The superficial meaning of "the ghost writer" is a ghostwriter, a secret author, or, in a more popular way, "the gunman" where the word Ghost implies the male protagonist's surrogate identity. What Polanski might be asking with this title is, is the only male protagonist The Ghost Writer? He is helping people write the past, so who is helping him write the future? Maybe it's the people who make the hero become the second Mike. They may be The Ghost Writer of the hero...
Since it's a suspense movie, the plot must be played naturally, and the story must not only be complicated, It is even more oppressive. From this point of view, the selection of the script is undoubtedly a success. As Polanski said: "When I saw "The Shadow Writer", it was really bright. There is no novel like this Better for a movie. The suspense in the story, the heart-to-mouth content is amazing." In the novel, Harris tells the story in a seaside cottage, This kind of cramped scene is often seen in Polanski's films - "The Bitter Moon," "The Pianist," "Knife in the Water." In other words, the novel was tailor-made for Polanski and could only be interpreted by him.
The main line of the film is not complicated. It tells the story of a secret writer who specializes in killing celebrities and writing an autobiography for the former British Prime Minister Long under an accidental opportunity, but the series of events triggered by it are the key to the fascinating. Throughout the whole film, almost all of them have their own ghosts: Ghost resolutely left the United States in the bitterly cold winter season for high remuneration; After the ghost was robbed with a clear meaning, he still insisted on letting him go; the top management of Reinhardt also made the ghost desperate to get first-hand information; the prime minister's wife was so close to the ghost, and even the physical offering, although it was incomprehensible , but it is certain that she must have hidden secrets. The culprit that makes the human nature in the film so false is the other protagonist of the story - politics.
Regarding politics, the definition given is as follows: the specific behaviors of various power subjects in the superstructure field to safeguard their own interests and the specific relationships formed thereby. Leaving aside those obscure professional terms, the core is to safeguard one's own interests, so politics is extremely selfish, and its characteristics determine that people who play this game must be ruthless in their bones, and they must do their best to obtain the greatest interests. It's the rules of the game, so driven by interests, the players of the game have become the objects of being played by politics. This man called politics is in the film from beginning to end, but he never shows his true colors. He controls everyone behind his back. , the hypocrite Leichard, the Michael who was favored by Lang but eventually betrayed him, Lucy Lang who hid behind her husband without any flaws to control British diplomacy, etc. Even Adam Lang, the only possible true justice, finally died here. Under the gun of the "ghost" called politics. So The Ghost Writer isn't just referring to the hero, not just everyone around him, but the political game itself that's directing it all behind the scenes.
Along with the development of the main line, there is also the change of ghost's psychological status as an "outsider" and "substitute". At first, his mind was full of money. Although he heard about Mike's death, he didn't care about the hidden meaning of it at all. The secret he discovered in Mike's room made him re-examine Mike's death, especially after the private investigation that followed, making him aware of his precarious situation. Therefore, the lighthearted and humorous ghost who likes to tell jokes at the beginning of the film is gone. Instead, there is a poor man who is as frightened as a bird in his heart. The huge emotional gap of the ghost can be seen from the scene of staying in a hotel on the shore of the port. The ghost didn't respond quickly to the shopkeeper's joke at first, but then he ignored it, and seemed to be very worried, especially after someone knocked on the door, his highly vigilant behavior showed that he was indeed frightened and a little confused. measures.
The many branches in the film made me feel like I was being led by the nose the first time I watched it, and I didn’t realize it until the final decryption. It was not until I watched the film again that I didn’t understand the well-designed details. After some experience, many lines are not as ordinary as they sound on the surface, and hints abound. The picture is also in line with the temperament of the film, the hazy sky, the wanton wind, and the passers-by with weird expressions and hesitant to say anything, all of which make the viewer feel cold from the heart and want to escape from this place of right and wrong. Polanski's films often have a literary style, and "Shadow Writer" is no exception. The car accident at the end that happened outside the camera was followed by the paper that floated into the sky with the wind, although not a little bit. Bloody but better than rivers of blood, it powerfully attacked the ugliness and ruthlessness of politics. In such a political environment, the state can ruthlessly sacrifice the lives of individuals for its own interests, which is completely contrary to the "human rights" they advertise every day. It exposes the hypocrisy of politics and outlines a political quagmire in which individuals can only end up getting deeper and deeper. . . .
For the dark side described in the film, it is easy to think of the Kennedy assassination, the same political conspiracy, the same twists and turns, the difference is the status of the protagonist, but in the end they all end up in an ending that never touches the truth. On the other hand, it reflects the ugly and powerful power of the political subject.
The novel "Shadow Writer" is full of political prophecies. For example, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is now deeply involved in the scandal of prison torture and is under investigation for "dereliction of duty" to create wrong public opinion and send troops to attack Iraq. Of course, this is just a coincidence, there is no need to copy the plot in the story and the reality one by one, but I think you may never understand the true face of politics, but there is absolutely no need for that.
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