The Lonely Man: Who Is Shameful

Santino 2022-03-29 08:01:02

Is it shameful to be alone? After watching Michael Douglas' "The Lonely Man," for a few moments, I thought that was it. But on second thought, shameful and pitiful are actually two sides of the same coin. On the positive side, it is pitiful, from the negative side, it is shameful Del.



"The Lonely Man" cannot be regarded as a first-class masterpiece, and the direction of the story is relatively flat, and it is only because of Douglas's crazy performance that it is watchable. An old handsome guy, after suffering a physical disease, did not bow his head to his fate, refused to admit defeat, and then was splurged in crazy areas. He was nostalgic before women's sex, and after a few came back, he still made himself disgraced, almost to the point of collapse and no recovery. returnable situation.



This kind of subject matter should be difficult to be photographed in China, because it is not positive enough, but fully depicts the dark and crazy side of people. However, aside from the so-called positives and negatives, it is enough for us to learn from the excavation of human nature. Even if it is an excellent work, its exploration of human nature goes straight to the root of human beings.



In fact, this film has a fatalistic point of view. When people encounter difficulties, what they should do is to accept the facts, and to grasp the juncture of fate, so as to follow the trend. Instead of messing around and acting like a trapped beast, it will only make people suffer more and suffer a bigger blow. Family, friendship, and love are the three most important pillars for ordinary people when they are suffering. When all three pillars are taken out one by one, then there is only endless emptiness left to face. Then, if you are trapped in the midst of all living beings, once you are like this, you will be wrapped in the red dust of thousands of feet, and it is easy to lose yourself. We can all see such real examples in front of our eyes. However, in addition to family affection, friendship, and love, there is also religious insight for the person who has turned into a person, which will become another pillar to jump out of the chaos of life. Unfortunately, for us Chinese people, weird people are not in the majority, so there will always be times when the spirit collapses. In "The Lonely Man", there is no mention of religion. This is a story with insight into human nature, and religion is not the theme.



As far as China is concerned, the continuous advancement of the market economy, the increasingly refined social division of labor, and the deepening of the differentiation between people, each other cannot easily understand each other's field, coupled with fierce competition, personal loneliness is also increasing. This is also one of the reasons for the popularity of new interpersonal communication tools such as WeChat and Momo. Loneliness and loneliness have become a serious topic among people in the city. It is a pity that this problem is becoming more and more turbulent, but from a social point of view, there are not many ways to deal with it. As a result, due to the improper handling of some individuals themselves, some new social problems are emerging day by day, and things like ONS frequently occur. From a moral standpoint, it would be shameful to look at it from a bystander's point of view, and to stand on a specific individual, their loneliness is worthy of pitiful advantage. Therefore, shame and pity are intertwined and become issues worthy of discussion.

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Extended Reading

Solitary Man quotes

  • [last lines]

    Nancy Kalmen: When was the first time that a doctor sent you for a heart scan? Hospital called you. Called your daughter.

    Ben Kalmen: Uh, Dr. Steinberg ordered up that test about six and a half years ago.

    Nancy Kalmen: And how long after that did you start cheating?

    Ben Kalmen: That day.

    Nancy Kalmen: And you never went back to have the test done, did you?

    Ben Kalmen: No. Cant use that as an excuse though. It was a factor. But, uh, you know, things were building up.

    Nancy Kalmen: Building up?

    Ben Kalmen: Yeah. I was becoming invisible.

    Nancy Kalmen: [confused] Invisible?

    Ben Kalmen: Look, thirty years ago I would walk into a room, that room would change just because I was there. It was, you know, I was a graduate, self-made man, great shape. I had the TV commercials, all that stuff. I remember. I was right next to the camera when you shot them. You know what it was like back then, I was a lion. That's how people looked at me. But then, you know, things started to change. And over the, uh, past ten or twelve years, I'd walk into a room and only old people noticed me, they knew who I am. And to everybody else Im invisible.

    Nancy Kalmen: You were never invisible to me.

    Ben Kalmen: Well, that doesnt count because you were my wife.

    Nancy Kalmen: Oh? Well. You know what, Benny? If you're lucky, that's what happens. You get old.

    Ben Kalmen: No, I accept it's biological. I just don't accept that it happened to me. So, when, uh, Steinberg said he thought he saw something on the EKG, I got nervous. And when he called up the heart scan, uh, to see if there was any blockage. I had every intention of walking out of his office and going right there to check on it. But instead? Instead I went into a bar and grill on Lexington Avenue had a couple of pops to calm down and, uh, I picked up the first young girl who said yes and took her back to a suite at the Carlyle.

    Nancy Kalmen: And what did that do for you?

    Ben Kalmen: The truth...? It did plenty. See, I figured you'd see it on my face, you'd know straight off. But you didnt. You didn't say anything, you know. So, I kept right on going. And then, uh, you know, awhile after that Im up in my shop at white plains looking at the books. And I say to myself, why should I be New York's honest car dealer? Then again, nobody said anything. Nothing for years. But you know, I, I still don't understand why you... you didn't go back and have the test just to make sure. I'm gonna go to a doctor and give him that kind of power? The, the when, the where and the how? There's no, theres no way. You know what its like when we get our age. The best thing a doctor can say is, uh, well, "Oh, the survival rate is high"... or, uh, "it''s a good cancer", or... uh, hey, you know, no problem. "We got it early." I dont wanna hear any of that. And I wasn't gonna go get some of those, uh... those, those beta blockers and all that crap that slow you down and level you out. I was gonna live my life the way I wanted to until the fucking thing in my heart exploded.

    Nancy Kalmen: But you cant cheat death, Benny. Nobody can, no matter how many 19-year-olds you talk into your bed.

    Ben Kalmen: I know that. I know that now.

    Nancy Kalmen: Well... my car's parked over there. And I'd be happy to drive you back to New York City... if you're ready. Take a few minutes and you decide what you really want.

  • Susan Porter: You're gonna be okay.

    Ben Kalmen: You came to see me?

    Susan Porter: Yeah.

    Ben Kalmen: You're gold, Suse. You're... pure gold.