Leo Carax has appeared again, he is not there, and he will be amazing again once he is there - "The Thrilling Holly" (also translated as "Sacred Car Dealer") won the main competition award at Cannes in 2012, quoted There was a lot of heated discussion, and it received the longest applause at Cannes. Although it was ultimately defeated by Haneke's "Love", it was not as good as "Rust and Bone", which immediately attracted rave reviews, but it was listed in "Cinebook" 2012 Top ten of the year. All his films seem to have never been silent.
Denis Lawan once again plays the leading actor Oscar, a mysterious character whose character is ever-changing and unpredictable. A person who is neither good nor evil, changes different roles in the secular society, trying to subvert this irresistible reality. It's just that whether Oscar is playing someone else or playing himself is an undetermined mess.
Karax used 3D technology in the film, integrated various types of film elements, and launched a strange adventure journey. Karax's ultimate dream for over a decade. From dawn to night to dawn, Oscar's avatars on this day have skills and travel through different "parallel lives", acting as CEO, martial artist, beggar wandering the streets, ugly monsters, shooters, elderly Hardworking father, loving uncle and last lover, etc. From beginning to end, only the old woman Selena in the white stretcher car was followed, as if only she could control what Oscar did.
The camera is always absent, which is misleading. They didn't part ways until the last day when Selena gave him the reward for the day. Oscar walked slowly and returned to the warm-colored hut. He actually took an orangutan by the hand and returned to the room, quietly watching the pre-dawn scenery outside the window with the other little orangutans. This seems to remind people that there is no essential difference between humans and gorillas. Don't think that humans are so excellent. The reality is just artificial illusions and outrageous lies. And Selena parked in front of a hotel in her RV. It's amazing that there are dozens of RVs out there whispering before dawn, as if to vent some kind of dissatisfaction. And Selena also took off her wig and put on a mask, and she will continue to move forward along Oscar's unfinished career.
The final lines in the film are also quite intriguing: "Who were we before? Who are we playing now? Who will we become in the future?" This kind of metaphysical philosophical proposition is actually something that Karax himself has always been obsessed with. In other words, this anti-reality free thinking is what makes his films so bizarre and neurotic. Karax hopes to use the role of Oscar to fulfill some of his dreams - to let Oscar challenge this ugly reality and defeat a world dominated by money, power and scientific frenzy.
I remember that Karax went to Beijing to attend some film symposiums a few years ago. What impressed him was that he said in an interview with reporters: To conceive a film, you need to slowly settle down, you need to enter the role and try to figure out a certain possibility... That's why , After so many years, Karax has only made several films such as "Lowly Blood", "New Bridge Lovers" and "Pola X". Elaborate carving should be his true nature. This kind of excessive plowing is a bit neurotic. The truth is that there is something eerie and mysterious about his films. A good-natured person insists on making a person who is neither a ghost nor a ghost, doing his best to be ugly. For example, in "Lovers in the New Bridge", it goes without saying that the "monkey face" of Denis Lawan, even a beautiful woman like Juliet Bino, will also give her the status of a beggar.
"The Thrilling Holly" pushes his unpredictable and unstoppable demeanor to the extreme. This kind of daring and avant-garde, unconventional and scary ideas are enough to attract attention. It's just that every time you watch this kind of frightening movie, you need to have enough nerves. Fortunately, there is a glimpse of Beauty and the Beast. What's even more bizarre is that the last scene of Oscar's performance was unbearable to watch. The elegant lover jumped off the building and committed suicide for him. It was really sad. In short, it's okay to watch it occasionally, it's like a strong appetizer, but fortunately he doesn't make many movies. To tolerate such films is to understand our diverse world from a different angle. Thrilling is life in progress. Or in Karax's eyes, it's not just holly that throbs, it should also contain everything in the world.
2012, 12, 11
Published in 2014-7-8 "Shenzhen Special Economic Zone News"
From the film critic collection "Invisible Movies" published by Haitian Publishing House
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