is that it tries to convey a broader social background through the few words of newspapers and character dialogues, and to create a unique and true sense of the times for the audience. This is naturally because the film is based on the real undercover experience of FBI agent Joe Piston, but on a deeper level, the film thus leads to the ups and downs of the characters' destiny in the torrent of the times. Lao Zuo and Downey, to some extent, have become the epitome of the zeitgeist of the 70s in the United States. There is a profound detail in the film. While on vacation in Florida, the old Zuo group talked about the headline news in the newspaper-John Wayne died. Hey Sang inadvertently sighed, "How could he die?" John Wayne is one of the greatest movie stars in Hollywood history. In his early years, he was famous for playing tough guys in westerns and war films. He was regarded as the incarnation of the heroism in the minds of Americans at that time. The death of John Wayne represents the end of an era, and the death of Lao Zuo represents the end of another era. The old left is John Wayne in the 1970s, a pure, idealized, romantic figure.
Al Pacino was born in 1940 and he was 57 years old when he starred in [The Traitor]. Lao Zuo mentioned many times that he had been in the underworld for more than 30 years. By calculation, he first entered the underworld in the early 1950s. Similar to Al Pacino, he was a generation that grew up after World War II. In this way, the actors themselves add a sense of the times to the film.
Having been on the streets for more than 30 years, the old Zuo not only accomplished nothing, he was also heavily in debt. The whole family is crowded in an apartment in the city, and life is often difficult. As he got older and older, Lao Zuo became more and more unable to do what he wanted. As a father, he has no energy to discipline his son; as a husband, he cannot give his wife the happy life he deserves. The boss of the gang has changed from one wave to another, but promotion is not as good as the old left. To sum up Lao Zuo's life in one word, it is "failure."
The appearance of Downey made Lao Zuo's life a little bit better. Unlike ordinary street gangsters, Downey is young, vigorous, decent, daring, and has no background. What he lacks is some guidance and training. Old Zuo worked under the hands of people all his life, and he couldn't do things like murder and arson, so he learned some experience and lessons, just in time for Downey to lay hands on him, so that he has a little more chance and way out.
But what Lao Zuo didn't know from start to finish was that Downey was an undercover, approaching him only to gather information. For Downey, the undercover job is no different from someone sitting in an office, just to support his family. Downey loves his wife and daughters, and he knows his worries and dissatisfaction with his wife. But in the economic downturn, having such a well-paid job at least saves family members from worrying about their livelihoods. When at home, all he can do is rush to help his wife clean up and make breakfast for his daughter, although this is not enough to make up for his wife's daily contributions.
At first, in Downey's eyes, Lao Zuo was a funny old fritters, bullying and fearing hardship, wanting face, stingy, and slick. Downey’s task is to deceive him into his trust and infiltrate the Mafia as quickly as possible. But from the first time they stepped into Lao Zuo's house, the relationship between the two has developed in a direction that Downey did not expect.
Lao Zuo is funny and loves to show off, but it doesn't mean that he is a soft persimmon that anyone can handle. Lao Zuo not only understands the world, but also knows how to judge the situation. He is a veritable "smart man". Lao Zuo abides by the rules, sees people serving dishes, usually calm, but no one can fool him. As for why he was not in the promotion round, it was not because he was timid and fearful. As long as there was an order from above, he didn't say anything to kill someone and didn't blink his eyes. The old Zuo has worked for the Mafia all his life, knowing that murder is his only way out. But he only wanted to kill people for his way out, so he cared so much about the "26 people" he had done. Because of this, no one regards him as a ruthless character.
Lao Zuo has a human touch and speaks face and justice. Although Downey was just an errand runner, Lao Zuo didn't bully others. Downey gave him a red envelope, and he would return it, although he took it back obliquely in the end. Only he would remember that Downey said he was an orphan and took the initiative to keep him and cook for him. There are complaints and difficulties, and Donnie is not shy away, what to say. In this way, Lao Zuo truly accepted Downey, and Downey had the opportunity to observe and delve into Lao Zuo's life in secret.
The only thing Downey has dissatisfied with Lao Zuo is that Lao Zuo suppresses him from time to time. Although Downey and the other people in the gang ate at the same table, they always acted as the old left, and were controlled by the old left. Out of consideration for his own interests, Lao Zuo didn't want him to contact the upper echelons, otherwise his efforts on Downey would be wasted. But Downey needs to infiltrate the upper level to obtain more important information and end the mission as soon as possible. Due to the obstruction of the old left, Downey's progress was slow. On the one hand, he was always in danger of losing his life. On the other hand, his inner violence and darkness were also stimulated. The superior always reminded Downey of his true identity, but in order to save his life, Downey had to forget his true identity. The day and night with the old Zuo made the situation a lot more complicated, and Downey gradually lost his identity amidst the many contradictions in his heart.
Lao Zuo knew that as he got older, the possibility of getting promoted became less and less. Seeing that he never made his head in the gang, he gradually developed a heart of retreat and mentioned to Downey many times that he hoped to get rid of his current situation. He pinned his hopes on nightclubs in Florida in an attempt to have a piece of his own world. Reluctant to work hard but was forcibly taken over by Heisang, even Downey got out of his control, and Lao Zuo's hope was completely vanished. On the other hand, his only son was dying in the ward, but he was helpless as a father. Under this double blow, the old left was exhausted and wept bitterly. As an outsider, Downey saw the unknown sadness and helplessness in Lao Zuo's heart, and his heart also gave birth to infinite sorrow. He was determined to do something for Lao Zuo. This daring radiance dissolved the last barrier between the two.
Downey concealed the 300,000 cash he had secretly hidden from Heisang and his superior, hoping to give it to Lao Zuo. Although Lao Zuo discovered that the cruise ship that Downey had borrowed for him was government property, he did not expose the facts. In order to protect Downey, he gave up his old friend Nick for decades. In a scene at the dock, the two men with their own minds are caught in a dilemma that is difficult to choose. Downey has lost the support of his superiors, and his situation is getting more and more dangerous. He must get out as soon as possible; but once he gets out, he will inevitably expose his identity, and Lao Zuo, as his guarantor, is bound to be implicated. Although Lao Zuo suspected that Downey was the undercover agent of the police, he could not accept this fact. Regarding Lao Zuo, the criterion for whether Downey betrayed was not only as simple as not being an undercover agent. Even if Downey was really an undercover agent, he did not betray Lao Zuo morally. Therefore, Lao Zuo did not want to go further, he chose to believe in Downey.
Until Downey's identity is revealed, Lao Zuo will undoubtedly die, and he still has the last bit of hope. Before leaving, he told his wife, "If Downey calls, if there is such a person, tell him I am glad it is him." For Lao Zuo, it doesn't matter who Downey's true identity is at this time. Lao Zuo is like Nick at the beginning. Whether he was wronged or not, he is dead. Everyone will have this day in the underworld, but this time it is his turn at last. If Downey is undercover, Lao Zuo will lead the wolf into the room, and it is necessary to be punished. As for Downey, he is dead, so there is no need to embarrass him. If Downey was not an undercover agent, there was no need to say anything. Old Zuo forgave Downey. He didn't want Downey to blame himself for his death.
Time advances to the last moment of Lao Zuo's death, he sits at home neatly dressed, watching TV stupidly. It was the first time for Downey to go to Lao Zuo's house. The cheetah on TV was hunting the antelope, but this last time, the cheetah was besieged by hyenas. Lao Zuo likes animals, and the cheetah, as the embodiment of power and majesty, fascinates Lao Zuo. If everyone has a hero in their hearts, the hero of the old Zuo is the cheetah. Lao Zuo spent his entire life in poverty, but he never gave up his belief, a belief full of personal heroism. He sticks to human sentiments and morals, sticks to the bottom line of principles, and will never change until death.
But Lao Zuo's final ending was like this besieged cheetah, like the lion being led away. He is not suitable for survival in the gang, and even he does not meet the whole society. The values of the generation he represented were shattered in the torrent of the 1970s. He didn’t understand why the boss of the gang said he died. He didn’t understand why his son was so self-defeating, and he didn’t understand why he suffered forever. Support, he didn't understand why Downey was going to be an undercover agent. He was like a cheetah under siege, dead end, waiting for him only the end of death.
This is the environment in which the old left generation lives, a society driven by desire. Everyone starts working hard for desire every day from getting up. They never consider why they do it or what is the meaning of doing so. They just live in a muddle-headed manner, and finally return to nothingness. The only thing that remains unchanged in the whole world is the desire of greed. They are always talking about moral responsibilities, but no one really pursues these things. What maintains the operation of the entire society is not so-called justice and morality, but violence and desire.
Looking at Downey again, he finally got out of the bloody wind of gang struggle, but he couldn't face his boss, his wife and daughter. Because of his malfeasance, the boss did not give him a heavy responsibility, but gave him a medal and 500 dollars symbolically. His wife and daughter are waiting for him to take on his responsibilities and tell them about his heroic deeds in those years. But Downey was destined to live in guilt, self-blame, lies, and regrets. He can no longer take on his responsibilities to the family, not because he is cowardly and selfish, but because his faith has collapsed, Lao Zuo is dead, and his heart is also mutilated, like a walking dead.
[The loyal traitor] is a tragedy, who is the ultimate target of this tragedy? Maybe we should be like Downey, holding a 500-dollar medal and Lao Zuo in our hearts, which one is more important.
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