In the process of telling the history of blues music, what the film reveals about American politics is shocking. Although after the Civil War, blacks were freed from slavery, they still did not have the same status as whites in many fields. This is especially true in the vast South of the United States (which was once the stronghold of slave owners). There, whites and blacks could not ride in the same car unless the black was the driver. where whites and blacks have to be segregated from each other in the same club (the police are there to ensure segregation). There, blacks were not allowed to have sex with white women, and if it happened, the man would be convicted of abducting a girl across the border and jailed, whether the woman willingly or not. Chuck Bailey, who made a huge contribution to the development of blues music, fell into racism: when he complained to his boss that his songs were taken by the white music group "The Beach Boys", the police charged him with "abducting a girl to cross the border" take him away. Next, the cinematic footage shows us the background: The Beach Boys' cheerful, wonderful MTV, and the center of the shot: Chuck Bailey holding the number plate, front, then profile. It is extremely ironic that two kinds of people suffer different fates because of discriminatory laws. What is even more infuriating is that racists do not recognize Chuck Bailey as the founder of rock music because of his skin color, and they prefer to praise "Elvis". Although "Elvis" also made a remarkable contribution to the history of music, Chuck Bailey was the first to create the most basic 12-bar rock solo pattern. In the film, the film director is not only criticizing the past racial system in the United States, but also re-evaluating the contribution of black people to American music culture. The newly formed "Rolling Stones" band in the film came to Chase Records. Maddie Waters stepped forward to greet him, and several young people recognized him and threw him great admiration: We formed this band because of your music, and the name of the band is your song The name of the song - Rolling Stones. In fact, the Rolling Stones and The Beatles were also influenced by Chuck Bailey. John Lennon once said: If there was a name for rock and roll, it would have to be Chuck Bailey. In addition, when looking at the historical status of blues music from a broader perspective, I think everyone can understand the contributions of these talented black people. Blues music not only directly affects the generation of rock, but also indirectly affects jazz. development of. Think about how much the United States or the world would have lost today if the blues page was missing from the history of American music, or if all black blues artists were buried because of the racist system!
The blues legend shows us the strengths and weaknesses of the black blues artists. They are very cute in my eyes. If you blindly praise their strengths, then it will become a god-building movement.
Let’s start with Leonard Chess, a Polish man (played by Adrien Brody). Very ambitious: his girlfriend's father thinks he is poor and doesn't allow them to date. He worked hard to win his lover and was a huge success. Second, he is very visionary and employs an eclectic mix of people. He was not influenced by American racism. When he discovered Muddy Waters' extraordinary acting prowess, he resolutely signed him, and Chase himself has since embarked on the road of releasing records. At the same time, he has a pioneering and innovative spirit, and when his singers sing and record in a different way, he supports his singers to stick to the style. As a result, his singers have enriched the history of music with their own styles. As far as Chase's shortcomings are concerned, I think he is a standard profit-seeking businessman. The reason why he dares to hire black people is largely because it can bring him huge benefits, and for greater benefits, he He also repeatedly deducted royalties from singers. Of course, he still has rich feelings, such as he fell in love with the company's female singer Etta James (played by Beyonce), and gave her a lot of help. Chase's ending was tragic. When the record company was unable to operate, he was exhausted. Finally, he suffered a heart attack on the street next to the record company and died in the car.
Muddy Waters was the first singer Chase discovered. He was so confident that when he first heard his voice on the tape recorder, he felt that he could make a name for himself with his voice. He knows how to please the boss, and he knows how to save the country by curve. He has always stayed on Chase Records, which contains gratitude to Chase. His shortcomings were vain and lustful, so profligate and long-term malaise, but after the collapse of Chez Records, he got a fresh start.
Little Waters also has a high talent for acting. He knows how to appreciate Chase and calls him "white dad". Work hard for him. In addition to chasing women similar to Big Waters, his shortcomings are serious self-expansion. So often cause trouble. It also contributed to his downfall. In addition, he also has a weakness (not a weakness), he lacked maternal love since childhood, so he fell in love with the wife of Big Waters, which directly led to the deterioration of the relationship between the two.
The thing about Chuck Bailey is that he is frugal and has a backbone (like sleeping in his car rather than living in an apartheid hotel). The disadvantage is also on women: not only black people, but also white people, so that they are finally killed by the racial discrimination bill.
The weakness of Etta James (played by Beyonce) is that he was discriminated against since childhood, lacked fatherly love, and became addicted to drugs.
They all caused a lot of damage to their lives because they did not overcome their own shortcomings or weaknesses, and Little Waters even lost his own life. However, it has really taught us a good lesson for the latecomers. We should be good at watching "Legend of the Blues" from the perspective of life.
View more about Cadillac Records reviews
