The film opens in a tennis match: the husband and the eldest son play against the wife and the younger son. The scene that seems to be quite peaceful, but hidden behind it is the rift within the family that is difficult to bridge: this confrontation is full of confrontations and conflicts that shouldn't be in the so-called family friendly match. The husband counterattacked every ball without mercy; in the face of such a move, the wife frequently reprimanded her. The resentment in the hearts of the two finally broke out after a few rebirths. The husband’s shot hit his wife impartially, and the understatement of apology might have added fuel to the fire. As soon as the camera turned, the quarrel between the two in the gym made the two children not far away feel at a loss-the parents' quarrel seemed to be another game, but the rules of the game might never be understood by them.
"Squid and Whale" is aimed at this ordinary family living in Brooklyn, New York. It may not be too much to describe this family as loud noises and small noises every day. The husband and wife really didn't want to endure this unbearable state any longer, so they had to confess to their two sons that they decided to separate, and the two took turns taking care of the children. After hearing this, the 12-year-old son couldn’t help crying: When a child faces sudden changes, crying is always the best placebo for the soul; while the 16-year-old son is much calmer: he may feel like an adult Therefore, we should learn to bear the weight that should not have been borne by it.
The different attitudes of the two brothers towards the separation of their parents underpin the highlight of the rest of the film: the fragile young son is obviously quite annoyed by his father's incompetence in housework skills, and prefers the restrained and intelligent mother. On the contrary, the independent eldest son reacted coldly to his mother, but regarded his father as his idol. The two traveled back and forth between the old house where their mother lived and their father's new house, just like the tennis match at the beginning of the movie. They were caught in a prolonged match that may never end.
What has changed is not only the children's dependence and resistance to their parents, but also their own lives. The eldest son’s emotional world has been turbulent, ups and downs, and all the confusion and troubles that he had during his adolescence, mixed with depression, hit him. And the little son who seemed to be honest and well-behaved was also on the verge of depravity in this doomed life state, so that the school couldn't help but ask the parents for a talk. Paper can't cover the raging fire, and finally, after the divorce, the fragile balance and superficial peace between the husband and wife are now ruthlessly torn to pieces.
The film’s director and screenwriter Noah Baumbach’s own parents divorced when he was young, and the same as the family in the film, both are writers and live in Brooklyn. Although Baumbach denies that this film is a so-called autobiographical work, the film reveals a perspective of pity and sympathy for children from divorced families, which inevitably makes people see the style of some autobiographical works. This theme and style make people reminiscent of the classic "Kramers", but compared to the former's exploration of the grand social theme of women's independence and family transformation, what is more evocative in this work is Its depiction of the children affected after the collapse of the family.
From the beginning to the end of the film, there is no obvious emotional bias between the divorced couples, and there is no urge to blame anyone. The more so, the more the audience wants to know: Who should be responsible for these children's problems? Perhaps, in some families, the adults successfully escaped from the marriage cemetery with fear and trepidation, and got the joy or relief that they hoped in their hearts. Only left innocent children, but in the emotional cemetery at a loss, except for the cold and cold moon, compassion can't ask for a moment of warmth.
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