The beginning is a very warm scene. The heroine has a feminine name - Indiya, although everyone in the film calls her that, but the movie title uses her surname - "Stoke", in a sense not only refers to girls, but also represents For this family, grudges, entanglements, revenge... all kinds of things.
Indiana (I still prefer to call her that), a quiet, somewhat introverted and shy girl, was looking for the gift hidden by her father as usual on her birthday, but she was shocked by the bad news!
In the first half of the film, she followed her into the pain of losing her father, coupled with her lukewarm estrangement from her mother; once it was substituted, she was more identified with her sudden appearance, although very handsome, and her eyes would discharge. "Uncle" disgust and beware.
Different from ordinary suspense films, in fact, from the beginning, the problems that will arise in this "uncle" are self-evident. It can almost be guessed that he has something to do with the death of Indiana's father - the audience knows, Indiana knows, and even her mother may feel it, but she doesn't want to admit it.
Therefore, as the plot deepens, we are no longer looking for the obvious "truth", but as a bystander, coldly observing the changes of the situation, worrying about whether the girl will be killed or deceived, etc. However, everyone was fooled! Is it the girl who pretends her appearance is too weak? When winning the sympathy of the audience, the sudden turn at the end of the film enhanced the sense of explosion and shock effect!
As a suspense movie, this is really a masterpiece. The logic is strict, and the details are scrutinized carefully. On the narrative level, it jumps without being chaotic. On the plot line, real events are often intertwined with imaginary situations or "victimization delusions", which are both real and fantasy, sometimes true and sometimes false, but they are clearly distinguishable. This is the most worthwhile learning and reference for movie scripts.
In terms of editing, the director also uses parallel montage and cross montage to a great degree. The strong sense of rhythm of the picture makes the two narrative lines of narrating memory and explaining the truth alternate, but easy to read and understand. Jumping off, so that the audience can not understand the story.
At the production and shooting level, the most noteworthy is the application of image metaphors in the film. The whole film uses close-ups many times, shooting some independent objects without any relationship, such as beetles, spiders, shoes, etc. There are also some objects, which are used as metaphors or links between characters, appearing in the film, such as boulders in the courtyard, pianos, etc. , belts, and several hunting scenes involved.
After careful analysis, every object that appears here is a design with ulterior motives, from the creative requirements of the director, rather than the display of art props. There are different purposes and meanings for the explanation and promotion of the storyline and the relationship between the characters.
For example, on her birthday every year, India will receive a pair of flat shoes made by her father "by herself" and put them in a gift box, and she needs to find them by herself. But this time, she worked so hard to climb the tree, but what she opened was an empty box. Then, when the uncle finally confessed the truth, he calmly took out a pair of gorgeous high-heeled shoes from his travel bag, and knelt down on his knees and put them on for India himself. At this moment, from flat shoes to high heels, from simplicity and innocence to the awakening of the devil in the bottom of my heart, the change of shoes is a symbol of a girl's spiritual transformation. No longer calm, but sharp!
As for the piano, at first I thought it was just something like
What "Stoke" brings to us is an alternative violent aesthetic, which is a kind of power that erupts in quiet silence, and the sinful thoughts hidden in the bottom of my heart can burst out in an instant. What was extremely shocking was that at the end, India raised the shotgun and shot at the uncle who was murdering his mother with a belt. India took up the shotgun, aimed at the mad uncle, and aimed; suddenly the camera switched to the situation where her father once took her lurking in the grass, waiting to ambush the prey. There was no sound, the father did not speak, both of them looked ahead, Indy Ya held her breath and pulled the trigger; the next shot: the window glass was penetrated by bullets, and the holes were radiating. In just a few short shots, it is clean, neat, and the transition from tension to tranquility.
Lurking was taught to her by her father, so when her father died suddenly, the girl was heartbroken and refused the false concern of distrusting people. But he never revealed his doubts, but secretly collected evidence and investigated the truth. Even until the two faced off on the stairs and the uncle had a complete showdown, the girl remained calm and calm, and even agreed to his request to fly away together. Perhaps at that moment, the flame of revenge for her father had already ignited in her heart, but she could not notice the slightest in her quiet and silent eyes.
The only thing that makes me feel a little regretful is that in terms of character creation, no character in the film is cute or even scary. Maybe everyone has something worthy of sympathy, and the sentence is printed: "Poor people must have something to hate." Although the film's plot is gripping and the production is extremely meticulous; but as a revenge film, it does not have "Hamlet", "" Once upon a time in America” and even “Old Boy” are so affectionate and sexual; as a violent aesthetic work, its protagonists are not as good as those in the works of Quentin and Almodovar. Although they are low and marginal, they have their own truth. Cute side, like Django.
Therefore, "Stoker" can be described as a delicate and delicate suspense melodrama, carefully crafted in every plot and every frame; however, it lacks in reflecting emotions and resonating.
Nothing more than, it reveals a truth for people: there is a devil hidden in everyone's heart, it depends on how you deal with it, suppress it, lock it in Pandora's box, and never let it go; or trigger the mechanism under strong stimulation , unleashing this terrifying demon.
The choice is a matter of one thought.
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