As an audience (including myself), it's easy to put on tinted glasses and think that a female director from China will shoot some clichés (such as the disadvantaged position of being a woman) or pretentious (indulging in a certain emotion) ).
This kind of thinking, of course, is very incorrect, but I want to say that the most amazing and most tinted evaluation of "Knight" is: it has no female director at all! Even very wild and atmospheric, very manly and delicate.
Otherwise, as a friend said, not only to applaud, it is more worthy of hats off.
What Zhao Ting reminds me of is not Catherine Bigelow, a type-hungry, hard-bone female man, but Eastwood, or Ang Lee, and those great directors who have fought in the history of Western films.
As we all know, Ang Lee's unique talent lies in the humanistic stories that cross different ethnic backgrounds, with subcultures, subcultures and even movie characters that go against the mainstream, to impress the world. The Chinese in the United States, the British's "Sense and Sensibility", the cowboys on Brokeback Mountain, the Shanghai during the occupied period, the Indian teenagers in the Pacific Ocean, the American soldiers in the Iraqi battlefield... He seems to be omnipotent, writing the story of all mankind. The root of all this is of course related to the gentle character of the director himself, and it is not a portrayal of a Chinese trying to gain a foothold in Hollywood.
Zhao Ting's "Songs My Brother Taught Me to Sing" and "Knights" were both located in Indian reservations in the United States, and the living environment was relatively difficult. Regarding the story of the Indian Territory, there is also a "Hunting Wind River Valley" that happened in Wyoming the year before, which is worth recommending.
Why did Zhao Ting choose the few marginal Indian reservations?
You might get some personal shocking stories, Zhao Ting says, being drawn to Brady Jandro's charisma. Shooting similar themes and backgrounds one after another is actually more conducive to the growth of new directors. For example, many new directors will choose to create a trilogy. That does not mean that you are following Ang Lee as an example, or that you want to be a good player in film festivals such as Jie Lan (Ceylon) and Jia Zhangke. In fact, even if you're just trying to get a kick out of it, it's much easier to succeed than everyone else.
The three films, repeated beatings of similar themes, can not only show their strengths, but also discover their own limitations and shortcomings in the process, so that they can shoot other themes more easily. The mythical Bi Gan, no matter what he is doing or has completed before, is actually a trilogy-like polishing process.
Zhao Ting's previous work was a style exercise for beginners. In "Knight", what she challenges is the legendary law of Hollywood filmmaking: don't work with animals and children. Later, for some reason, the domestic media mistakenly planted one item: water.
"Cavaliers" is not only about real people, but about the real Jandros who play themselves, Brady Jandros, Tim Jandros, Lily Jandros, and those horses.
Don't think that this is an opportunistic thing. This year, Eastwood asked a real person to play himself in the movie "15:17, Leaving Paris," but the car overturned and the film was a mess. That is a thrilling heroic story that promotes the main theme and fights terrorists.
The first half of "Knight" is a bit slow. At the beginning of the middle stage, Brady found a job in horse training, and re-established contact with this animal that accompanied the progress of human history and civilization. The contact and closeness between each other and the patient and repeated exchanges were very touching. Through the movement of the camera, including large-scale rotation and follow-up, you seem to be able to perceive the communication between humans and animals, especially the trust that accompanies empathy, mutual understanding, and release of each other's nature and energy.
Many people may not understand why Brady must choose to ride on horseback and be a beautiful cowboy. Not only is it dangerous (crushed skull), but it also doesn't seem to be able to secure a family's life (sister who needs someone to take care of).
In short, "Knight" is nothing but a human's galloping dream, and giving up a dream is much more difficult than chasing a dream. It's not necessarily that knights have to stand proud in the world, but Zhao Ting happened to choose a lot of strong cowboys in this land - just like Aronofsky filming "The Wrestling King", Ang Lee went to film the boxing champion Ali's "Battle of Manila", from the arena, the stage to the spotlight, has been depicted in countless films of this type. The simpler it is, the more powerful it is.
Through the long-term horse training work, "Knight" successfully persuaded the audience that it is a magical moment to be able to run with the horse on the grassland. Humans can not only surpass themselves, but also feel the vastness of nature.
Many people regard the photography of "Knight" as the reappearance of the magical moment of Malick. But in my opinion, the story of "Knight" is obviously not the same as Malick. Malick admires the narrative beyond the nine days of the gods, but "Knight" is solid, repeatedly revolving around Brady's entanglement, unwillingness and regret. Whether it is taking care of a friend or being asked to take a group photo in the supermarket, you can feel his emotional fluctuations and pain, which can not only be felt, but also need to be exported.
In the enclosure, Brady uses a unique technique to make the horse change from wild and manic to relaxed and tame. He also took the trouble to help friends with rehabilitation training. Something that seems to work, and one that doesn't seem to work (friends obviously can't get back on their horses), have the same ultimate goal: don't forget your dreams. And the horse that couldn't stand up anymore, the cowboy who was dying, they were all Brady's life projections.
Choose to continue galloping, or choose home. Choose to die generously, or choose regret.
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