Unlike "Bad Boy's Sky", "Fireworks" does not choose a straightforward narrative method, but increases the layering of the film by disrupting time and space editing, while creating a beginning that leaves the audience confused. The occasional gory scene in the film grabs the audience's attention and makes people hope to solve the mystery of the film. This technique can also find a similar shadow at the beginning of Peng Haoxiang's "Isabella".
The film tells the end of the midlife crisis. With such a pessimistic subject matter, it is estimated that changing to a Korean director to shoot is a sensational death. But the extraordinary thing about Takeshi Kitano is that he does the opposite. Instead of pursuing deliberate sensationalism, he uses "silent" performances and "blank" plots to describe the turbulent emotions of the mid-life crisis. Due to the lack of plot clues and the silent performance of Kitano Takeshi, the film can only arrange for supporting characters to complete the protagonist's character and bloody past in the dialogue. This is reminiscent of Akira Kurosawa's "Desire to Live", which also restores the truth through "the narration of others", so that the film's narrative position remains objective and calm. It is also worth mentioning that the film inserted a large number of paintings to supplement the psychological activities of the characters, while also effectively rendering the atmosphere and controlling the rhythm of the film. This technique is very bold, and it produces great results.
As the so-called "Birdsong Mountain is more secluded", just like Kitano Takeshi's early "That Summer, Tranquil Sea", the film's just-right silence and restraint, as well as the objective and calm perspective, perfectly express the life under the pressure of life. A sense of powerlessness, which makes the audience can only watch without being able to do anything. So the tragedy of the film gradually infects the audience. The deep feelings between the protagonists and their husbands are also shown in silence by the actors' every move. Emotional restraint reduces the drama, but creates a sense of life in the film, real and believable. The mood of the film is not weakened because of this, but is slowly revealed through the soundtrack of Joe Hisaishi, turning back and forth.
The rhythm of the movie is not blindly slow, but under the slow rhythm, the tranquility is often suddenly broken, and there is instant violence. The same technique can also be seen in Quentin's "Pulp Fiction". Through the contrast of movement and stillness, the rhythm of the film becomes relaxed and moderate, and at the same time, it also implicitly illustrates the cruelty hidden in the quiet life. Through the different images of the protagonist and the disabled police officer, the film reflects the sense of rejection of the pressure of modern society, so Takeshi Kitano also tries to let the protagonist and the audience escape the pressure, which is the reason for the slower pace in the second half of the film. The second half of the movie leaves the city that symbolizes stress and returns to the tranquility of the suburban mountains, so the cruelty of the first half gradually fades away, and the movie becomes tender. This is the director's alternative comfort to the protagonist to the audience.
It is a pity that escaping is always escaping, and the emergence of the underworld still pulls the protagonist, the audience, and the film back under pressure, so the protagonist finally fails to fight against life, and death is the only relief. But Takeshi Kitano still expects an optimistic side of life, so at the end of the movie, the cruelty is intentionally hidden, and death is placed on the beautiful blue coast. Compared with the last lines of "Bad Boy's Sky", "Hanawa" is more subtle and natural.
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