The film was written by Coppola in 1984. Richard Gere was still considered beautiful at the time, with a pair of small eyes that had the brilliance of the 1930s; the heroine was so beautiful and flirtatious that it was breath-taking enough to satisfy anyone's desire for a woman of that era. The fantasy of Coppola, without losing the consistent level of Coppola's selection of women; the story of the fortune of two black and white brothers adapted from Sir Ellington's novel, the gangster line Coppola is good at, the gorgeous stage of the most possible thing, the original flavor Jazz and tap dancing, all these 30's biggest draws come together in one cotton club.
It is said that the film did not receive enough attention from the audience and critics at the beginning of its release, and its performance at the Oscars was only a tasteless nomination for best editing, best art direction and scenery, but on imdb, the summary of user comments is: One of Francis Coppola's best and underrated films
But Cotton Club's neglect as an entertainment film is to be expected. As far as the cast is concerned, apart from Richard Gere and Nicolas Cage who can be called by name, James Ramar, who plays Dutch, is fairly familiar. But that doesn't mean performance is missing from the film. Nicolas Cage doesn't have many roles, but he plays the little crazy thug brother impressively (I always think Cage is suitable for playing a neurotic role, how he looks in the national treasure is not pleasing to the eye), in contrast, Ramer can also express the tyrannical Irish gang leader incisively and vividly, even more hysterically. In addition, club boss Madden's sophistication, Frenchi's composure, and Kiel's dashing bravery liberate gangster characters from their stereotyped imagery, and they're incredibly vivid. Although the heroine Vera wins by her appearance, her little ambition, cleverness and flirtatiousness, strong on the outside and soft on the inside are not inferior. It's just that the obvious lack of performance of black actors and the complexity of the plot have somewhat weakened the coherence of the characters and the development of the story, which is a little regrettable.
Of course, what attracted me the most were those gorgeous stages and sophisticated fashion. The most fashionable thing about women in the 1930s was their hats. The heroine wore a Cleopatra-like headgear in her second appearance, fascinating all beings. After that, every appearance must be an impeccable set of exquisite outfits. Black skirts, tulle skirts, and even underwear are also specially tailored.
There is a sentence in the tagline of the film: This is an era where elegance and violence coexist. It was an era of elegance and violence. This is indeed the tone of the whole film, and the editing is a must, and it really deserves an Oscar nomination. The music and violent scenes in the film have never made the audience feel divided. On the contrary, the clubs of the prosperous life and the bloody and violent scenes of black hand trading are just right blended together, which is extremely smooth and brilliant. Some of these editing techniques are used quite beautifully today. What impressed me the most was a cutscene describing the 29-year Great Depression. Several groups of opposite or opposite pictures were edited together in a flat-panel or even partial coloring method. It was beautiful and nostalgic, both in terms of meaning and visual effects. All can be a model. In addition, the killing of Dutch and the solo dance scene of one of the black brothers, Sandman, are alternately interspersed, which are believed to be borrowed by countless subsequent films of similar themes. At the end, the performances and stories on the stage overlap, creating a wonderful effect of life as a play, and at the same time, it seems to remind people that it was a bygone era, an era where legends occurred.
Indeed, in addition to a large number of cultural elements of the 1930s, the film also reflected a lot of social issues and some quiet changes at that time, such as racial discrimination, the flourishing of black music, the popularity of radio, and even gangsters. It is also going through the change of dynasties, and the era of the Italian Mafia is coming...
Such a film with complex content can easily become sloppy. Although the script has been changed several times, it finally ends with a happy and clichéd ending, which may become the most "good-looking" "The gangster film also became the origin of love in the end, but thanks to the director's narrative ability and the excellent editing, we can understand and feel the story clearly while being dazzling. It is said that the best wine can have thousands of layers of aroma, I think this film has this potential.
That era is long gone, and we stay behind the present wonderful. Kiel's trumpet performance in the movie wasn't great, but there were girls around me who were obsessed with the handsome Chinese trumpet player in the Shanghai cotton. Another night at Cotton in Shanghai, it was about midnight when a petite Chinese girl was invited to the stage, and then I could only marvel at how such a thin body could burst into such a powerful voice. There are also musicians who come and go, and will come back when they leave, and the long-haired bass performance at 10 o'clock every night is almost never absent. Those who are familiar with cotton know that there are many stories hidden here for more than ten years. No matter which cotton club or cotton club, my heart is grateful for the wonderful music and memories of those wonderful nights.
PS The subtitles of the 3-segment version I watched were terrible, and the viewers should choose carefully.
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