"Breaking Bad" and "The Coquettish Lawyer" are my favorite dramas, none of them, they are also very few works that I think can be called "sacred drama" .
Therefore, when "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie" (El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie) came out, one can imagine how I felt like--
Just seeing "Old White" Walter White and "Little Fan" Jesse Pinkman can frame the same frame again, everything is worth it (I will use nicknames for the names below).
In the shots of Lao Bai and Xiao Fan in the same frame, we once again saw the bright red and conspicuous "EXIT" . From poison masters to lawyers, this crew always likes to scan various shots or close-ups for "Exit", such as At the end of "The Coquettish Lawyer" S3E5, after Chuck made a fool of himself at the hearing, he watched EXIT want to escape...
And "EXIT" is also the core word of the main storyline of the film: After Xiaofan gets out of trouble, she tries her best to escape this place of right and wrong and rush to a new beginning.
To put it objectively, if you think of "The Man of Life" as an independent movie or some crime film, it is lackluster... As the editor and director Vince Gilligan said in an interview before, it is purely a movie. A movie dedicated to fans, only audiences who have enough affection for "Breaking Bad" will like such a work with little "gimmick".
Before watching the movie, I also imagined how exciting and ups and down the film would be, but it turned out to be very flat and calm throughout . Then I thought to myself: I fell in love with this show because it is getting faster and faster. In the world, do you stick to the "slowness" that comes from a whisper?
Lao Bai's story ended when "BABY BLUE" sounded, and the curtain on "Breaking Bad" came to a close enough. After six years, the release of "The Man of Life" is more like a great performance. The artists slightly adjusted their positions and speeches at the curtain call, which not only does not affect the quality of the performance itself, but also It will be the icing on the cake for the whole show.
Yesterday I spent nearly 6 hours sorting out the picture materials. I can say responsibly that this film is a magical work for fans. Below I will analyze "The Man of Life" in order and add some content related to the series of poison masters and lawyers.
[PS: It is recommended to take a look at the "Breaking Bad Movie" comprehensive viewing guide written by my friend before . Although it is not 100% accurate, it is great to review and organize many details, such as the introduction of old joe and individual shots. I won’t repeat the same content again. 】
Rehabilitation
At the beginning of the film, it was a scene where Xiaofan and Mike had a private meeting. Judging from the conversation between the two, it should have happened before the two were about to leave Lao Bai in the first few episodes of the fifth season .
Soon we are going to separate things, and naturally it is inevitable to talk about some relaxed topics. Xiaofan insisted on asking Mike "If you were me, where would you go?"
Mike replied: "Alaska, the last frontier."
When Xiaofan was about to disappear and run away in the Poison Master, Sol once suggested that he go to Florida to enjoy the beauty of the beach and the tropical scenery, but Xiaofan blurted out and wanted to go to "Alaska". It can be seen how much Mike played when he was most confused. Guiding role.
Wonderful lens appreciation:
The symmetrical lens commonly used by Poison Master and Lawyer series uses irregular symmetry from top to bottom this time. The reflection on the water surface reflects the blurred people and scenery, which is peaceful and surging.
After Xiaofen leaves, she can start from scratch to welcome a new life, but it is impossible to "reform" .
This is what Mike said, he broke the fan's illusion of "getting an inch"-you may be able to renew yourself, but the passing is just passing, and you can't change it anyway.
This can’t help being linked to what the lawyer said after his first deal with "Drug Rat" Warmold in the first season: No matter what you think, whether it’s a badass or not, the criminal is a criminal.
Sins cannot be washed away, and once they are carried, they will be burdened for life. Xiaofen learned this magnanimity from Mike, and took the burden that came with it.
After escaping, the desperate fan can only ask the old buddies "Skinny" and "Monkey" for help.
The pair of live treasures are still playing games, bragging, and talking about jokes and sorrows that have hidden various stalks. It is so cordial to see this scene.
The last scene before Jesse and the two meet again is similar. The skinny man and the monkey have a nutritious but witty debate, but the status of the little fan is very different ...
Eating wildly, sleeping wildly, turned into a horrified bird because of the ceiling open with his eyes open, taking a bath, shaving and shaving, and the gun stays true... Xiaofen finally found her appearance in the thin man's house.
It is worth mentioning that Xiaofen, who recovered, did not pick up cigarettes.
In fact, after this, Xiaofen never smoked again.
Then it's time to find a way to get out. The first thing to do is to dispose of Todd's Camino, and Xiaofan immediately found the most suitable Joe.
As for the old Qiao who is good at "destroying cars and destroying tracks", I have already introduced it in detail in the previous article. Uncle Qiao is indeed very righteous , not only did not avoid suspicion, but also expressed his willingness to help Jesse for free with the attitude of his elders admiring the younger ones.
To a large extent, Lao Qiao is repaying the favor of the "white powder group" who always took care of his "business".
For example, the one played with magnets in Poison Master S5E1. Uncle Qiao also simply restored the original actions of Xiaofen, the magnet!
Everything went smoothly, but when Old Joe finished his inspection, Camino's vehicle anti-theft (location) system was activated.
So a face-slapped black humor in this film came. Uncle Joe, who was very righteous last minute, immediately greased the soles of his feet and slipped faster than the rabbit.
I can do dirty work for you, but only if it doesn't involve me.
In desperation, Xiaofen had to gamble to escape. At a critical moment, the fast-headed thin man helped him and arranged everything to delay the police investigation to ensure that Xiaofen would not be arrested for the time being.
"Why are you doing all this to help me?"
"Brother, you are my hero ." Shouzi's admiration may only be because Xiaofen is the only one who has done "big things" among their friends. Therefore, the trailer of the first thin man's trial in "The Renewalist" can also be regarded as an extra short film of the film. He really does not know the movement of Xiaofen, even if he accepts the punishment of "covering crime", he must protect Xiaofen.
Just pass it, Mike is right.
The tear of crocodile
The most surprising thing about "The Man of Life" is that in the two-hour finale, it still has enough patience to perfect the image of a character -the poisonous master is cruel, capable and ambitious. Todd, his character image has become fuller in this film (unfortunately, Todd actor Jesse gains weight is the most part of the film).
Xiaofan had to find money if she wanted to run away, so she sneaked into Todd's house, and then brought out the memory of Todd taking himself to deal with the corpse before.
Todd is the kind of really cold-blooded guy who kills people as easy as slaughtering chickens. Sonia, a clean aunt who can barely speak English, just found the money hidden in the book. I kindly reminded me. Todd strangled to death with the belt, because Todd did not allow anyone to find out, and he could not leave any hidden dangers -as if he had killed a boy.
On one side is the corpse lying on the ground, on the other side is the warm and elegant room and the gentle homeowner. The strong contrast further highlights Todd's coldness and horror .
Not mentioning crime and murder, Todd looked like a gentle young man. After burying Aunt Sonia, he even said a few eulogy.
It is most appropriate to use "crocodile tears" to describe Todd: According to legend, this is a hypocritical performance of the crocodile. In fact, he is not sad at all, but is lubricating his eyes.
In addition, Todd took Xiaofen to bury the corpse alone this time, not only using Xiaofen as a tool, but also a "training trip" carefully arranged by him .
After killing Andrea, Xiaofen looked like an angry and painful wild dog. Todd threatened to kill Bullock while giving smoke, and gave him enlightenment. Xiaofen no longer resisted and fled, and even hid quietly. The co-pilot position.
The initial training was successful, and started to put the dog leash ... On the way out, Todd threw Xiaofen in the rear compartment.
Xiaofen still did not change, and came to the burial site very cooperatively, helping Todd dig the ground to bury people.
OK, you can go to the ultimate test -Todd intentionally let Xiaofen get the pistol in the storage box, and then use understatement to disarm the other party... I fully believe that there are no bullets in the gun, even if Todd fails It's just another training. The reality is that he can make Xiaofan surrender only with pizza.
Todd loosened the dog leash step by step like flying a kite. As he expected , the distressed little fan had lost the will to resist, and he could send this slave at will in the future.
Wonderful lens appreciation:
Above the desert, the sun is great, and the proud Todd is bathed in the sun head-on, but the little pink who has become a slave dog bows his head and back, as if afraid of the sun, he is more suitable to stay in the shadows.
After adding this story, and watching the scene of Todd's death in Poison Master S5E16, you will know how difficult this move was for Xiaofen .
By the way: It was also a murder weapon for strangulation. Todd took off the belt from Aunt Sonia's neck and continued to use it, and Xiaofen threw the handcuffs afterwards.
Another detail is the tarantula that Todd keeps at home .
This tarantula was left behind by the witness boy Todd killed when the three men of Old Bai stole methylamine. He didn't care about it. He took the tarantula home and raised it like an ordinary big boy. .
Since then, the tarantula has also become a symbol of Xiaofen's huge heart disease .
The fifth season of "Breaking Bad" is a very long plot, which is driven by the uneven mentality of Xiaofan. He cannot accept the fact that he kills children.
When Xiaofan came to Todd's house again in "The Man of Life", he was no longer “underwhelmed” facing the tarantula as he was last time, and he also personally fed some food.
This detail can be used as a small fan to reconcile with his past self, and he finally let go of the worry about it.
Wonderful lens appreciation:
Next, Xiaofen looked for money at Todd’s house. It was not an exaggeration to describe it as "digging three feet". He searched all the walls and floors that could be dug over...
Faced with a large number of repetitive and mechanical scenes here, the film uses overlapping photography techniques to sum it up, capable and sophisticated, similar to the scenes in the third season of the lawyer, such as Mike dismantling the car and looking for the corpse in the desert. .
When Xiaofan accidentally discovered the money hidden in the refrigerator, Todd's old acquaintances, Neil and Casey of the Candi Welding Company, pretended to be police officers to fight the fall.
Wonderful lens appreciation:
This lens confronted by Neil and Xiaofen behind the wall uses two common methods of symmetrical segmentation and mirror reflection. The concave atmosphere is very effective . Friends who are familiar with poison master lawyers will certainly not be unfamiliar. I will not specifically look for similar ones here. The picture is up.
Xiaofen was deceived by the two at one time, but after discovering that they were fake police officers, when he took the money, he immediately retaliated and turned the army.
Since you can't see the light either, don't dare to shoot, the old Louis's big mouth is still outside the door...
Xiaofen's words really stunned Neil, so much so that they forgot that she could stun Xiaofen, and finally reached an agreement of "one-third each".
Rules are rules
With the money in hand, the next step is to run away and leave Albuquerque.
Xiaofen came to the vacuum cleaner shop, and after seeing the red commercial car parked in the backyard , she further confirmed that she had not found the wrong place.
Walking into the store, he said a wrong code word, put a bundle of money on the table, and the expressionless Ed finally admitted: You owe me the money. [PS: Robert Foster, the actor who played Eddy, died on October 11 when the film was released. God can really joke, father RIP. 】
If you can’t remember the above two stalks, I’ll help you to briefly recall them:
Xiaofen originally paid the money to go to Alaska, but found out the truth about the stolen cigarettes before leaving, and then realized that ricin was a vain ghost. The bastard had been lying to herself. At this time, Ed's red car Having stopped in front of him, the frightened little fan didn't get into the car, turned around to find Lao Bai to settle the account, and Ed also left.
In other words, the $125,000 that Xiaofan put out was just a penalty for putting the pigeons in person last time (after all, Ed has already arranged Xiaofan’s new identity). If you want to start business again, you must take it again. The same sum of money.
Xiaofen digs all over her body, and in the end it is still $1,800, but Ed has no intention of being accommodating.
You old bastard, after taking hundreds of thousands of dollars, do you really want to care about more than one thousand dollars?
In this scene, I can’t help but think that in the first season of the lawyer, Nacho and Warmold lost $20 in the deal, and the bodyguard Mike insisted on paying it in full, otherwise he would not do business.
It’s not so much to value the change, as it is to value the “rules” of trading. Once the bottom line begins to blur, anything can happen... Probably this is the reason why the old rivers and lakes like Ed and Mike can go to the end. One bar.
Rules are rules, and people walking in the gray area need to abide by this, because there are not many things that can protect them.
Xiaofen once wanted to lie in the shop and forced Ed to help, but the other party dared to call the police directly, which was another lesson for the young fan.
That's it, 1800 dollars, I will get it together. Next, the film passed Jesse's parents and played another "unexpected" .
The parents of Xiaofan had appeared on TV before and persuaded his son to surrender himself.
Adam and Dany had a lot of roles in the previous seasons of Poison Master. They prefer their younger son Jack (although the younger Jack is also secretly smoking marijuana). For the eldest son Jesse, they love him and care about him on the one hand, On the other hand, he blamed him, didn't trust him , and once took back the property they gave Jesse.
But now, the little fans who have experienced wind, heavy rain and great enlightenment will no longer complain or hate their parents.
Although Xiaofen called home to play "Tiaohu Lishan" , what he said to his parents was also true : "You tried your best. No matter what happens to me, it is my own fault. Don't blame others."
After cheating away his parents and the main police force, Xiaofan smoothly entered the house, opened the safe, and took away...two pistols, including an antique point 22- he could take away a pistol that he probably never needs at home , But will never take half a penny from the family again.
Xiaofen is going to Kandi Welding Company to get money. At this time we saw another acquaintance, the big Clarence.
The most recent time he played was the little bastard who taught Jimmy to robbery with Shure among the lawyers. This buddy really does all the work , bodyguards, thugs, etc. This time, he is the tortoise who delivers food...
While waiting for the miscellaneous people to leave, Xiaofan recalled Kenny's past to abuse her. She was teased like a beast, without human rights and dignity.
In that memory, Neil, who welded iron pipes for them, was also one of the accomplices (Xiao Fan remembered who the other party was when she saw "Candy Welding Company").
So in theory, with the new hatred and the old hatred, Xiaofan could rush in and kill Neil to get revenge and get back hundreds of thousands of dollars —but Xiaofan didn’t do that. He just walked in calmly and asked The other party gave him another 1,800 dollars, and he was only short of 1,800.
I fully believe that as long as Neil is willing to give 1800, Xiaofen will continue to leave peacefully. He has already let go of his hatred and just wants to start again.
But Neil, whose desires swelled sharply, was no longer afraid after discovering that Xiaofen's gun was 22 points. He also realized that he was bluffed by Xiaofen once before, and this time he would not make the same mistake.
How about a "Western-style" duel? The winner takes all the money.
The winner takes all, the winner takes all, is the title of the lawyer's fourth season finale, and it is also one of the themes of the entire series of poison masters and lawyers . Can friends who understand it know how to smile?
Moreover, the same sentence feels different in different environments. Putting it on Xiaofen and Neal at this time is a bloody life and death battle in a purely literal sense.
Xiaofen had expected that Neil would not be honest, which is why he brought two guns, one light and one dark, anyway, he would not duel fairly .
Judging from the shame of Neal by the little fan, this guy’s main job is indeed an electric welder, and only when he interacts with people like Todd did he become savage-to deal with this kind of stuff, a serious little fan is enough .
After killing Casey, Xiaofen let go of the details of the remaining three unlucky ones. It is also very interesting. She took their driver's license and threatened them to be tight-lipped, otherwise she would ask them to settle the account.
I can not help think of the old white laser pointer with two threats Gretchen and Elliott scene, in fact, a look back they no shadow, but fear it will ensure that the other party in the future ...... obey both teacher and student playing trick really is exactly the same .
Finally, the brother said a pun when he ran away:
Dude, you're on fire.
After Xiaofen took the money, he kept doing nothing, and exploded the entire welding factory by the way. Since he wanted to "say goodbye", he would say it thoroughly. Real men never look back at the explosion!
It is worth mentioning that Uncle Fried Chicken, Lao Bai, and now Xiao Fan have all achieved the achievement of "single-handedly going deep into the tiger's den and killing the enemy".
In fact, "continued life of the believers," there is a pit Motian , that is a group of people from the old Uncle Jack White nearly one hundred million dollars in cash stolen there, plus later the little pink drug manufacturing money, which Where is the huge sum of money (the nearly $1 million in Todd's house is just pocket money) ? The answer is: it doesn't matter anymore.
Xiaofen has always been better than Lao Bai. He once pointed out in the fifth season that Lao Bai's heart has changed and his desires are difficult to fill: You only wanted to make drugs for $737,000 to leave to your family, but now?
After getting the chance to start again, it is the same to be penniless or carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars. This money is enough for the small fans, and it is a sin to worry about the huge sum of money that goes missing.
restart
The most surprising thing for fans in "The Renewalist" is of course the opponent scene in which Lao Bai and Xiao Fan appeared together again at the end of the film .
From all the details, it can be found that this scene is exactly the story that happened in the poison master S2E9.
The bullet hole in the caravan door is a very intuitive clue, let's talk about two very interesting little details.
Because Xiaofen didn’t pull out the key and ran out of electricity during the drug production process, the two had to use the generator to charge the car. As a result, the generator caught fire again. Before Lao Bai used the fire extinguisher, Xiaofen poured the whole bucket of water. Go down...
This bucket of water was the only remaining drinking water for the two of them . Lao Bai, who wanted to cry without tears, could only hold the empty bucket and kept saying "well done" to Xiaofen.
So the beginning of this scene of the film is that Xiaofen soaks in the bathtub and pours ice cubes. In the restaurant, he also uses banknotes to leave a large bottle of water in the hands of the waiter.
Compared with fate, money is something outside the body. Now water is fate in my eyes. I am happy to buy water with money.
And when the two were hungry and thirsty and trapped in the car, Lao Bai also advised Xiaofan not to do extra useless work and accelerate physical consumption.
" You are now in a high-risk state of low electrolytes , and you will be finished if you lose those trace elements."
So Xiaofen took so many fruits and vegetables (such as pineapple) while eating, and suggested that Lao Bai also eat and drink more to supplement the electrolytes you mentioned .
Look, as long as Xiaofan wants to study, she is still a good student~
Lao Bai then asked Xiaofan what plans he had in the future, whether he was going to go to university? What major do you want to study if you read it? Sports medicine is good, but business and marketing may be more suitable for you. You can be a professor directly...
This is probably the best period between Lao Bai and Xiaofen. For the rest of his life, he can make a lot of money in the future. Lao Bai hasn't become greedy, and Xiaofen's eyes have not lost the brilliance. Together, they hope to be more A beautiful tomorrow.
At this time, Lao Baiqing couldn't help but said to Xiaofen: "You are really lucky, do you know? You don't need to wait a whole life to do something big."
Lao Bai’s words are only half right. Xiaofan did a "big thing", but he was not "lucky". It would be complete only by adding the opening credit Mike's words: you did a big thing, you made a mistake, and you dumped it. Don't drop, but you can start over. However, both Lao Bai and Mike acquiesced a little: Jesse, you are still young.
At the end, Xiaofan came to Alaska smoothly. Ed saw that the young man was ready, and said bluntly that "few people have the opportunity to start again."
Ed is telling the truth. Although he often helps people run away, not everyone can really let go of the past . For example, the old white who went back and returned wasted his service...
What’s interesting is that Lao Bai went to New Hampshire, and Xiao Fan went to Alaska. Although the two places are located in the northeast and northwest corners of the United States, they are both ice and snowy areas with different environmental and landforms from New Mexico. The two masters and apprentices have a tacit understanding here. Once.
Xiaofen left a letter to Bullock, and Ed said that it would be sent in Mexico... At this point, Jesse Pinkman would never be found in the world.
Xiaofen saw her former lover Jane in the car. Although he could not realize the two people’s wish to wander the world together, he could continue the unwritten agreement of "making your own decision" for the two of them. With this thought, it is eternal. .
As early as the "Breaking Bad" serialization period, my favorite character was Xiaofan . Indeed, he is drug-addicted, stupid, hesitant, twitchy, and cowardly. He has too many flaws and nasty stains, but he is from beginning to end. In the end, I didn't lose the most basic simplicity and kindness.
As the finale of the Poison Master series, "The Man of Life", in my opinion, is also the greatest value: it retains enough elements and style (and even everything) of the original work, and gives a little fan who hasn't settled yet. A real ending, clean the lead and leave hope.
"Breaking Bad" is really over.
A few years later, when you are traveling in Alaska, you may negotiate a price with a carpenter owner in a wooden craft shop, you may see a team doctor save the field during an ice hockey game, or you may bump into the street. Selling goods to a low-key but capable salesman...
If you think Mr. Driscoll is familiar, please don't disturb him.
[Also welcome everyone to pay attention to my official account "Youai Comment Zone". 】
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