Verna: You chased and picked it up, you kept running, and finally caught up to it, you picked it up, but it is no longer a hat, it has become something else, maybe something better.
Tommy: No, it's still a hat. Also, I didn't chase it. There is nothing more stupid than chasing a hat alone.
Amid the calm and soothing music, a lush forest with tall and straight trees against the sky, and a black men's top hat, fell on the ground covered with withered yellow leaves in the forest. A gust of wind blows, the hat floats away with the wind, the music suddenly changes, and the heaviness and undercurrent surging, "Miller's Crossing" opens so poetically.
At the beginning of the film, the full appearance of the main characters is a wonderful opening scene. Dramatic conflicts are also clearly explained through large dialogues. The characters' expressions are calm but full of mystery, seemingly polite negotiations, and in a flash, the seeds of the gang's struggle are planted. The air to be solidified is filled with institutions and gunpowder. , Just as the calm and soothing soundtrack is about to usher in a magnificent wave, it makes people guess what kind of good scene will be below.
The first appearance of black was when Logg Daniel died in the alley. In the morning sun, the child and the dog stared directly at the wall. The old man’s body was leaning there. The messy wig was also taken off by the child. The dog barked and followed the child and ran away, and the missing wig, later It has become a mystery even more bizarre than murder.
A scene in Johnny Caspar’s warehouse opens with Italian dialogue. Johnny is coaxing his stupid son again. In terms of dialogue, fighting and plot, the scene is quite nonsensical and funny, and it is also very exciting. Coen Brothers film noir style. The fighting started to be accompanied by oriental-style music. The music in "Kill Bill" is quite similar to this. Johnny later slapped his fat and stupid son severely, and then slapped him distressedly. And he is the same stupid but cruel gang boss character, and even uncontrollable hysteria when he is so cruel. When he killed his right-hand man Eddie Dane, it was full of violence and blood, which made people shudder. The actor Jon Polito, who played Johnny Caspar, created such a distorted image. The film started with his large dialogue, and his signature emotional loss of control, and the suffocation and gasping that had to be controlled, are impressive. .
The noir films of the Cohen brothers have a comic style of exaggeration, but they are often exaggerated to distortion and violence. Many plots are unreasonable. For example, Tommy fell from the stairs to the feet of an obese woman with a blue nose and face. The woman saw his beaten face and screamed in panic in the reception crowd and waved her. The fat arm hit Tommy fiercely, this kind of exaggeration does not seek a reasonable plot, it is like a black comic.
In terms of characters, John Turturro, who plays the important role of Bernie Bernbaum, is also regarded as the queen actor of the Coen brothers. He is the male number one in their famous film "Barton Funk" and plays a gentle and talented writer. In the previous year's film, he played a very different villain, Bernie, a despicable and shameless person, often accompanied by the iconic dry, sluggish and weird laughter. For such a role, John Turturro has played quite brilliantly. I believe it was also his wonderful performance that moved the director and brought him into the award-winning work a year later as the actor.
And Steve Buscemi, who played another role, Mink, who is very important to the plot, but only showed a small face in the film, then starred in the other two works of the Coen brothers, "Ice Storm" and "Murder of Green Toe", but he gave What impressed me the most was the famous perverted murderer in the United States in "Prison in the Air".
I have to say that there is also Albert Finney, who plays another gang boss Leo, a famous detective in "Murder on the Orient Express", and the most recent work is a dad with a legendary life in "Big Fish". At the end of the film, Albert Finney portrays Leo's guilt and man's self-esteem after making a mistake, as well as the complex emotions of gratitude and nostalgia for Tommy, a friend and brother. It can be said that the performance of the actors in this movie is very good, almost impeccable.
This is a gangster movie, highly stylized, but also a poetic and artistic movie, although its subject matter is not elegant and simple. Leo's battle with the killers who assassinated him was completely surrealistic and poetic, and even the act of murder and arson must be performed wonderfully and charmingly. Leo is an Irishman, with the melody of the Irish folk song "Danny Boy", wearing pajamas, dangling a cigar, and shooting with a machine gun in his hand, Leo showed the heroic qualities of a gangster in a splendid and hearty shootout. .
The climax of the film takes place in Miller's Crossing, which is just a place name. Miller’s Crossing is the lush woods at the beginning of the film. In this poetic woods, the most exciting and exciting scene of the whole movie was staged, permeated with blood and the most human nature. It is actually two scenes, but it can be regarded as a plot, if Miller's Crossing is a stage scene. When the protagonist Tommy stepped into this woods for the second time, the beautiful woods, the woods that once appeared in his dreams, his mood must be more complicated than the first time. He was held hostage, with contemptuous taunts and cold stares, his hat was also thrown aside, and he even vomited inexplicably by leaning against the tree. Walking in the woods, Tommy looked at the sky thoughtfully twice, listening to the operas sung by the enemy in his ears. What was he thinking at that time? Thinking of the coming of death? friend? Gambling debts owed to others? Goodnight Sweetheart? Or his top hat that was left aside? Or is it lonely, only the call of the song in my heart?
I have been thinking about Tom Reagan, and what kind of person he is. In the 1920s and 1930s, during the Prohibition Period and the Great Depression in the United States, a gang was in power and hegemony, and even politicians colluded with the gang, regardless of black and white. In the chaotic world, what did he do for? For a friend, for his boss Leo? He used to consider everything for the sake of his friends, that was his work and backing, but he almost turned against each other and chose to leave after all. For power and money? He is very close to those, maybe it is not difficult to get it, but he seems to be only keen on small gambling, and after everything is done, it is just to pay off that little gambling debt. For love? It's even more absurd. He doesn't seem to love that woman at all. He said "I don't hate anyone, and I don't like anyone", which obviously includes friends and women. For conscience? Maybe he had it before, but he was tired of everything. To the person who couldn't bear to start, in order to end the shameless guy, and to protect himself, he said "What Heart?" and then squeezed the trigger. For faith, ideals? It's even more serious. Maybe it's not that complicated, it's very simple, just to survive, to survive! In those turbulent times, in the troubled times, to find a floating life, forced by the situation, I had to adjust or even change the way and method of my life in order to protect myself.
As for the hats that appear many times in the film, even in Tommy's nightmare, what do they symbolize? identity? status? dignity? free? right? Maybe it was a dream of Tommy, a nightmare that I wanted to escape, or a dream that I wanted to realize. what is it? But that really only existed in Tommy's heart, and it was boring to say it. Just like at the end of the film, Leo said to Tommy: "This strategy is brilliant from start to finish. I guess you fought me to get close to Casper?" Tommy said, "I don't know. , Does it make sense to do anything, do you know why?” In the end Leo very hoped that Tommy could follow him again, but perhaps Tommy, who knows the taste of "accompanied by a king like a tiger", especially when he is tired of it. After all this, he calmly said the words he had prepared for a long time: "Goodbye, Leo!" The
last scene of the movie stayed on Tommy in the woods. He watched his old friend leave, still with the melancholy eyes, but calmly. Put on my hat, pull down the brim, and put down the last Pose. This is a movie scene I will never forget. In my eyes, most of the movie roles of the Coen brothers are nonsensical. In contrast, Tom Reagan is bizarre and exudes a unique light. I like this low-key, smart, melancholic, loyal, and principled guy.
The original soundtrack of "Miller's Crossing" is also my favorite. The film’s music was completed by Carter Burwell, a Hollywood genius and the Queen’s soundtrack master of the Coen Brothers. It has both light music and majestic symphony, as well as serenades, operas, folk songs and jazz. It is very relevant to the subject and the music is for this film. Gives most of the poetic color. Carter Burwell has performed soundtracks for films such as "Gods and Beasts", "The General's Daughter", "Become John Malkovich", "Adapted Screenplay", and almost all the works of the Coen Brothers.
Finally, it must be mentioned that the actor of the film's protagonist Tom Reagan, Gabriel Byrne. Like this movie, this is also a neglected actor. This Hollywood can only belong to second-tier stars, rarely as the protagonist, and rarely has the luck to meet a good movie actor, but in this movie he used his unique temperament to create an alternative hero. He doesn't have a tall and mighty figure, no handsome appearance, but in my opinion he has an extraordinary personal charm. That thin, low-key, but loyal, principled, and always melancholy Tommy has been deeply in my heart.
Two days ago, I saw Gabriel Byrne again after watching the 2005 remake of "Blood Splatter No. 13 Police Station", but unfortunately he played a big villain and was obviously older, with a lot of wrinkles on his face. "Miller's Crossing" is a 1990 work. 15 years have passed. Is time really so violent? Maybe Gabriel Byrne in reality is like Tommy in the movie, just a small character who lives in troubled times. In any case, I hope they wear their own hats, good luck!
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