"A person living in the world must have a loving partner, a harmonious family, and a close friend. Without these, even if you have more money, the car is expensive, and the house is luxurious, in this world, you are also a lone ghost. ”
When I first saw the title of "Smelling Women", I thought that this movie would be a romantic romance film related to different types of women.
After watching the entire film, it was revealed that the film was a story between two men (a blind lieutenant colonel and a lost student). One old and one young, one with rich experience in life, one is frank and simple, and two people carry out a journey of self-worth examination with their own troubles.
The film is a remake of The 1974 Dino Lehi's film "Woman Fragrance", which was released in the United States on December 23, 1992, and won the 50th Golden Globe Award for Best Picture in the Drama Series, playing the protagonist Al Pacino and also winning the 65th Academy Award for Best Actor.
Al Pacino, who starred in the classic films of the "Godfather" series, his superb acting skills are the guarantee of the success of this film.
Just as Zhang Ziyi and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon have achieved each other, Al Pacino and Smelling Woman are undoubtedly another typical example of mutual achievement.
Speaking of which, you may wonder, what is the connection between such a drama about two men and the title "Smelling The Woman"?
At the beginning, I also had such confusion, and after revisiting the film again, I understood that smelling women is a key node for Frank to examine the value of life, and a line that runs through the whole story.
Through Frank's experience of smelling and recognizing women 3 times, frank's thinking on the value of life is reflected, which is self-abandonment, but also hope and rebirth.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" >, the first time to smell a woman - the journey begins, and Frank, who lives in the dark, decides to end life</h1>
Frank, a U.S. Army officer who had walked through the battlefield and won supreme glory, lost his precious eyes in an accident and became a person who needed to be taken care of in life.
This huge contrast made him psychologically seriously damaged. He was grumpy, mean-talking, and reluctant to be approached. Living in the dark, he becomes an aggressive man, talking to Charlie, who has come to apply for an assistant, with a prickly sentence.
Thanksgiving is coming, the niece's family is going to drive back to New York, and Frank, who was also going to New York, did not choose to walk with the niece's family, which reflects the special nature of Frank's trip to New York from the side, and he plans to go to New York to complete the last few things and then end his life.
On the plane, smell the incense and call out the name of the flight attendant
"She rubs 'Fleurs,' British perfume, but she has a California accent, and a California chick longs for an English lady, so I call her Daphne."
On a plane to New York, Frank showed for the first time his ability to smell women. Even if his eyes couldn't see, he could accurately call out the flight attendant's name.
Through the scent and accent of a person's body, you can infer the name, such a man who understands women and likes women more than everything, but always single, has no connection with love, only loneliness as a companion.
Frank's first experience of smelling a woman reveals his longing for love without regret. From here, the film slowly opens the first veil to us that Frank does not feel the value of life.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > second, second smell of the woman - in the journey, indulge, a wanton burning of life</h1>
Frank came to New York to carry out his pre-death plan: to enjoy a little pleasure trip, stay in a great restaurant, eat good food, drink a good glass of wine, visit relatives... Then, lying on Waldorf's luxurious bed, he shot his own head.
On Thanksgiving, he knocked on his brother's door, but it could be seen from the faces of his brother's family that Frank was not welcome.
The family believes that Frank is a "hero of the past", because Frank's blindness is not caused by war, but because of a drunken accident, which is caused by his own fault. As a result, Frank did not become a combat hero, and he brought shame rather than glory to the family.
Here, we don't see any warmth that affection should have, just solemnity and disgust.
The painful experience of the past is heard as a joke by relatives, and the "blind king bastard" is also heard from the mouth of relatives, is Frank uncomfortable? Of course it was uncomfortable, but he still showed a look of indifference. He was used to being treated like this, and he had come here with no hope of a good relationship, he had only come to say a final goodbye.
At the dinner table, Frank smoked a cigarette and kept his mouth shut, knowing that no one liked it, but he wanted to be remembered that way.
An unpleasant dinner with the brother's family
Frank once said, "I have rebelled against anyone and everything in my life, and only then do I feel important." ”
Many people feel that the weak family affection is frank's driving force towards suicide. But in fact, Frank's self-abandonment is.
There is a concept in psychology called "rational emotion therapy", which was proposed by the American psychologist Albert Ellis, saying that people's emotional and behavioral disorders are not directly caused by external events, but the result of your inner beliefs that lead to your emotions and behaviors.
Frank felt that he was a waste of food, and that living in the world was a waste of food, and said to his brother, "I am a rotten person, and I have always been."
His family's reluctance to see him did not affect his planned final day of the journey.
On the last day, Frank and Charlie meet donna, a beautiful girl, at the hotel.
"There's a scent in the air, don't tell me what brand it is, it's 'Sister Oggievi' soap."
This is Frank's second experience of smelling a woman, and at this time, with an attitude of timely pleasure, before dying, he invites a beautiful girl to dance a sexy tango, and everything seems to be complete.
This wonderful tango has become one of the most classic parts of the film
Blind in the eyes, Frank can jump freely on the field. It was also here that I saw Frank's face stretched out and a heartfelt smile on his face, so that everyone who watched seemed to feel the charm and happiness brought by tango.
At this time Frank, his life reached a climax, like fireworks, flew into the air, and obtained a free bloom. But we know that his life will eventually go out like fireworks, disappearing into the night sky.
Sure enough, the day after the tango, Frank was depressed and visibly depressed. Everything planned was done, and it seemed time to leave this world.
Charlie, who was traveling with him, sensed that something was wrong with Frank's mood and tried to cheer him up, as he said, he had a conscience, and he couldn't watch Frank end his life in front of his own eyes. Moreover, after spending two days with Frank, he felt that Frank was a man who, although his mouth was not forgiving, was not bad in essence.
Charlie gave Frank a reason to live: you were handsome when you danced tango and drove Ferraris. In his own way, Charlie prevented Frank's suicide.
Stetson said: "Most of the time people give up, it is defeat to themselves, not fate. ”
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > third, the third time to smell the woman - the journey is over, the hope for life is rekindled, and life is full of strength</h1>
During the short trip, Charlie sees Frank's pain and loneliness, and Frank understands Charlie's worries, and the closeness of the two people's hearts makes them form a deep friendship.
Frank's third experience of smelling a woman took place on Charlie's campus, where he was a political science teacher, and it was clear that the teacher appreciated Frank's performance at the school meeting.
Because Charlie witnesses a prank against the principal at school, he is threatened by the principal that if he does not say the prank, Charlie will lose his eligibility to be sent to Harvard and may even be expelled.
Like Frank had told everyone else, he saw Charlie as his son. In the end, Frank also unsurprisingly attends the trial meeting held by the school as Charlie's elder.
Frank defends Charlie
Frank was impassioned at the meeting and went all out to defend Charlie's integrity, and this classic speech was impressive, saying:
I've seen a lot of young boys with twisted arms and broken legs, and those who are not as terrible as ugly souls, souls can't have prosthetic limbs.
Although Frank is short-tempered, vulgar and mean, his values are very positive. His defense speech for Charlie shocked the teachers and students, and in the end, Charlie was spared the school punishment.
Charlie, a man who is not moved by profit and resolutely does not seek a future by betraying his friends, should be praised. This is related to the fact that American society at that time encouraged freedom and individual independence, and young people should have their own principles and know what is right and what is wrong.
Frank, who is so upright and cynical, also won the attention of downs, a political science teacher.
"Flor de Rocards perfume, flower of the creek." I know where to find you. ”
With a few words, through the teacher's surprised and adoring eyes, it was known that there would be a story unfolding between the two of them next.
Frank once said to Charlie: Do you know what I'm motivated to move forward? It is a dream, a dream of one day, a beautiful woman sleeping next to her, when she wakes up in the morning, she can still see her when she opens her eyes, her taste, sweet and warm. Then I'm dead hearted.
Apparently, such a beautiful woman appeared.
Teacher Downs
This time, it seems that Heaven has arranged a belated love affair for Frank, just as Charlie evaluates Frank, who is so handsome, and funny, sensitive, compassionate, and a good companion on the journey. How could such a person not be loved by anyone?
Frank rediscovered the value of life. I believe that Frank's life after that will be like the morning sun on the day he met Downs, warm and bright.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >4</h1>
The experience of smelling a woman 3 times runs through Frank's entire process from destruction to rebirth.
In the process, we see Frank go from self-abandonment to rediscovering the power of life: self-recognition, love, affection.
Zhou Guoping said that human life itself has three needs, one of which is that in the relationship between people, people should enjoy those natural emotions, that is, love, affection, and family. The satisfaction of these needs brings people happiness at the root of life.
What people must live for, Frank from a person with no love, no affection, living in darkness, to a person with concerns, love pursuits, and full of energy, all of which are related to his finding the value of life.
When you are upset, you will jump the tango, people live a lifetime, do not easily deny the value of life.
-The end-
Author: @ Iron Monster Yi, a post-90s generation who focuses on personal growth, looks forward to finding more possibilities in life through writing. Welcome to follow!