movie is first opened by a set of real historical archive shots, and then enters the world of the male protagonist Mark (Channing Tatum). During this period, there is no preaching, not even background music. It's just an objective presentation. You don't need to talk to know that Mark is a sullen person. At the beginning, Mark and Dave (Mark Ruffalo) were training together with very few conversations. Only his brother Dave comforted him with a soft voice. This training shot is also a good way to show the relationship between the two people, and it also leaves a question: What happened to Mark? Why is he such a character? Only in the middle of the film did we know that his parents were divorced when he was 2 years old, and he and his brother have been dependent on each other since childhood. This way of presenting first and then finding the reason is very commendable, because many times the script is uncomfortable, and I can't wait to tell you why from the beginning.
The overall atmosphere of the film appears gloomy, grim, and objective. This has a very big relationship with the use of camera, sound and editing. Basically, except for a few tracking shots, the whole film is always a stable shot, and there is not even a little advancement and movement of the shot. The sense of depression suddenly comes out, as if the vitality is also pulled out. In contrast to "Birdman", the lens is always moving, so it seems very restless. The director’s choice is also time-saving and labor-saving in terms of the shooting angle. You don’t have to worry about whether to use a slide or a swing arm. You can set the lens directly with a tripod and start shooting, focusing on the actor’s performance instead of fancy. The language of the lens to grab the show, what kind of confidence is this, and what a test it is for the director and the actors. In fact, most of the effort was spent before filming. It is said that the two protagonists have been training for wrestling for 6 months for the film. When the last day of training was over, Channing and Mark were hugging and crying, which was enough to catch a glimpse of Their sacrifice for the film. The director's various choices also serve the performance of the actors. The performances of the three main characters in the film are also authentic and credible, adding many dimensions to the relationship between the characters. This is related to the director's emphasis on performance.
Except for individual clips, there is basically no music in the whole film, only the ambience of the environment itself, which further suppresses the sense of emptiness. Even if there is music, it is simple and slow piano music, and there is no fancy orchestral music to sensation or snatch drama. The environment's own sound effects have enough power. Combined with editing, it has a unique effect. It is often an instant cut from a very noisy scene to a very quiet scene, and the contrast and depression come out again. In addition, there is no dialogue in many scenes, which strengthens the audience's concern for the characters. For example, when Mark gave up in his hotel room after losing the game, he didn't say a word, but your heart hurts with him.
It can be said that the most important responsibility of the director is to determine the film's tone and directing actors. Motionless shots, very little music, very little dialogue, and neat editing are all deliberate choices of the director. The main line of the film is the complicated relationship between the three people. When the film production techniques are downplayed, the audience will really focus on the characters and the story, but it is all useless without good actors to support the scene. It can be said that the three leading actors of this film have all given outstanding performances.
John du Pont, the chemical industry tycoon played by Steve Carell, is a man with an odd personality and unrealistic vanity. He can say that he doesn't have any real learning and hard work, but he has to pretend to be a superb coach, lift himself to an impossible height, and do whatever he wants under the guise of patriotism. In his eyes, drug use and drinking are both pastimes, there is no difference, and people can also be bought. And Dave is precisely someone who can't be bought by money. When making a documentary, he can't even lie, because he knows that John has no real talent at all. In a sense, this was also a fuse for John's emotional breakdown after his mother died. Steve Carell is said to spend 2 hours every day special effects makeup, shuddering in this role. As the director said, "Steve is a comedian, but I believe that all comedians are dark inside."
Preparations for the film began in 2007. At that time, the director had already met Channing Tatum, but he was still an unknown actor. He had more weight in the first half. After John slapped him in the slap, he realized how he was so degenerate, how he could be controlled by him, and how he should face him after his brother Dave came. . These psychological feelings are not revealed through any dialogue, but everything is in the air. The director respects the audience's IQ and trusts the actors' performances. From the end result, it is still very satisfactory. At the very beginning, Mark was speaking to the children about his experience of winning the Olympic gold medal, and the children represented the purity of sports. At the end of the film, Mark has fallen completely into darkness and sports are no longer pure. This may be the central point of the film. There is no preaching, just a subtle experience for the audience, this is a good movie.
I'm not too cold with Mark Ruffalo. I think all the plays are the same. It may be related to his voice. All the movies have the same way of saying lines, so I feel monotonous. He used to study in Stella Adler (a method master) Studio, so he may be considered a "methodist" by everyone. I was a bit dismissive. Proof? However, he cannot deny his dedication to the film. It is a professional attitude to be able to persist in wrestling training for so long. There is no absolute standard for acting. But if you have a professional attitude and are willing to work hard for a character, this is also worthy of admiration. I'm afraid that some people are not talented or hardworking, and they treat acting as fun (not satirizing some domestic actors at all).
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Knowing that this is a long article, so I still have to reward and persist Everyone who has finished reading.
What I participated in was the advance viewing organized by the school, and there was a Q&A with two screenwriters behind. I will record some here, hoping to be inspired.
About script creation:
The script was created in 2007, the first edition written by Max, and then stranded due to the US screenwriters' strike in 2008. The director also found Dan (the screenwriter who worked with the director in "Capote"), and then it formed the current final version.
—The script and filming are constantly changing. The actors are very important. Sometimes on the set, the director feels that the actor has performed what he wants, and the next few scenes are basically not necessary, because the dialogue is not as convincing as the actor's performance. Sometimes I also rewrite certain scenes or add dramas based on the actor's aura and chemical reaction.
—First of all, this is a sports film, so there is a sports competition perspective. Male relations, competition, these are all of my interest. But at the same time, this is a very strange movie. In a sense, it is a sports movie that is not a sports movie, and it is not a biopic. I also like this kind of challenge because you don’t have to do it for a certain type. The requirements of the film go to compromise. The central story is about the relationship between these three people, pushing each other, but restricting each other. We always focus on the characters.
—The script is a time-compressed activity. In fact, it has been 8 years since Mark left Foxcatcher and Dave was killed. But in the script, we simplified it. It feels like it happened quickly, but it was a long time.
—Because the topic is in the public domain, we don’t need to spend royalties, and the Du Pont family didn’t bother us. They would say that John is a freak and can’t represent our family. They left themselves alone, so just let us. made a bid. Think about "Citizen Kane". Back then, it was a fictional character. On the contrary, it was the man who was alluded to lose his temper in reality. The film almost couldn't be released, and Orson Wells was luckier than us.
Regarding investment:
—They always want to read something, that’s why they have to have a script when setting up a project, so they always urge me
— some investors quit in the middle, and for a while this became an orphan project.
About performance :
—The saying that 98% of a movie is cast is really true.
—Neither protagonist used a stand-in, and all wrestling scenes are real. You should check the real person's information on youtube and compare with them to know how good the actors are.
—Bennet (the film director) has a unique way of building trust with actors. He knows the role of each scene, very specific, and very attentive, and knows how to communicate with actors.
-With a good performance, we really don't need to bother to write dialogues, and the audience is more comfortable.
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