Not based on real events, this is real events.
The movie opens with a poignant passage from Darwin to introduce the concept of "American animals," and our four protagonists also live in the town of Lexington, Kentucky.
The film adopts a semi-documentary approach to match the development of the plot. The two feature films that director Bart Layton previously shot were both documentary and semi-disciplined, so the semi-disciplined approach to this film is his forte. , The switching and editing of reality and plot are also in place.
The first protagonist-----Spencer
Spencer is an art student with a happy family and a sister. Spencer is pretentious, but he can't answer the examiner's questions during the interview, and he can't even say what he wants to express.
And in life, he endured everyone's humiliation and bullying to him
But he never vented and endured all this, because he believed that Van Gogh committed suicide, and Monet realized the true meaning of life after being blind, so he is now accepting the test of God. So, lonely he found the object of his talk, his good friend-----Warren
Warren is a sports student with a sports scholarship, but he is not so happy: his parents are getting divorced, his father is weak and crying, and he hopes that Warren can continue to insist on the sports he does not like and Warren is maverick , always likes to do some sneaky things, and is spurned by everyone. So, after the two of them successfully stole the unspoiled beef from the junkyard, when watching a group of peers playing wildly, Spencer made the following sigh:
Just like Darwin's "American Animals", the two fell deeper and deeper into the abyss of life in this small Kentucky town. They could not see the direction of the future, nor could they see their difference. He wanted to escape this abyss, escape this small town to prove himself and ironically, the radio reported that Lexington was the 14th best city in America for work and business.
But it wasn't until Spencer visited the Transylvania University Special Collections Library that there was new hope in his life.
He saw the famous American painter and naturalist Audubon's book "Atlas of the Birds of the Americas", he was attracted by the bright red flamingo on the painting, and the bird's chirping echoed in his mind, which symbolized freedom The flamingo became Spencer's favorite animal. In particular, I learned from the librarian that Audubon, who was also born in Kentucky, had trouble doing business during his lifetime, and was imprisoned because of debts, and he completed this masterpiece after he was released from prison. This gave Spencer hope and confidence, so he had a plan to prove himself - to steal the book, to free that $12 million "Flamingo" from the glass cover, just as he was freed from the decadent Freed from the black hole.
After telling Warren of their plan, the two started their own operations, watching crime movies while googled how to carry out a heist, and using Spencer's drawing talent to create a blueprint for a library tube.
In order to find sellers, they traveled from a small town in Kentucky across most of the United States to New York, where, according to Warren, he found middlemen who could provide sellers. The two small town youths who came to the metropolis for the first time, just like Bird came to New York in "Miss Bird", as if they came to their own paradise. This is the first time Spencer laughs in the film, escaping from the small town of Kentucky, away from the black hole that makes him confused and decadent, and he has more hope for his future.
In the end, Warren said he was looking for a seller in the Netherlands, so the only thing missing from their current plan is manpower. Warren found a third accomplice——Eric.
Eric is a complete learner. He can listen to rock music in class and draw posters that he is extremely dissatisfied with his life, and he can still answer the teacher's questions to him, and he can answer the teacher's questions. He has always been withdrawn. Because he had quarreled with Warren before, in order to regain this friendship and to prove himself in this boring life, he was successfully pulled in by Warren.
Eric, who wanted to enter the FBI, had a certain understanding of criminology, gave Spencer and Warren a lot of specific help, and proposed to bring in another driver, so Warren found a fourth accomplice——Chas .
Chas is a small tycoon who likes to be alone, and he can provide the car and the money the crime needs.
So, in order to avoid being suspected, they deliberately chose to do it on the day of the exam and dressed up as an old man, but on the day they were inexperienced, they nervously canceled the action because they saw four administrators in a meeting.
The failed Spencer slips out the door, relieved to see the clear sky and the talking and laughing couple. The director also changed the blue that symbolized cold, depression and sadness before. The warm tone suggested that Spencer's mood changed at this time. The action failed but he was free from prison, and his tense nerves were relaxed.
However, the lost Warren decided to do it again, but Spencer, who had gone through a mental journey, under the warmth of his family, suggested to Warren to give up.
After parting ways with Warren, Spencer had an illusion of a flamingo in front of his eyes (a flamingo can change its body hair due to different food, so flamingos also symbolize fantasy and change.) He remembered his own The original intention of implementing the plan, the dark tone also implies that at this time Spencer has to get rid of his decadence to prove himself.
And the second time, they did it. Although they did not steal the Atlas of the Birds of America, they also obtained the original manuscript of Darwin's work. Inevitably, the seemingly well-thought-out, flawed crimes made them quickly caught by the police.
In the end, everyone realized that Warren did not go to the Netherlands to find a seller, and there was no middle party. It was all fabricated by Warren. The point of Warren's robbery isn't for money, and throughout the crime, the absurd shell contains the powerless catharsis of the small-town youth to the status quo. As Warren kept referring to "dispointment" in the principal's office.
At that time, Warren was like the deer behind him, full of vitality and freedom, wanting to go beyond the reality of disappointment and the shackles that bound him.
The four animal masks on the poster also represent the unreleased desires and ambitions in the hearts of the "lost generation".
In the end, this ridiculous crime cost the four young people 7 years in prison, and now their lives are on the right track after being released. Some people say that these four young people are just too idle. I don't agree. Instead, I think they are ridiculous and even more pathetic on the way to prove themselves.
And the meaning that the director wants to express is profound, which makes me think of the beginning of "Trainspotting": Choose your future, choose life, I chose not to choose life.
The lengthy clips before the climax of this movie, coupled with the didactic real character clips and the lack of proper excavation of the characters are a major failure of the film. Evan Peters' acting skills and the appearance of the suit are just right. The soundtrack and parallel editing grace the film, as well as a number of tributes to other films, including Reservoir Dogs, Eleven Arhats, and more
For example, when Eric was about to get into the car to rob, it was exactly the same as the first scene in "The Dark Knight".
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