If He were truly wise, he would not have brought you into the temple of His wisdom, but would have guided you across the threshold of your own thoughts. —Gibran
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > preface</h1>
Genius Ripley is a crime noir film directed by Anthony Minggra and co-starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Lowe, Kate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jack Davenport, philip Baker Hall, and others. The film was released in the United States on December 25, 1999, and was nominated for Best Director in the Film Category at the 57th American Global Awards.
Director Anthony Mingla's films are distinctly varied. One of the most famous is also in 1996, directing the romance film "The English Patient", based on the novel of the same name, which won the Best Director Award at the 69th Academy Awards, and the love war film "Cold Mountain". Although "Genius Ripley" is not as well-known as the other two films and has become a jewel at the Berlin International Film Festival, I think it is a masterpiece, whether it is from the shaping of the actors or the transmission of the core ideas, it is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and the expression is full of tension.
The film's story is set in a cozy seaside town in Europe in the 80s and 90s - Mongi. It tells the story of Ripley, who was entrusted by Dick's father, a wealthy businessman, to Italy to persuade him to return to China after being mistaken for a classmate of rich second-generation Dick, but he had a vision of Dick's life, and was driven by desire to lose his mind and kill Dick, and stole Dick's life.
From a lie at the beginning to the final blunt construction of a cage for himself that can never be walked out, the hero's fate is destined to survive in lies and betrayal.
The development of the film's story is quite legendary, the first half lays the narrative slowly, the second half of the plot development is intense, the details are interlocked, the plot climaxes, and the conflict and drama are staged at the same time.
Regarding the expression of the core idea, I think the director also wants to use the hero's inner change process and choice to warn us never to betray our hearts first, when you choose to stand in the shadows, you can no longer walk with others, in the future boundless dark days, all you do is to atone for your sins. So even if you are humble in reality, don't compromise and let yourself be covered with lingering mottles, locking yourself forever into the underworld of sin.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > the opposition between wealth and class is always an insurmountable gap, but it is the source of motivation for progress</h1>
Recently, there is a small Spanish film "Hungry Platform" that has caused a hot discussion, and the Korean film "Burning", which received a super high score in the Cannes competition unit last year, in my opinion, the contradictions caused by the class antagonism expressed at the core of both films are difficult to digest to a certain extent, which eventually leads to the final direction of the different characters in the story.
In fact, in "Genius Ripley", this contradiction and unfairness are reflected in many details. At the beginning of the film, before Ripley prepares to travel to Italy to "meet" Dick, while he is studying jazz music, the quarrel from upstairs becomes a microcosm of Ripley's living environment, before which he carefully sorts out the clothes of the rich to get a tip.
Another detail is that when Ripley was preparing to go to Italy, he carried his suitcase and stumbled toward the door on the stairs, and he struggled through the crowded and narrow stairs, which also showed that Ripley began the journey of "climbing up" to find his own door. These details are all dark lines and foreshadowing arranged by the director, so that the audience has empathy for Ripley at this stage, which also indirectly contrasts with ripley's depravity in the end, making the character's behavior seem reasonable.
The process of life is one-way, and every decision you make at this moment is a prerequisite that will never be reversed in the future. It seems to be forced to be helpless, but in fact, it is all cause and effect, but before it is catalyzed by a series of butterfly effects, the evil planted at the beginning is actually not mentioned. And from that moment on, in fact, you have already embarked on a road of no return, and Ripley is doomed from the moment he walks up the stairs.
Ripley, like most of the real people on the fringes, is cautious and good at observing colors. When the rich throw an olive branch, no one will refuse the temptation, but the identity of the body seems out of place in different circles and classes, then the disguise and flattery are revealed, they try to obtain value and wealth through this way, but as everyone knows, the slightly blunt squeeze in loses itself while pandering.
The world is inherently unfair, some people are born with a halo, and some people are hard to live! And what we can do is to gradually accept our own mediocrity, with a peaceful attitude to the world, but at the same time still diligently study, when you enrich yourself, your vision and ability will also improve, the real wealth of your own will also come to you.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > insulting and contemptuous of others, but is actually the only way to destruction</h1>
The character of Dick in the movie is a casual, wandering, and unruly male brother. The rich class that Dick represents has an innate sense of superiority, they ignore the world's sufferings, and all they really care about is themselves. And this feature is not in line with Ripley's selfishness and self. Dick is sunny and enthusiastic, the people around him like him, but he pursues novelty, treats others very easily bored, and hates the accusations of others, he is cold and hot.
Anyone close to Dick will be snubbed and hurt, and ripley, who has just arrived, has become attached and dependent on Dick. Such a character ended up dying at ripley's hands, and there is a reason for thinking about this ending.
When Dick asks Ripley in the movie, "Everyone has talent, what is yours?" And when Dick talks to Maggie about skiing, Dick says Ripley is too cheap to do. From such questions and words, it is not difficult to see that Dick, as a child of a rich family, is born with scrutiny and disdain for the weak. Dick himself, on the other hand, is afraid to take responsibility, and what he perceives as "talent" is merely an appendage of his identity, or in other words, just his hobby. It seems to be uninhibited, but in fact it is just indulgent vocal music.
When the two talked in the boat, in the face of Ripley's questioning, he responded angrily, leaving no room for Ripley to "strip" to expose to the sun, and comparing Ripley to a "leech", it is true that Ripley is outrageous and terrible, but Dick's unblemished verbal attack is directly pushing himself to the road of death. Such an ending also reminds us that there is room for people to speak, not to others, but to reserve a way out for ourselves.
Because it's hard to imagine that the person you spend with day and night is an angel or a devil. In the film, Dick and Peter belong to the same class, but Peter is gentle and sunny, and full of romance, and is an angelic existence, which contrasts with Dick, so the audience will have different degrees of regret after Dick and Peter's death, and Ripley in the eyes of the audience after Peter's death is more unforgivable and sinful.
Regarding the direction of the plot in the film, many viewers have doubts, although the police and Dick's father and girlfriend Maggie have a lot of suspicions about Ripley, but they have not found any evidence, and finally have to pay Ripley a sum of money based on the forged last words.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > comments on the feelings and sexual orientations of the characters in the film</h1>
The sexual orientation of the male protagonist in the film can be seen from the details that it is biased towards men.
The temptation of the male protagonist to paddle with Dick while playing chess in the bathroom, and the "merging into one" of the face on the glass mirror on the train can see Ripley's preference for Dick, he envisions Dick's state of life and freedom, compared to his own deceit and darkness, Dick is undoubtedly Ripley's heart, God's desire.
Another detail is the street pedestrians flashing under the director's lens, which also confirms this. But the opposite of Ripley's deep love for Dick is not hatred but indigestible jealousy and gloom. Peter who appeared later undoubtedly loved Ripley deeply, and came to the aid of Ripley when he was deeply interrogated by the police, giving Ripley warmth and support, but just as all causes and effects are fixed, different appearance orders are destined to have different endings, and the audience can only sigh and helpless.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > careful that pathetic and pathetic desires drag you into endless abyss. </h1>
In order to establish his identity and lies, Ripley in the film did not hesitate to remove the obstacles around him again and again, but fortunately he succeeded many times. It's nothing wrong with the audience, it's very real. In fact, the director created a character like Ripley, he is not a complete villain, but a process of gradual degeneration and going to the abyss. From murder by mistake, to forced killing to active killing.
Ripley's inner greed and selfishness gradually revealed, although the process must actually be very painful, but from a rational point of view, Ripley is not worthy of sympathy. For when his own interests conflict with the lives of others, he will stand on the moral opposite side and deprive others of their lives, which is actually the most unforgivable.
In the process of watching the movie you will definitely hate your protagonist, and at the end jean will expect him to turn back, if I come to write Ripley, I am afraid he will get such an ending, but in fact, this kind of thought is often a manifestation of weakness of heart, is not enough open-minded performance, when a protagonist can reflect your inner desire and dark side, you will subconsciously protect him, hoping that he has a good ending, this is your subconscious drill, you are seeking good explanations and cover-up for your possible mistakes.
Each of us is selfish, ripley's role itself is also contradictory, so for the traditional single positive and negative role, Ripley's shaping is the closest to life, there is intolerance, there are grievances, there is coldness, there is inferiority, is this not the emotion we live in? We will not be as unscrupulous as Ripley in life to kill people, and Ripley's choice in the film is undoubtedly extreme and dramatic, at the end of the film, the director uses the transformation of the image angle and the distribution of light and shadow on Ripley's face from light to dark, indicating that Ripley's heart has finally completed the transformation of blackening.
He strangled Peter with his own hands because he could not look directly at his own demons, and he was well aware of Peter's sincerity and unreserved affection for him. Ripley's line in the film is clear: when he asks, "Don't you lock the past in the basement?" I would do that because there were demons inside, and once someone saw how dirty it was inside, I always wanted to open the door and let the sun shine in and wash everything clean. Ripley wants to turn back, wants to live in the sun, wants to be honest with Peter, but after the choice and struggle, Ripley still chooses to love himself, Ripley fails, and the desire for material desire has filled his heart. Although the director does not indicate at the end where Ripley will go after that, Ripley will inevitably spend the rest of his life in lies, loneliness, and regret.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > concluding remarks</h1>
The counterattack of small people is not uncommon in many film and television dramas, but the primary task of changing the fate of small people is by no means absurd and eager to get rid of the utilitarian heart of the pickled taste of the bottom world, the temptation of the beautiful scenery of Chinese clothes is really huge, but what really makes people move is the sense of superiority and choice brought by wealth, fed up with the choice and alternative fate, when there is a chance to sneak around, we will desperately retain, even if we do whatever it takes to commit sins, but we ask ourselves as a person, When you lose your principles and kindness, you can still get along with the world peacefully.
The so-called "genius" of "Genius Ripley" means that the protagonist is smart, wise, and delicate, he can play the piano, he can learn to listen to jazz, he can imitate various details but is tightly limited to stealing identities that do not belong to himself to achieve a clumsy imitation and speculation of the vulgar public desires, he always observes, peeps, and what he really forgets is to have a dialogue with himself, and then go farther and farther on the road to becoming someone else.