The story begins in the 1920s and spans from 1927 to 1931. It tells the story of silent film actor George Valentine. The beginning of the story is George's golden age. He is eye-catching and confident. He is the big star that the agent should be in this era. He dismisses his female partner and takes all the glory. Then there is the transition to a chance encounter with Pepy Miller, and then the branch extends to the story of Miller's development into a film and television career.
I really liked two details in this process: one is that Miller appeared in George's film as a passerby, and the big star George was a little bit unable to concentrate and repeated CUT; the other was that George retired first and then Miller came to him. A hug scene in George's dressing room. The former was indeed attracted to George, and he was a little lost. The latter one showed Miller's admiration for George and also showed Miller's talent as an actor. The series of shots and performances that embraced him alone were in my heart. Seems really awesome.
After that, there was an exchange between the two sides, and George, as a senior, gave Miller some advice. Then came the change of the times, from silent films to the stage of sound films. The keen producer smelled this change, but the stubborn George insisted that he was the most correct and the best, and refused to compromise. The talented Miller quickly moved from a supporting role to the center of the stage step by step. Although her success has her own efforts, it is better to say that the times have created her.
Times, this beast of a flood, devoured everything. When the stubborn George was determined to go to the end of the silent film and started to contact the producers for filming and distribution, the market also experienced a depression period when the stock market plummeted, which happened to be 1929-1933 in history. George's "Tears of Love" is also like the ending in the story. George slowly drowned in the sand and struggled to sink until he was buried. No one can save him!
The facts are established, and the cold and warm sighs are naturally to be experienced. Marriages that are not strong in themselves will come to an end with the decline of their careers. Accidentally, when Miller was openly expressing his ambitions to the media during the meal meeting, George finally couldn't bear it any longer. An elegant action was accompanied by a subtitle "I'll make way for you (the stage)", a pun. George, who left the meal in a hurry, later received an apology from Miller, but that didn't quell his anger.
But the times will not take into account so much, and Miller is getting more and more red and brighter as a matter of course. Being ridiculed by the world that "it must be funny if it could talk", George gradually became so poor that he began to sell his property. So that she couldn't bear to see the faithful servant continue to suffer with herself and deliberately drive him away. Fortunately, Miller, who had a heart, took all George's belongings back at the auction house, because she knew that these things belonged to him, It will never belong to the general people who do not understand these furniture, objects, sculptures, and portraits to understand the connotation and meaning of these things. Seeing that George, who was in despair, was almost hit by a car while crossing the road, Miller, who was in George's luxurious car, could not help weeping.
George looked at his past works in depression. In his own words, he called him "stupid and arrogant". After the proud self-esteem was trampled to pieces by the current practice, the proud self in the projection left him. The only thing left is the body with no self-respect tortured by reality, so he began to frantically beat and vent. In fact, I thought he would have behaved like this as early as when he was just divorced and the box office was not good, but the script is still It was only at this time that he broke out. He no longer had expectations for the world and he began to burn down. The thick smoke devoured him like a demon...
Fortunately, his good friend dog rescued him once, and then Seeing that the film he held to his death recorded Miller and his first stage encounter, the love began to blossom. Miller, who well-meaningly wanted to help him regain his confidence, could not play a decisive role. Standing in front of the window and returning to the glorious era, he was awakened by the reality of public opinion, and then again despaired of the world to the point of seeking death for the second time. Fortunately, Miller arrived just in time. In the end, it was a happy end. He knew that no audience was willing to listen to his speech, and he continued to survive on the stage in another way.
My understanding of this script is that it is a historical ode, but it is not. Like everyone said, it feels a bit like drawing a tiger is not an anti-dog. I haven't watched silent films in the strict sense, I have no right to speak, and I don't criticize any techniques that are inferior to those of the masters of the past. The reason why everyone thinks that the silent film does not insist on finishing the silent film (and finally has sound), and the atmosphere and camera cuts are not the same as 80 years ago, so why is it called an ode. In my opinion, the director didn't actually want everyone to watch the film completely and turn back time. What he expressed was just a little tribute to silent films, not going back to the 80-year time difference. He just made a tribute action, including the technique, the connection with the camera, or his own way. Silent films are like male protagonists. They have both glory and bleak. This is a legendary history, nothing more.
My description of the ending is quite caring. My understanding is that at the end, the male protagonist speaks, and the film becomes cheerful and cheerful, indicating that he has calmly accepted and surrendered to this era. Why not give a chance to do a swan song, so that it fits the title of "big artist", not just "artist". And the final form is not action, but dance, I really can't understand why the stage life is continued in this way.
I myself still quite like the pictures in black and white movies, they are dignified and layered. There is a deep aftertaste to every move, every smile, and the rhythmic body swing exuding an air of elegance that modern cinema can't do. Silent films, which may be the culmination of another language, use body language to summarize most actions and create an era. Just like George, so lonely and so important. This era has made him successful, and it has also allowed him to taste all kinds of flavors. Even so, he had wealth that he could not take away: a good friend, a good servant, a good companion. Such a life can be called a complete artistic life. This is a memory and story that only belongs to that era. The flashy world is like a cloud of smoke.
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