The Art of Self-Defense - Not all art is pure

Kayleigh 2022-01-28 08:33:55

00:17:35 self-cut

"The Art of Self-Defense" and "The Tuner" feel very similar to me. They are both fun, exciting, and bloody, and the ending is that the seemingly weak side succeeds in fighting back. They differ in rhythm, the former will be slower, but if you like the above feel, then I'm sure you'll enjoy The Art of Self-Defense. What's more, the male protagonist is starred by the gold medal actor Jesse Eisenberg, who can be perfectly matched with a mysterious image that combines social fear, neurosis and even a little pitiful.

I've never liked to generalize stories, nor read trailers and movie synopses. Ratings, word of mouth, and actors are the deciding factors for me to "see" or "don't see", so forgive me for not being able to use the plot to attract you here. But please let me add a word from another angle: "The Art of Self-Defense" is literally on my laugh. It's not that the movie is full of one-hit-hit jokes, it's that there are scenes where you see the male protagonist doing nothing, just blinking nervously or turning his head and running away, and you'll be inconsiderate but can't help laughing. more than. Black humor has always been the honey of the first and the arsenic of the second. I hope this time I have the honor to be a "passer-by" with you.

I have some thoughts after watching it, but I'm going to say that this is purely a personal opinion, or an over-interpretation, so to speak; I don't even think the movie has that meaning.

There is a sinister side to the world, and most people will feel instinctively repulsive about it, but if you don't force yourself to understand and adapt, it's useless to run away when danger comes, and unfortunately, it's useless to resist. What is reflected in the movie is that Casey in the first half could not escape being beaten into the hospital; and even if he bared his sharp teeth, he also had German blood (wildness and fearlessness), and the German Shepherd killed a man with a black belt in karate ( powerful persecutor), the dachshund died in the warmth of his home under the fist of the same man. The difference between the two is not who is more brave, but who is more self-defense.

How do you know how to defend yourself?

——When I say "understanding and adapting", I don't mean to assimilate oneself into an immoral appearance, but to make different responses to different situations after knowing oneself and one another, which is to know how to defend oneself. In normal times, a rational person is controlled by his own moral values, and his behavior and thoughts are still the truth, goodness and beauty he pursues, just like Casey in the movie finally brings harmony to the martial arts hall; but in the face of threats, he also needs to have the ability to Give the opponent's little head the ability to "open the skylight".

The art of self-defense is a necessary skill for good people, but who stipulates that art is pure, and good people can only do good things? After all, the body is the capital of preaching and cultivating.

01:35:00 self cut

Lastly is my little dissatisfaction with The Art of Self-Defense. It's true that an inspiring work is a good work, and the film itself is rich enough - the audience sees the encouragement to break free, the devotion to what you love, the irony. Stereotypes, some kind of karate, fascist rule, fraternities, etc., but none of them are deep because they don't fit well into the plot.

There are two important points that I read from the whole film. One is to actively build a civilized and beautiful society, and the other is to fight against gender prejudice, especially the prejudice against women. The first article is too much chicken soup. The audience has more and higher requirements for such a work that can almost be said to be developed by God. Such a light ending sublimation makes the whole film weightless; the second article is too blunt and equal rights The time to cut into the problem is too late, and the space given is too short, and the chatter seems to be off topic.

So in general, according to the five-star full score, I think it is a work between three-and-a-half and four-star, and it is only a little short of excellent, which is a pity.

...Speaking of which, Jesse's acting is really amazing, so pitiful and cute, I want to hug him and rub him (cover your face, slip away

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Extended Reading
  • Ayden 2022-03-26 09:01:14

    Reversal hastily and untenable, absurd for absurd's sake

  • Magnus 2022-03-28 09:01:13

    At the beginning, I thought it was a comedy movie with a counter-attack, but I didn’t expect that with the development of the plot, it turned out to be a complete black humor, and a lot of satire on the mainstream American culture from various angles made the film like peeling an onion. The same layers are uncovered, which is spicy and enjoyable. American pragmatism is vividly explained in the accurate and humorous translation of "Zen", which makes it hard to wonder if the film is sponsored by the firearms company, or, in other words, it is a joke about the anti-firearms use of Americans Woolen cloth? Eisenberg is so suitable to play this role, the transformation completed by the cowardly and pitiful diaosi does not correspond to the old Chinese saying, don't mess with honest people. This kind of "small piece" that is wickedly interesting and hits the spot is like a beautiful street snack. It looks inconspicuous, but every bite is a surprise. Rather than a blockbuster with hundreds of millions of special effects, I prefer to watch this kind of aftertaste. Absolutely exquisite sketch 4 stars, 7.5, the end reversal is very exciting

The Art of Self-Defense quotes

  • Casey: I'm going to kill you, Leslie.

    [Sensei looks at Casey with surprise]

    Casey: That's right. I found out your real name is Leslie. I called you that to make you angry. When you think about it, Leslie is a lot more feminine sounding than Casey.

  • Sensei: If a bear's forest catches on fire, the bear is still a bear. Even if a boat capsizes in rough seas and sinks to the bottom of the ocean with no survivors, it is still a boat.