Female directors, these three words seem to be inherently labeled as weak in the film and television industry.
Why I like Zhao Ting, aside from all other factors, as an audience, we only appreciate her works. Zhao Ting seems to be born to remove the labels of these stereotypes. I have to admit that I despised her at first, but when I actually watched her movies, from Nomadland to The rider, there was only one sentence in my mind
"This is the least female director I've ever seen."
If someone who doesn't know movies asks me what makes Steven Spielberg's films so appealing, the answer must be his heart-wrenching long takes and unparalleled one-shots. Ask me what makes Christopher Nolan's movies so appealing. The plot and meticulous shooting of the scene. If you ask me where Zhao Ting is moving, "The rider" is moving, I will probably be at a loss for words. But if I think about it carefully, I think this movie is worth talking about for three days and three nights. Zhao Ting's film theme seems plain but sharp. Whether it's a knight or a land of nowhere, they all have a common feature. The protagonists are the people at the bottom. ,Vulnerable Groups. I think in this age of streaming information, nothing brings more social attention than a movie.
Zhao Ting is probably the most realistic director I've ever seen, cleverly walking between documentaries and movies. The biggest difference between documentaries and movies is that documentaries are a form of popular science while movies are time art. Since it is art, its core inspiration must come from life. The most special thing about Zhao Ting is that her films are all non-professional actors. The protagonist of the knight is really a cowboy and his father is indeed his biological father. Pursue the most authentic interpretation, so that the performance is not so performance. In other words, she took the film out of script.
When I watch movies, I always focus on lens aesthetics, and use lens instead of language as an important criterion for the director's directing skills. "Knight" is definitely one of the films I have seen that takes this aesthetic to the extreme. The desolate beauty of the west, The beauty of tranquility has been brought to the extreme. Brady is not good at words, and Zhao Ting used the camera to express thousands of words for him. At the same time, it is so quiet and pleasant. We are used to the city life and inevitably have a bit of impetuousness in our hearts. Why not enjoy a piece of Zhao Ting's work on a quiet night on the weekend to help us be down-to-earth and flashy?
"Knight" is like a piece of rice paper, which is blank and colorless. Zhao Ting poured a few drops of gouache on it, which symbolizes the softest emotion in the heart. We seem plain and strong but warm and soft inside. If you feel that your life is full of desire, helplessness and unwillingness, let Chloe Zhao accompany you to experience the beauty of this quietest loneliness.
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