The 1990s were undoubtedly the last brilliance of action films, including special agent (espionage) movies. In particular, the spy movies of the old era are on the decline with the abrupt end of the Cold War pattern. When the stigma of geopolitics and social mechanisms fades, secret agent films need to find another way out of the value of political propaganda. Therefore, under the background of multi-polarization and multi-civilization conflict in the world, the creative theme of anti-terrorism and peacekeeping (represented by the "Mission Impossible" series), and the self-disclosure of the agents' self-stance (represented by the "Bourne Bourne" series) )'s two types of special agent movies stand out, leading the coquettish generation since the new century, and even affecting the old "007" series.
After entering the second decade of the new century, the "Mission Impossible" and "Bourne Bourne" series have inevitably embarked on the only path of creativity, old-fashioned characters, and the audience's aesthetic fatigue. Thus, the spy movie is again at a crossroads facing change. In 2014, the subversive "Ace Agent" was released and the word of mouth exploded as soon as it was released. Mark Miller and Matthew Vaughn teamed up to create an agent with both "style" and "spoof", full of fun and elegance. world.
If "Ace Agent" can be regarded as the starting point of another transformation of special agent movies, then "Arctic City" in 2017 may be a more distinct weather vane in this evolution. Being able to afford such a label must be attractive to most directors, and it can also inspire the director's own ambition. For this film, David Leitch actually gave up to continue directing the box-office hit series "Quick Hunt" (changed to the producer), which shows the charm of "City of Extreme Cold".
Similar to the adaptation of "Ace Agent" from comics, "City of Extreme Cold" is also adapted from graphic novels (similar to comics). Sure enough, one of the biggest features of "Arctic City" is the depoliticization of the story background and the blurring of ideology. Although the time point of this film is set on the eve of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the merger of East and West Germany, it is so important. The historical node and its related humanistic background are almost in a state of aphasia. The depressing, oppressive, and icy atmosphere in films that reflected the East Germany during the Cold War, such as "Eavesdropping Storm" and "Barbara" in the past, including the description of the living conditions of people from all walks of life, are also absent. In other words, the place where the story takes place can be replaced by any other city except for the Berlin Wall that appears several times.
As a result, there is a huge space for public audio-visual consumption and popular culture to intervene. Visually, we can see cyberpunk neon aesthetics in the heroine Lorraine's residence, which is hard to imagine in a building with an old and bleak exterior. It is even more difficult to imagine that the only scene where Berlin residents appear is actually beside the graffiti-painted Berlin Wall, the images of those vagabonds who have been influenced by Western culture and exude a punk atmosphere. In terms of hearing, the whole film uses pop music with a strong sense of age, which is simply a collection of golden songs of the 1980s, including many tributes to David Bowie (the famous rock singer in this book). died during filming). This seemingly outdated audio-visual element instead constructs a bizarre illusory space-time and further dissolves history.
Another major feature of "Arctic City" is undoubtedly the action element. In fact, since the end of the Cold War, the ideological confrontation in agent movies has completely given way to action scenes full of violent aesthetics, such as life-and-death hand-to-hand combat between agents, large-scale gunfire, and various sophisticated weapons or equipment. However, unlike the "Mission Impossible" series that emphasizes high-tech equipment and cool special effects, and the "Bourne Bourne" series that relies on handheld photography and fast editing, "Arctic City" maximizes the real melee combat. The sense of blow and the character's will to survive. The most impressive part of the film is a nearly ten-minute long shot. In order to protect the surrendered East German informant, Lorraine fought all the way from the indoor to the street. There were many fighting, gun battles, and car chases. The selection of shots, the actors The movement and rhythm are carefully controlled, and it is very random and full of appreciation.
Charlize Theron, who played Lorraine, has to be mentioned here. Today in Hollywood, there are only a handful of actresses who combine beauty, aura and skills like "South African Diamonds". The former Angelina Jolie can be counted as one, as well as works such as "Mrs. Smith" and "Agent Short"; Scarlett Johansson can also be counted as one, but her temperament is more futuristic, and she is expected to contain The agent element is shown in "Black Widow"; the big cousin Jennifer Lawrence also has similar potential, but "Red Sparrow" can only be said to be budding.
No matter how you look at it, Goddess Theron is also unique. She made her debut under the label of "Vase" and has never been burdened by idols. She gained weight and became ugly in "The Devil", and cut an inch in "Mad Max 4". play, and two broken teeth. Theron once endorsed a perfume called "True Self" for a well-known luxury brand, but the brand has another "Poison" that is closer to her image in "City of Extreme Cold". Light blonde short hair, elegant and capable appearance, frosty temperament, or sultry or cold eyes, even if every second sends out dangerous signals, it still makes us fascinated. In recent years, more and more special agent films feature women as the protagonists. Although there is inevitably a commercial need for body narrative (including the appearance of glamorous restricted-level footage in this film), women are portrayed as independent and powerful beings. Breaking through the role of "Bond Girl" as a foil, it undoubtedly caters to the trend of the times that subverts the discourse of patriarchy.
Of course, as a spy war movie, there are naturally indispensable elements of political thriller and suspenseful reversal. The main story of the film is embedded in the backtracking of Lorraine's report to his superiors, and a McGuffin-esque double-spy clue is set up, and the answer is not revealed until the end. And the story is also full of psychological depictions of agents in a specific period of history, especially David, the head of the British MI6 intelligence station in Berlin. He has worked in Berlin for many years, tossing and turning among spy organizations in various countries. In order to survive, he gradually alienated into an intelligence dealer. The inner monologue just before his death is very intriguing: "You will realize that you are an emissary of Satan, but you are spreading destruction. That's it. I want to tell you that the only thing I understand here is that I really love Berlin." The helplessness of being an unnamed pawn, and the loss before the times are about to change, are clearly revealed.
"Arctic City" is not without regrets. There is room for further scrutiny in narrative and characterization, but in the face of the strong audio-visual style and unforgettable action scenes, these seem to be no longer important. It is blessed with the charm of a goddess. So, does this kind of work that emphasizes the expressive language of the lens and has a surreal sense represent the ultimate evolutionary direction of special agent movies? I'm afraid it's hard to say right now. Just as the "Mission Impossible" and "Bourne Bourne" series were innovated in the first decade of the new century, secret agent movies are not only closely related to the progress of the times, but also reflect the changes and development of the film industry at all times, and are rapidly approaching public aesthetics. In any case, there is always room for further exploration of the behavioral characteristics and psychological motivations contained in this particular occupation.
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