The economic recession, the closure of the plasterboard factory, the collapse of the town, the death of her husband, the beginning of the movie "Nomadland" (Nomadland, 2020), the heroine Fern (played by Frances McDormand, who won two Oscars), will contain a disc The box of the disc (later the movie told us that this disc was left to her by the heroine's father) was put into a camper and showed sentimentality towards a piece of clothing. After that, Fern resolutely drove away from the town she was familiar with and embarked on its "nomad" road. From this short beginning, it can be reflected that Fern still can't let go of the past. She decided to leave. Although it is difficult to live in this shabby town due to the pressure of life, there may be other reasons that she hopes to continue with the past. Cut"; but the subsequent development of the film has shown that Fern is difficult to say goodbye to the past, but the past is like an old friend who has always been with her.
When Fern left, the first thing we saw in this film turned out to be a scene where she was "handling her hands" on the side of a snow-paved road (as shown in the picture below). This scene reminded me of Frances McDormand's first appearance in "Fargo" when she was again in the snow and wanted morning sickness (morning sickness). The scene of Fern's "hands-free" has not only appeared once in "Wandering World", including after she later learned how to deal with her own excrement, Fern was able to "hand-free" the scene in the camper (but because someone was looking for it outside the car) She, Fern also looked a little embarrassed at the time). The movie uses the details of "hands-off" to show the more real life situation of ronin/Nomads like Fern (the toilet is by the bed). "Wang Ji Tian Di" is like a "semi-documentary", it brings us into this kind of world that is considered to be "marginal people". If we insist on comparing it with the more famous movies in recent years, I think "Wang Ji" Tiandi is a bit like a "mixed version" of "Wild", "The Florida Project" and "Roma".
"Langji Tiandi" does not have any twisting plots or gimmicks to render the story. It looks divergent, like a modern poem that is not restricted to format and rhythm, and it resembles the lifestyle of a ronin/nomad— -They will drive a campervan across the state and provinces, will not stay in one place for too long, will not have a fixed route, appear to be free and fly themselves... The charm of this movie does not lie in the "driving" in the plot , But the emotion it presents—although it often seeps out slowly like dewdrops, it is not easy to "loss" from our hearts.
The heroine Fern mentioned in the movie that she is just houseless, not homeless. Similarly, although the plot of the film seems to be "spread out", it is not without the development of the story. The "main axis" that it depends on exists. One of this "main axis" is the change in the "relationship" between Fern and the past-this "old friend". Fern, as mentioned earlier, may want to "cut" with the unbearable past at first, but through Linda's words (Linda, who has experienced a difficult life, once wanted to commit suicide, but when she saw her cute dog After the dog, she still decided to survive), so that Fern's thinking may have changed, so that she may regain the courage to "face".
As the movie progresses, the audience should be aware that Fern is increasingly inseparable from her "nomad" lifestyle. Fern lacked money to repair her broken campervan, so she had to ask her sister to borrow money and stay in her house temporarily. Fern, who was in her sister’s house, seemed uncomfortable. Friends have an argument (from her rebuttal, it can also be seen that Fern doesn't mind houseless tendencies). An important figure in the film, Dave (played by David Strathairn), was also a ronin/nomad. He and Fern met in the "Nomad Camp". The relationship between the two of them is constantly growing in the film and provides Fern with an emotional experience. rely on. After that, Dave left the nomadic life and lived happily with his family. Fern also decided to visit Dave and once again temporarily stayed in someone else's home. At this time, Fern was struggling inside. She appeared to be more able to adapt to the life of the house than she was at the sister's house last time, and to get along with the people in the house (no argument occurred). But in the end, Fern still didn't want to be trapped in the house. She broke away from the dependence on the fixed home, and also broke away from the dependence on emotion.
Here, Fern became more free and let go of his inner burdens. At the end of the film, Bob Wells, like Santa Claus, said to Fern an important passage: "Many people are burdened with heavy burdens, and they can't get out, but it doesn’t matter... I met on the road of nomadic life. Hundreds of people, but I never said goodbye to them, because I believe that after many years, everyone will see each other again..." This passage made Fern relieved, since she knew that she could not "cut" and walk away from the past. If you don't have a heavy memory, embrace it. The memory is there, the person is there (the spirit of the nomadic life is connected-someone has a home), and you can always "meet" him again on the road! (Just like the wedding ring that Fenn still wears on her hand, because it is a circle, it represents never ending, and it represents "love" never disappears; and as she reads in Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18", it says: But thy eternal summer shall not fade...When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st: So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.)
At the end of the movie, Fern did "meet the past" again. She returned to the dilapidated town and back to the sealed gypsum board factory; she seemed to let go of the past and can abandon her old things, but she was in plaster again. Feeling in the board factory. We might be able to interpret it this way: Fern finally "don't mind" remembering the memory, she even shed tears, this is more spiritual relief than her deliberate avoidance of the past, this is a kind of sublimation!
Director Zhao Ting once again brought us a beautiful work after "The Rider". "Wandering World" is still deeply influenced by Zhao Ting's "film mentor", Terrence Malick, who admires shooting with natural light. This film has a lot of shots of sunset or intoxicating sunset, which makes us easily think of Terrence Malick's "Days of Heaven". As the saying goes: the sunset is infinitely good, but it is just near dusk; or in this movie, it can be understood in reverse: Although it is near dusk, the sunset is infinitely good. The "magic moment" in "Wandering World", the image of "broken" clouds in the sky at dusk, "melts" with the background of economic depression and the elderly characters; these seemingly desolate nomads live At ease (although there are also lonely times), just as the setting sun is infinitely good! The photography and images of this film can be connected to the characters’ situation and even their emotions; and the emotions added by this (in conjunction with the music) form a force that can be used as a guide, sometimes replacing the text or traditional narrative to the story. The impetus of development. Therefore, the photography of "Wandering World" does not turn it into a travel film, but makes it detached from the general melodrama, more like a poem.
Zhao Ting, who likes to use non-professional actors (maybe due to the cost of shooting), still finds many people who are nomads to participate in the performance in "Wandering World". There is a saying: Anyone can perfectly play a role, that is himself, so in this situation (contrast), it can test a professional actor's performance ability (a person who can perfectly "play" a role) Come out, one has to try to imitate a certain character). However, Frances McDormand's performance is stronger than her in these "perfect roles", and she has not been "compared". Not only can she blend into these "perfect roles", but she also has a prominent character. Her Fern is a bit similar to the actor in Zhao Ting’s previous work "The Rider", both seem more stubborn/stubborn, but Fern is soft inside and hard outside. She said she would not participate in RTR (junior nomad camp), but then " The body is very honest" to go there. "Wandering World" constantly shows Fern's loneliness, or her tougher side that can resist loneliness, cold weather, and various difficulties in life; but at the same time, it also exposes her vulnerability step by step until it finally sheds. Tears. The film does not need to be sensational in performance, but often through photography, through beautiful or magnificent pictures, the emotional appeal can be enhanced.
One scene in "Wandering World" is worth mentioning. In the middle of the movie, Fern and Linda visit the national park where Dave works. As a tour guide, Dave explained to his team members (including Fern and Linda), but Fern left the team alone (again highlighting her "ronin" character) and stepped into the "stone pile". middle. She walked aimlessly among the "stone piles", as if it corresponded to Fern's nomadism on the vast land; afterwards, she walked around, seemingly unable to find a way out, corresponding to the loss of the life she once had; following the distant ones. Dave called out to her, as if to untie her knot and bring comfort; but instead of following Dave, Fern turned her back to Dave, showing that she was still far away.
This turn is a key point of the film. As mentioned earlier, Fern did not erase the past because of the emotional comfort that Dave brought. Her understanding of the vagrant youth is a bit like what Bob Wells said: by helping and serving others, she commemorates the departed relatives. Fern’s choice can be linked to the story of independent explorer Travis McGee (Travis McGee saves people’s fallen souls, but in the end he always stays alone on his own ship), or he can contact "Paris, Texas", which is inaccessible The other's hero finally turned and walked back to the end of the wasteland. "Wandering World", which is in the current state of America's current decline, is in the form of a road film, moving in the direction of "self-discovery", and with Fern's choice, it makes us feel that this is also a section, leading to loneliness. But it is a journey that is more free.
View more about Nomadland reviews
