In 2015, Adam McKay, who shocked the audience with the film "The Big Short" about the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States, selected a very controversial character this year to give the audience a glimpse of the changes before and after the 9/11 incident. "Vice President" It became the most politically charged film of this year's Oscar nominations.
Compared with "Green Book", which is the most popular for winning the championship, Fat Brother prefers "BlacKkKlansman" and this "Vice President", because they all have an attempt to observe reality, and in front of them, "Green Book" is just for reality. The "filter" of soft light, the "anesthetic" of course. "Vice President" recalls the past, sorts out the time, and connects the present and the future. Even though the viewpoints in the film are somewhat "speaking from one family", it at least makes a gesture of structure and analysis, without selective evasion and blindness. Adam McKay said: "I always thought Cheney was an interesting character and wanted to find out what was driving him and what he believed in. So we did a deep dive and the results were shocking."
Although only in the position of "Vice President", Cheney can be regarded as the most powerful political figure in the modern history of the United States. He has largely shaped the current international status, political structure and socio-economic situation of the United States. The power grab is also eye-popping, challenging American justice and the bottom line of international law. It can be said that in order to achieve his desire for power and political goals, Cheney launched wars, slashed the people's fat, and even changed the world political pattern. "Vice President" tells the story of Cheney's psychological changes and superb methods from youth to old age, reaching the peak of power, as well as the unexpected changes in Cheney's life at those delicate moments.
To tell Cheney's turbulent experience of entering the door of power for decades in two hours, the main line of the story needs to output a huge amount of information, and at the same time, it must be enjoyable to watch. The quick edits and third-person narrations in "The Short" ensure that the context is clear, while giving time to explain key information points. The script structure of "Vice President" is definitely a very complicated one among the nominated films, with non-linear narrative, flashbacks and interludes, and even deliberate interruptions and blanks, so that the audience has always maintained a high degree of attention, and it is really enjoyable to watch. Don't miss a frame.
At the beginning of the film, Cheney, who was at the peak of his power, was "exposed". In that chaotic moment, he was the only one who saw the opportunity, remained calm, strategized, and treated everyone as chess pieces or big fish. He was the manipulator and the fishing rod. people. His decision in the next second directly changed the course of 9/11, sounded the clarion call for the start of the Iraq War that shocked the world, and greatly affected the future trend of the US political structure.
But in the next second, the dramatic editing of the narrative reached Cheney's most depressing moment. He was expelled from Yale University for drinking, and was forced to go to his hometown to pull telephone poles and do odd jobs. Two things completely changed his life and gave him a desire for power. An injured worker who pulled a wire was mercilessly driven away, which made him understand the sadness and desperation of the powerless, and he did not want to be a "screw" that could be replaced and driven away at any time. The second is the denunciation and threat of his lover's wife and future wife, so that he, who is loyal to marriage and love, must fight hard to complete the bottoming out of his life. The two simple scenes that can penetrate the back of the paper are that society and family finally lead him to the narrow door of power. It is dark inside, hiding flowers and thorns, and he likes it. The film completes its narrative style in the first act, stretching the plot tension to a high point, which provides time for adaptation to the later "running train"-like narrative rhythm. Later, we saw Cheney's extraordinary experience of "trying hard" and gaining power step by step.
In terms of narrative structure, besides the main line of Cheney's Ascent to the Peak, there is always a ghostly branch, a secondary character with an ambiguous identity, who interprets Cheney's inner state and situation in the first person. This character has appeared in various historical stages in various identities. It was not until the end of the film, when the theme was closed, that the audience suddenly realized that this dark line is the most shocking structural design of the whole film. hypocrisy.
The fable-like narrative technique is more obvious in editing. There are many scenes of "fishing" throughout the film, and the fish hooks that appear at the end of the film also illustrate the theme of the film. Especially in Cheney and Bush, when talking about the new round of presidential election, fish hooks floated on the water again and again, waiting for the fish to bite greedily and become other people's dishes.
Sometimes, this kind of power relationship is more direct. In strategizing and quickly editing the scene between the negotiation and the beast catching the prey, it also symbolizes Cheney's scheming and successful strategy.
In the film, Bush Jr. is almost completely reduced to Cheney's marionette. Cheney discovered two characteristics of Bush Jr. when he first talked with him about presidential matters:
In the plot of killing his father, he hopes to surpass the achievements of his father, Bush Sr.; but his mediocre strength is completely a rookie among rookies. His ability cannot match his ambition, and Cheney sees the possibility of him reaching the pinnacle of power. He threw out the bait of power again and again, making a group of greedy people his marionette, his prey, and his meal.
On the road of growth, he fully understood that the purpose of politics is always for himself, not "for what"; only he can decide who to replace who, and no one can replace him. Finally, he controls the entire power-running apparatus of Bush Jr., and his cronies are installed everywhere. On the surface, Bush Jr. can decide everything, but in the end it is Cheney who gives the order, and all that Bush Jr. does is through his mouth. Just Cheney's wish. The end of the film is terrifying. The ghost who kept exposing Cheney turned out to be the representative of every American public. In order to prolong his life, Cheney actually committed "killing people and stealing goods".
In order to continue the political strength of the Cheney family, he finally betrayed his youngest daughter, gave up the identity of maintaining her "gay" identity, and supported the eldest daughter not admitting to supporting homosexuality. Here, the film will mix the process of Cheney's "heart-changing" operation. Cheney finally sacrificed everything for power. He not only betrayed his friends and family, but also betrayed his own heart. At the end of the film, Cheney declares his innocence by breaking the first wall, he does not admit the conspiracy, and he is proud of being an American public servant.
And he bypassed the judiciary and was completely documented in the way that the vice president controls everything. The next power control, any vice president can take this to become the next political strongman, the second "Cheney". "Vice President" is similar to Oliver Stone's "Assassination of JFK". It relies on editing and a huge amount of information to create "eloquent" oppression, so that the audience can submit to the director's subjective judgment. Willingly accept more than two hours of ideological indoctrination and narrative brainwashing.
At the end of the film, director Adam McKay did not forget to tease himself and let the "focus control group" that affected the situation, the American think tank evaluate the film, and finally he finally couldn't bear to shout out his inner words: "Why just showing fact will be considered liberal”.
Yes, even the so-called freedom cannot escape control, it is a result of being guided, it is still a lie after being used, an excuse to complete the exercise of power. Middle-aged people are fighting for ideology and slogans, and the young people on the side are discussing, hurry up and watch the latest entertainment blockbuster "Fast and Furious", "I heard that it is not bad"!
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