Different from those genre films in Hollywood that often win with special effects and actions, this family ethics film did not cost much. It was only a big star and a small production, but it won the Oscar for best picture, best director, and best film in one fell swoop. Actor and Best Supporting Actress, the four heavy golden statuettes brought down the flourishing director Francis Coppola. The well-deserved Vietnam War movie No.1 "Apocalypse Now" ended in a hurry with only two technical awards. Looking at the United States at that time, it had just experienced the baptism of the Vietnam War. Probably the people were somewhat tired of Vietnam War movies, and the rapid development of the industrial age also accelerated social disharmony, and the divorce rate remained high. In the aftermath of the civil rights movement in the 1900s, this film reflecting family ethics and women's emancipation won the favor of more Americans because it showed the daily life of Americans, and finally took home the Golden Man. Different from many fantasy and costume films that are flooding the film market now, this film has the spirit of the times and a serious creative attitude. The film reflects a fairly common problem in American society: family and marriage problems. The conflict between personal ideals, career and family life leads to the tragedy of couple conflict and family divorce. This had a deep realistic foundation in the United States at that time. At the same time, the film also touches on a very sensitive issue in Western society: the issue of women's liberation. In terms of the deep meaning of the film, the director made an in-depth discussion on how to adjust and realize the relationship between men and women, and how women should defend their independence and pursue the meaning of life, which is also the meaning of the film.
The plot doesn't have any big ups and downs. It's usually a line drawing of the life of a middle-aged couple, but it can be seen that the script and editing of the film are original. According to the general mindset, when discussing marriage issues, especially when it comes to divorce, crappy directors always have to move out a third party and extramarital affairs to fill the plot, but the couple in "The Kramers" have no feelings for each other. The betrayal, we can even say that this is a model couple: her husband, Ted, is a senior employee of a company. In the highly competitive American society, in order to maintain the material living standard of the family and his position in the company, Ted must not Don't work hard, all you can think about is to pull a few more business for the company. He thought that all his hard work was for this family, that he would use his hard work in exchange for the happiness of his wife and son, and he did not understand or pay attention to his wife's troubles. His wife, Joanna, is a beautiful middle-class woman with a strong sense of independence. Before marriage, she was the apple of her parents' palm, she achieved outstanding results in college, and became the object of men's pursuit when she was an adult, and she also had a satisfying job. While in love she married Ted. However, after marriage, especially after having a son, life is far from being as poetic and picturesque as she imagined. The endless housework, the support of her husband and son, made her physically and mentally exhausted. She often wanted to tell her husband about her anguish, but Ted, after a hard day's work, had no time to listen to Joannad's nagging. She couldn't even get her husband's kindness. She loved Billy, but it was this beloved son who locked her in the house. It is with pain and ambivalence that Joanna seeks out her lost self. It can be said that the audience at this time sympathized with Joanna. So it is not difficult for the audience to guess that the seemingly peaceful family is actually hiding an impending storm. The director sharpened this contradiction at the very beginning of the film, and threw it all to the audience. One scene that the audience would wonder why was a beautiful mother saying goodnight farewell to her son with tears, and then the camera turned to her husband. , the husband went home to tell his wife that he was about to be promoted, and saw that the wife picked up the suitcase and ran away from home. All the contradictory appearances were expressed to the audience at the very beginning of the film, which seemed to be the clue of the film, leading the audience to find answers in the later episodes, why did Joanna run away from home, and her husband Ted again How to clean up this mess. Next, the film depicts the problems of middle-class men represented by Ted from a positive perspective: the seven-year itch of marriage, the relationship between work and family, father-son relationship, etc., while the implicit narrative is Joanna as the Represented thousands of American housewives in the feminist sense Called, out of the family to find the meaning of self. The two narratives are united in the final courtroom. In the courtroom, the two faced each other in court, and the lawyers of both sides pointed at each other's shortcomings. However, the couple still took care of each other's old feelings and encouraged and comforted each other offstage. At this time, the audience would think that it was a harmonious couple, and both parties I love my son so much, why can't we be together? This is actually the director guiding the audience to think about the contradictions arising from marriage, family, work, and personal values in the context of society through this climax of the plot. The audience also thinks about the society and their own life when thinking about the plot. The director is undoubtedly smart and wise.
There are many touching scenes in the film that echo each other, which not only plays a role in making the plot coherent, but also makes people think. For example, at the beginning of the film, Joanna said goodbye to her son with tears in her eyes, and at the end of the film, when Joanna gave up the custody she had obtained, and felt that she should keep her son in the home where he was born, she walked towards the elevator in a conflicted mood. The camera captures Joanna's tearful face of Ted's conflicted expression directly across from her; the film begins with the husband suddenly confronted with his wife running away from home, overwhelmed in the kitchen, and Ted near the end of the film. Sentenced to surrender custody of the child, the night before handing over his beloved son to Joanna, he and his son were in the kitchen orderly cooking the last supper and hugging affectionately; Ted took care of the child alone not long ago, He often lost his temper because his son interfered with his work, and later went to the Halloween party of his school and guided his son's performance calmly in the audience. Ted is a good father and a good husband, Joanna is a good mother and a good wife, the contradictions in this marriage are normal, almost every family encounters, and this is the success of this film, its The subject matter and themes deeply touch the social reality and thus have a thought-provoking artistic effect.
Of course, Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep's outstanding performance in the film is also an important reason for the success of the film. The two leading actors also fully rely on their own wonderful performances to express the plot, the performances are natural, and the emotions are sincere.
The script is derived from the reality of life, and the performance of the actors is also derived from the reality of life, so this movie is so touching.
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