After reading it, I can't find a suitable word to describe the right feeling. wonderful? Incredible? warmth? move? It seems there are some, but not only these.
A typical 1970s folk voice, the golden age of the splendid and chaotic 1970s was born out of a lot of talents. Rodriguez's songs seem plain and calm, but hide resistance and freedom. His voice and style are reminiscent of Bob Dylan, Don McClain, Eagles, and even Simon Garfunkel. There are actually many, many more folk singers in the 1970s like the one in the film, which is reminiscent of "Drunken Country Folk", which also has the theme of unwilling folk singers.
They regarded him as a musical spiritual leader in South Africa, but he was unknown on the other side of the world doing the lowest construction work, and only a few copies of his second album were sold in the United States. Their imaginary rock hero should either shoot himself in the head on stage or douse himself with gasoline, as has been rumored in South Africa. But life is not like that. The valuable thing about this film is that "a person's burial may have nothing to do with the so-called historical background. The world is full of talented people, but wealth and fame are not because you are talented and you are willing to work hard, you will definitely follow suit." This is how life is.
Of course, the film doesn't stop here. There are legends in real life. When Lao Tang, the owner of the South African record store, learned from the overseas phone call that Rodriguez did not commit suicide on the stage as rumored, the complex emotions of shock and surprise made the audience feel difficult, and the previous suspense was just right. . It turned out that the South African hero they were looking for was living peacefully in a corner of Detroit.
The moment Lao Tang received a call from Rhodes in the middle of the night was very moving. Somehow suddenly remembered "Mary and Marx". Two people on both ends of the earth who are so far apart and are not related, but because of a song and a record, they are connected decades later.
Even, I think of some small things about myself. Over the years, I have been insisting on blogging, in fact, it is mainly a record of my mood and life, just like writing travel notes on the forum many years ago, it is to entertain myself. I never thought about the feelings of others seeing it, but from time to time, strangers send messages, telling me that these articles have touched and touched them a little, and even strangers have silently paid attention to it for seven or eight years. At this time, there is an unspeakable warmth and moving in my heart. It is true that everyone in this world is an island. However, you never know that there may be someone in the world who feels the same way as you.
Cars zip along Cape Town's coastal road and Sugarman sings:
Sugar man
Won't you hurry
Cause I'm tired of these scenes
For a blue coin won't you bring back All those colors to my
dreams
out of control. Sometimes I feel that life is meaningless, but sometimes, life is meaningful, and there are still some things worth persevering and pursuing. In a word, every effort will not be in vain. Maybe life really has miracles.
At the end of the film, Rodriguez is alone with a guitar on his back, walking slowly and even staggeringly down the snow-covered dilapidated old streets of Detroit. The ups and downs of life seem to have never changed. This world is still so calm, silent and indifferent.
PS "Searching for Sugar Man", looking for little sugar man, this translation is not a problem, but for people with too big brains like me, this title has always been inexplicably misleading. In fact, I know it is a music documentary, but every time the title of the film comes into my mind, the scene of our traditional artist turning sugar painting will appear in my mind, and it will never go away.
PPS The same song, with an excellent plot, will increase the goodness by 50%
PPPS always has a little doubt about the curious and dark heart: Is Rodriguez really as flattering as the documentary shows?
PPPPS In fact, in real life, Rodriguez is not as anonymous as it appears in the documentary. Although his albums did not sell a few copies in the United States, they were indeed not well known in the United States. But in the late 1970s, he was well-known in Australia, and he also had some Australian fans, and he went to two concerts. Of course, his overall career was still far from successful, and his entire life was largely a mundane life in Detroit. The director's presentation in the documentary is understandable, and there are trade-offs in order to highlight the theme.
PPPPS director Malik Bender asked Lauer to commit suicide in 2014 due to depression at the age of 36. When filming "Finding Sugar Man", it almost went bankrupt due to lack of funds. It is said that the last 10% of the content of the film was shot with an iPhone because of lack of money. In addition to sighing, I feel that this is another story full of sadness. A life of genius is always no match for a life of mediocrity. His records give people inspiration and warmth, but he has not escaped his inner demons. Life is such a paradox.
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