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The film Midnight Cowboy (1969)
has been in the film for many years, and finally borrowed Watching AFI100 for a chance to finish it all.
The film tells the story of a young man who ventures into New York. A cowboy from the West left his hometown and came to New York to become a "gigolo", or male prostitute, as he had imagined as a child. In his mind, women in New York need services like her everywhere. But he was wrong. First he couldn't find a "job" in New York, then he was cheated by a rich woman, and then he was taken advantage of by a gay man. Worst of all, being tricked into an old gay man's house by a lame bum as gay. After repeated setbacks, he was kicked out of the hotel because he had no money. While wandering the streets, he encountered a lame homeless man. The cowboy did not punish him, but at his invitation, he lived in the homeless abandoned building. They began to depend on each other, the homeless stole things for the cowboy to eat and use, and also helped him find "jobs" to do. But everything is not as good as imagined, and the cowboy has not found a "job". The temperature is getting lower and lower, they are living in hunger and cold, and the cold of the homeless is getting worse and worse. The cowboys have to sell their blood for money, and while using the money to eat, they accept a strange invitation to a party. At the party, they found that not only could they eat and drink for free, but the cowboy got his first business. When the cowboy came home the next day after his "work", he found the homeless man getting sicker and sicker. He had to go to the doctor and met an old man on the way who invited him back to the hotel with him. After the cowboy came to the old man's room, he wounded and robbed him of his money. Later, the cowboy and the homeless got on the bus to the dream place - Miami. They were happy on the way, but the homeless man died of illness on the way. The movie is also over.
This movie is very realistic, and the process of watching it is very depressing. It reflects all the realities of American society in the last century. The film's most prominent expression is indifference, the indifference of New York City people. Cowboys and homeless live in the most prosperous cities in the world, but they have no food or clothes to keep them warm. Pedestrians on the street were in a hurry, and there was a lot of traffic on the road, but no one paid attention to them, and no one cared about their lives and deaths. It's not just them, any one is in the eyes of the city people in a hurry, such as the one lying on the road, the passers-by let him lie on the sidewalk. Cowboys and homeless do not seem to exist in the city, just like the air, out of the world. In addition, in this city, not only no one will help them selflessly, but there are many unkind people who seek benefits from them. For example, the rich woman in the hotel lived in a luxurious room and even wiped the oil of the cowboy. The villain had made her to the extreme. Therefore, in such a society, it is not only necessary to face the indifference of the society, but also to beware of those who seek to extract benefits from themselves.
The film also shows the huge gap between ideals and society in the process of growing up through the life of cowboys, as well as their confusion about the future. Growing up from a young age, the cowboy lived in a fantasy, thinking that he was a natural "gig boy" and should be born to live on it. He imagined the world to be so beautiful, and everything seemed to be looking for something. As long as he stood on the streets of New York, women would flock to him. Such a naive idea made him repeatedly hit the wall on the streets of New York. From the cowboy experience, one can't help but think that the same is true when we are young, aren't we? Not as childish as a cowboy, but also sitting similarly silly. The experience of cowboys is necessary for everyone to grow up. The lyrics say, "How can you see a rainbow without experiencing wind and rain"? The film also shows the confusion of young people in the process of growing up. When Cowboy found out that society was so realistic, he didn't look for other jobs or new ideas, just waited silently, waiting for luck to come. Inaction is another state of the cowboy in the movie. This state of his just shows his confusion. He doesn't know where to go, what he wants to do, and it can be said that he doesn't think about anything. This is a state that young people are used to.
In addition to reflecting the social reality, the film also portrays two vivid social bottom characters - the cowboy and the tramp, and the changes they experienced in this society. Cowboy is not a bad guy, he is kind, easy-going, innocent, and if he appears in other movies, he must be a model of good image in society. But he's not, he's a jobless, poor western fake cowboy. He changed after experiencing life in New York. He became able to hurt others for money. This is the change of human nature in the real society. The tramp is also not a bad person. Although he likes to steal and cheat and cheat for small money occasionally, he has a kind heart. He was helpful and willing to give, a good character in stark contrast to those who were well-dressed and who cheated cowboys for their money. However, he was so indifferent to the world and harmless to the society, but he died of illness in the car. This is the biggest change to him in the society, and it is also the biggest irony of this movie. In addition, the film also expresses the friendship of the two men through some plots, and the details are touching. Their friendship was built on the basis of the same sickness and mutual pity.
From the above, it can be seen that through the story of two men, this film expresses the various status quo of American society in the late 1960s, reflects the plight of disadvantaged groups in life, and the final result in this environment. --die. The film is a masterpiece that reflects social reality. At the same time, the film also shows the changes in the concept of that era in the United States through the side, mainly the concept of sex, and the popularity of hippie culture, which is a good window to spy on American culture in the 1960s and 1970s.
The way the film is presented is also different from other films of the 1960s. The film uses a lot of fantasy expression techniques, through the mixed editing of memories, fantasy, and reality to express the psychological changes in the characters' hearts, and the form is very similar to the current MV. I have seen a lot of movies in the 1960s and 1970s, but this is the first time I have seen it, and it is unique among the movies of that era. In addition, the filming method of the film also changes with the psychological changes of the characters. The most obvious is the songs that appear twice at the end and the beginning of the film and the bright pictures, all of which give people a feeling of hope, which also happens to express the cowboy run. A vision for a new life. And when cowboys and homeless are starving in New York City, the film uses dark, depressing footage to show their plight. In short, in the tail of the 1960s, the emergence of such a movie with a unique style is of epoch-making significance.
This film tells the story of two people, so there are only two main characters in this film. Cowboy actor Jon Voight, this is the first time I see him starring in a movie. He was really handsome when he was young, and he was a good candidate for a "dancing boy", especially his muscles, which would definitely attract women's liking. His acting skills are also very good, and he interprets the innocent and kind character of a cowboy very well. The Tramp is played by Dustin Hoffman, and his performance in this film gave me a taste of his acting skills. He portrayed the impoverished and lame tramp in a vivid and vivid way, especially the state of lameness and illness, which is too realistic! Dustin Hoffman's acting is truly amazing. The film also has a female prostitute played by Brenda Vaccaro, the real female prostitute. In this movie, she not only looks beautiful and has exquisite facial features, but the most important thing is that she has the unique charm of a woman, which is coquettish, charming and sexy. Why didn't such a beautiful woman become popular?
Overall, it's a depressingly realistic film, and the superb acting skills of the two leading actors are as amazing as the cruelty of the society at that time.
Brenda Vaccaro
Brenda Vaccaro
Sequence: 0541
Midnight.Cowboy.1969.REMASTERED.COLLECTORS.EDiTiON.iNTERNAL.DVDRiP.X264-KiSS
2011-09-06
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