This article was first published on the public account: Movie Fever Circle
The film "Assistant" mainly focuses on an assistant named JANE of Harvey Weinstein. Director Kitty Green shows us the female assistant's depression, confusion and despair in a cold and realistic lens language. state of life.
1. Harvey Weinstein and Sexual Assault
The movie is a ubiquitous metaphor for the sexual assault of Harvey Weinstein, and the sexual assault case has completely shaken Hollywood. Weinstein is a very influential person in today's film industry. In the 1970s, he and his brother founded "MIRAMAX FILMS". It has gradually developed into the vanguard of the independent film industry, and has promoted independent film production to become the trend of today's Hollywood and even the world's film industry, and even insiders are called "the savior of modern films".
The 1970s was also a watershed era for American films. After Hollywood experienced Italian Neorealism and French New Wave, it was even more affected by the impact of television on film production and the turmoil and political impact of American society. The birth of film has also caused a profound blow to the traditional concept of film aesthetics.
At the same time, Weinstein positioned the company to dig into niche independent films, injecting new life and energy into new Hollywood films, including the Palme d’Or winning film Sex, Lies and Videotape, and digging out ghosts Director Quentin Tarantino, and even every Quentin movie was done in collaboration with Weinstein.
Weinstein not only made a big splash in the film industry, but he is also a political activist. As a supporter of the Democratic Party, he even donated money to the presidential campaigns of Obama and Hillary Clinton. He also made public his position before the Obama election, and highly praised him. Obama's presidency over the past four years. It is very funny that when Weinstein's sexual assault case was exposed, Obama also publicly stated that Weinstein was "disgusting" to distance himself from his relationship.
Weinstein could have been smooth sailing, gaining both money and fame, but in 2017, the New York Times revealed that Weinstein had sexually assaulted at least 8 women in the past three decades, and then this number Rising to 50, it is terrifying that the reason why he was able to sexually assault so many women was because the women who were assaulted were afraid that their careers would end, so they gave up resisting, and even thought it was their own fault.
Of course this isn't the first sexual assault case in Hollywood, and it won't be the last.
2. The suffocating language of images
JANE is an assistant who just came to Weinstein. Although she graduated from a famous school and came to the company with a dream, she is doing chores in the company. Her daily work is copying documents, cleaning the company, picking up Phone calls, tea and water, hotel reservations and small things. Not only that, but also to deal with Weinstein's wife's questioning and abuse from time to time. When she felt helpless and confused about this kind of thing, she suddenly found that some girls often went in and out of the boss's office, and even went to the same hotel together.
Maybe you might say that this is the daily life of an assistant, but as a working woman, you thought you could realize your self-worth in the company, but you didn’t expect to be buried in the day-to-day chores, but also There are women with lower education and abilities than me who are in the same position as me, just because she is very beautiful.
When JANE finally summoned up the courage to complain about Weinstein's despicable behavior and injustice in the company, HR's focus was not only on Weinstein's chaotic life, but also criticized JANE's lack of work experience, and even said before JANE left "Don't worry, it's not the type he likes." It turned out that everyone knew everything, but it was tacit.
JANE, who complained to no avail, returned to the office again and received Weinstein's scolding, asking her to write an apology letter. JANE wrote an apology letter under the onlookers of colleagues, who pointed her to thank the company for giving her a job opportunity, and promised to never let Weinstein down again.
At the end of the film, Jane walked out of the office, went to the convenience store to buy bread, called her father to wish him a happy birthday, and then slowly disappeared on the street. In this huge society, she is not the only one who is in the same situation as her. Abound.
If I had to use one word to describe this film, it would be -- pale and weak. Indeed, the film is imbued with a suffocating restraint. A large number of fixed shots showed JANE's inner state. When JANE told HR about Weinstein's actions, the audience saw her inner timidity and helplessness from the fixed shots. She wished that someone could stand up with her. "Speaking out" became her glimmer of hope, but no, this glimmer of hope was finally extinguished by HR's accusations.
As the protagonist of the film, JANE does not have many lines. The noise from the printer, telephone and computer keyboard makes JANE's lines weak and weak. Even in the climax of the film - JANE went to HR to complain, JANE seems to be screaming. Also looked so pale. The tone of the film is dark and gloomy, and most of the shots are only JANE alone, cleaning up the house, answering the phone, cleaning, etc. This kind of picture language makes the audience feel JANE's inner loneliness and depression more intuitively.
3. Workplace Bullying
In 2018, the METOO campaign (American Anti-Sexual Harassment Movement) launched against Weinstein, which means "If you have been assaulted or sexually harassed, please reply with 'me too'." When the sexual harassment they encountered, some people just replied "me too" to express their support for this matter. Afterwards, more and more people used this movement to speak out and resist, refusing to be a "spiral of silence" again. They rejected coercion, gender-based violence, and demanded self-equality.
The film "Assistant" not only shows workplace sexual harassment incidents, but also shows women's workplace bullying and even self-castration. Workplace bullying is to belittle or oppress others, publicize one's own superiority to obtain achievements in the workplace, or increase the contribution of others and reduce one's own contribution to achieve the purpose of increasing the total amount of personal profit. Jane will receive abuse from the boss and complaints from the boss's wife, and write a review for things that she did not do wrong. Even when she went to hr to complain to the boss, she was refuted by hr as "jealousy among women". It is this isolation that makes us feel deep fear and a strong sense of suffocation.
Just like the girl named jane in the film, jane in the film does not have any characteristics. She is ordinary, weak, low-pitched, and lives in a big company inconspicuously. Such a character image is also the epitome of thousands of women. Perhaps none of us realize that we have been or are being bullied in the workplace.
Movies come from life, and in fact, life is more cruel than movies. The topic of debate in "Wonderful Flowers" is: The rookie in the workplace has been squeezed by the seniors, do you want to say no? Teacher Zheng Fang Xiong Hao replied: If a weak person wants to fight for his rights, the only way you can do it is to shine as much as possible. The twilight will illuminate the twilight. illuminate. Just like the lights in the room where Jane looked at the city at the end of the film, it was faint but exuded a warm light.
"Enter the narrow door, walk the long way, and see the glimmer of light" Although the career path is difficult, those who persevere will eventually see the glimmer of light in their hearts.
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