Eastwood, who tried to break through
in his later years, is amazing. He kept the high quality while ensuring the high efficiency of the filming. It is incredible to make good films so intensively. The most admirable thing is that he doesn't play short and fast, and doesn't make sketches. In recent films, such as "Mystic River", "Millions of Babes" and "Suspicious Clouds", including this "It's All About People", the length of the film is all in. More than two hours, let the plot fully develop, let the characters fully show, let the theme of the film emerge calmly, hold down the position, the rhythm is slow and steady, but the artistic grasp is firm and precise. Eastwood's seemingly plain on-camera language always makes the audience immerse in the play without realizing it, and feel the blood in the plot that does not focus on sensationalism.
Eastwood is a serious and even old-fashioned director. His methods have always been more orthodox. Unlike Kubrick, the older he gets, the more ROCK he gets. The young Dexun and Yi Dao after the anger subside are taking the path of seeking improvement while maintaining stability. I look forward to it. It is difficult for a strong man to change his style and change his style in his decaying years, but he also makes progress in an inch. In the new film, he still tried to break through artistically in several aspects. Compared with previous works, "It Happens in People" has several new features: it expands the horizon from the United States to Africa, and the subject matter goes out of the country. The film is based on John Carlin's work "Fighting the Enemy: Nelson Mandela" The adaptation of "A Game That Changed the Country" shows the president of South Africa in the eyes of an American director. With the support of objective historical facts, the film is highly credible. For audiences who don't know South Africa and Mandela The film has the effect of popularizing historical knowledge; the narrative structure of the film surpasses all previous works, because the protagonist is the president of a country, and every move involves the well-being of the general public. A president is fighting for a country. In the film, a bodyguard asks Mandela's family, and Mandela replied that his family is 42 million, all the people of South Africa. In the past, the protagonists were all small people, and they were worried about the present, but this time the protagonists are big people, worrying about the world, and the characters' feelings are worlds apart; in the film, sports and politics are seamlessly integrated, and the characters achieve grand political goals through sports. The victory of the game is also the victory of a country. Compared with ordinary sports inspirational films, this film has a greater bearing and a greater realm; the director uses more open and atmospheric lenses, wide-angle lenses, panoramic lenses, and aerial shots are more frequent. The international sports events in the film are co-produced. In addition, in order to take care of Matt Damon's height, the elevation lens also appears from time to time; the music is rich in local characteristics. The flavorful singing sounded, both original and beautiful. In addition to the music, the sound effects were also very good. For example, in the last battle, the two sides fought savagely. The hooligan movement" had a deep feeling. ——Of course, there are also constant factors in the film, that is, Eastwood’s consistent promotion of positive values, which used to be the justice of cowboys, the dignity of boxers, the love of mothers, etc. This film is the president’s tolerance .
hybrid vigor
Eastwood doesn't really know Mandela very well, he said: "I know a little about Mandela, but I don't know much. He went through prison and won the South African presidential election. I have an impression of these. Yes, but never heard of the rugby game. When the script came to me, I was intrigued by the story, and then I read the original novel by John Carlin. I admired Mandela quite a bit for his politics The vision and what he's done. Not just that he got out of jail and was elected president of South Africa, but he didn't hold a grudge against the people who framed him in jail. It's incredible in my opinion. He always knew what he wanted to do, and he always got what he wanted to do." And what Eastwood wanted to do was how to make a biographical film. Mandela has done so many things, how to choose materials, it is indeed quite hesitant. Eastwood, who is familiar with sports themes, draws inspiration from the world's common language, ball games. He married politics and sports in the film, and hybridized an alternative political film with a small incision and a large depth.
Although it tells the story of a rugby team that has suffered defeats and won the world championship, the sports inspiration of this film is only used as an alternate theme, and the great actions of great men at a critical juncture in history are the focus of the film. Eastwood modeled the great man in terms of both the governance problems he faced and the threats to his own security. In terms of governing the country, he highlights his superb political skills, his profound political wisdom that is unmoving and safe in the wind and rain, and his long-term political strategy. Eastwood set up several key plots for this. Demonstrating its resoluteness: Against all odds, it prevented the blacks from abolishing the South African Springbok team uniforms and team emblems, stifled the signs of white (whites), and decisively ended the vicious circle of racial hatred; admiring its tactics: Asking the team to go to the school to guide the children to play ball, this move seems like idle chess, delays the intense training of the players, and downgrades the lofty status of the national team, but it has a lot of meaning. He asked the team to assume social responsibility, so that these players not only have commercial value, but also realize their social value. This move will undoubtedly enhance the players' sense of responsibility, honor and mission. Praise for its tenacity: The director knows that Mandela, as a political leader, cannot have any precise insights into the team's technical and tactical skills, so he emphasizes his spiritual transformation of the team and arranges such a scene: During the training interval, the players were organized to visit the cell where Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island. The captain and team members witnessed what kind of hardships a generation of great men went through to become great, and their unbeatable and unbreakable strong will infected For everyone on the team, the president became the spiritual leader of the team. In the second half of the film, Eastwood points out Mandela's efforts with a light detail: When Mandela saw the black bodyguard playing football with the white bodyguard, he proudly said to the staff around him, "You still Do you think my thoughts on football are useless?" On the other hand, the security threat was met through three near misses. The first time was Mandela's morning walk. An unknown car followed closely and seemed to have an intention. The two bodyguards were on high alert. After the car stopped, a bundle of newspapers was thrown out. It turned out to be just a postal car. Second, the two bodyguards came to greet Mandela as usual in the morning, but found the President lying down at the door, curled up on the ground in discomfort. Could it be that he was shot? It was later found out that it was due to overwork and passed out; the third time was after the opening of the final, Mandela came to the scene in person, and an unauthorized plane flew over the field. It was suspected that it was for terrorist activities, but the plane ran safely Flying over, the fuselage reads: Good Luck Springboks. Although the real crisis has not erupted, the faint threat is always lingering. team wins The tension of the crown and the tension of the bodyguards are intertwined, which greatly enhances the tension of the film, and the director also uses this to highlight Mandela's calm and calm in the midst of threats. ——It can be seen from this auxiliary line that Eastwood not only realized the hybridization of politics and sports in the film, but also tried the hybridization of politics, suspense, and action, effectively avoiding the whole film only revolving around one event. A sense of monotony and thinness.
The casting of the film is also worth mentioning. To show great people, of course, you must choose enough actors to be able to stand on the stage. After years of accumulation, the veteran actor Morgan Freeman has become a master in his acting skills. He can play any role. It was his long-cherished wish to play Mandela for many years, and he was chosen by Mandela himself, so he was naturally the best choice. When the bodyguard, secretary, team captain Pirner and others commented on the president sideways, it was natural to have no effort. When presenting the leader in a positive way, in the face of crowded public occasions, Freeman can hold the scene as soon as he appears, and can exude the powerful aura of a national leader and the charm of a legend. In order to play the big man, Freeman went to South Africa to live with Mandela for a period of time, trying to imitate his words and deeds. Freeman's performance in the film can be said to be a combination of imitation and performance, achieving the effect of both form and spirit, which can be regarded as a hybrid advantage.
a realm
To show how great a person is, it is natural to talk about realm. In the film, Mandela repeatedly refers to a poem called "Unconquerable" by the 19th century English poet William Ernest Henry. I am the master of my destiny. I am the commander of my soul." - This poem was his motto. The so-called easier said than done, most people just recite these few poems in their mouths, but this president is a combination of knowledge and action. The saying about the "commander of the soul" can be understood from two aspects. On the one hand, Mandela endured 27 years of long and painful torture in Robben Island Prison. In the torment that seemed to see no light, he was not crushed by those who persecuted him, did not give up his political ideals, but On the other hand, when he was finally released unconditionally, his political life won a second spring, and he even climbed to the peak of power, he was not captured by his own negative emotions, Instead of taking revenge on those who persecuted him, he invited them to build the country together. The so-called prime minister can punt a boat in his stomach, but the president's chest is enough for an aircraft carrier. It can be seen that Mandela is a typical benevolent person, and the benevolent person loves others. Mandela's governance and behavior are all close to the people. His thoughtfulness and respect for others can be seen in several details: when he was on a state visit to the UK, he did not forget to bring toffees to the white bodyguards who love sweets. According to the bodyguard, the former president only regarded them as Air; at an advanced age, he tried his best to remember the names of each member of the Springbok team, recognized them one by one when shaking hands, and sincerely blessed; when his daughter strongly resisted the Springbok team, he seriously taught her not to be a jerk. , can not tolerate dissidents. - Mandela's secretary said: To him, everyone is important. The cultivation of this great man in the way of forgiveness is beyond the reach of others, and his tolerance for the sea and the big belly can be described as the mountains and rivers, the rivers and rivers, the style of the president, and the mountains and rivers are long.
Some people may say that the theme of the film is "Reader's Digest", but it does not know Eastwood's good intentions. As mentioned earlier, Eastwood is a very traditional man. He deeply criticized and reflected on the "American Dream" in films such as "The Banner of Our Fathers" and "Million Dollar Baby", precisely because he witnessed the collapse of the traditional value system. However, he saw "glory and dreams" in a South African, so he went out of his way, and greatly appreciated the "African Dream". Desire for the return of traditional values.
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