An old movie with a small-town American feel. The male protagonist Mac has gone from seeing the prosperity of the world to wandering. At the beginning of the movie, the scene of the male protagonist drinking heavily, falling into poverty and robbing others for drinking and sleeping on the messy floor of the hotel room is pulled into the audience's field of vision. At the same time, the camera cuts to the proprietress and her son at the door listening to Mac's drunken babble before closing the door softly.
At the beginning of the film, the protagonist loses all expectations of life, is immersed in self-defeating, and the living state of chronic suicide is presented to the audience. Let the audience be able to nakedly see that McKee has fallen into the vortex of gray life, expecting what kind of mercy will come to him and what will happen to him.
But then looking back, there is no wonderful storyline, but it seems to be smooth, there is no big ups and downs, but it can grab people's hearts. The main reason is the control of the rhythm of the story, which is neither loose nor dense, as well as the connotation of the story itself and the meaning of inspiring life. The story has always maintained the rhythm of rural life, in line with the way of life in small towns of that era. Not exaggerated, but introverted and exudes a touch of emotion.
The plot design of Mac's confession to the heroine seems to be casual, but it is a key node in the transformation of the hero's life. A fallen soul sees an angel who saves himself, and this angel happens to have a child who needs a father, and at this moment salvation and self-salvation begin.
The role of the heroine in the film is relatively unique. She does not belong to that life circle, but she is a person who knows how to appreciate music. From this, her compassion for McKee, who is proficient in music, has become a salvation. his people. Maybe in her heart, people who like music have a different soul, a redeemable soul. Her uniqueness is also reflected in the way she saves Mac, not the kind of grand and noble, nor the kind of active love. But in a way that hits the mark all at once. That is to help the male protagonist quit drinking in a reasonable way.
But I think what the film wants to express most should be the theme of self-salvation. From the male protagonist's proposal to help the female protagonist work to offset the house money, it can be seen that although his current life is at a low point, and he spends his days in degenerate alcoholism, he has a positive soul in him, and he does not want to let himself Degenerate to become a rascal. And because the heroine can see clearly that he has a clean soul, she can prescribe the right medicine and save it successfully.
However, life is never smooth sailing. Just after everything seems to be on track, a fatal blow is waiting for him. As for Mac, this fatal blow is enough to make him fall again and pick up the wine bottle to live again. His only daughter died in a car accident. And he did buy a bottle of wine, put it in the car, and in Mac's own words, he drove past their house with that bottle of wine several times, but in the end he overcame himself and didn't drink the bottle of wine.
There is a close-up shot in the film, that is, the heroine's son and Mac are both baptized. They both started life anew, Mosan let go of the cause of his father's death, and Mac let go of his own life. The final shot is of them happily throwing a handball together.
The film "Tender Mercy" is good at seeing big truths from small details.
The most common scene in the movie is the small hotel and the gas station outside the hotel. This is where the male protagonist is changed, and where he gets back on his feet. It looks simple and lonely, but it is a place full of warmth and hope.
The whole movie is well structured, but the appearance of the band in it almost made me think it was looking for trouble, mainly because of my lack of understanding of the American bands of that era. But here I suddenly remembered the plot in "The Sewing Machine Band" directed by Dapeng. It is also a group of people who love to sing, have various occupations, and work hard for their dreams. I don't know if it's a coincidence or a reference. It is more likely because there are indeed such a group of people who persist for their dreams. Because after all, dreams know no borders or age.
But it was this kind of constant band that allowed him to regain his confidence and hope on the stage.
The theme of the movie is clear. God will bless everyone who works hard. As long as he still has a dream, even if he falls down temporarily, he will definitely be able to get up.
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