I watched "Mysterious River" more than ten years ago, and I didn't read it carefully or impressed. I only remember that Shaun Pan played a very fierce role, in order to avenge his daughter, lynching and killing, like a tough guy.
Watching the film many years later, I found that I had completely misread it at the time. Eastwood is a personal spirit, and there are still many things hidden behind the story.
What impressed me most about "Mysterious River" was the portrayal of characters and human nature.
Character 1: Jimmy Jimmy
First of all, the names of the three main characters in the film are Jimmy Jimmy (played by Sean Pan), Sean Sean (played by Kevin Bakken), and Dave Dave (played by Tim Robbins).
Jimmy seems to be a tough guy on the surface, who has done murder and robbery, and there are a bunch of brothers following, and no one is afraid. After the death of his beloved daughter Katie (Katie), the mask of the tough guy slowly shatters, and he can't bear the pain of losing his beloved daughter. In one shot, he says that his soul is related to his daughter's death, but he doesn't know how to do with it. This shows that he is deeply guilty of his daughter's death, so he is eager to find the murderer, or rather, to find a scapegoat.
Jimmy mourns the memory of her dead daughter
He later, based on various sources, believed that Dave was the most suspicious. Just frame Dave and confront him. At this time, he had actually identified, or hoped that Dave was the murderer. So whatever Dave said, he didn't listen.
Jimmy forced Dave to confess over and over again
But in the face of his childhood playmate, he was still a little hesitant. So he sets a trap and tells Dave that if he admits to killing Katie, he will let him have a way to live. The weak Dave confessed in order to survive. Eventually Jimmy got the excuse he wanted and killed him. At this time, Jimmy, in my opinion, is actually very weak, so weak that he can't wait for the murderer to be caught, and he doesn't want to fully understand things at all, he just wants to find someone to kill to prove his strength and get rid of his inner guilt.
Jimmy tricked Dave into confessing
Dave admitted
Finally, when the detective tells him that the real culprit has been found, he makes excuses for himself, saying that the real Dave got into the car 25 years ago and never returned.
Person 2: Sean Shaun
The character of Sean is mostly used as a foil in the movie, but he is actually the first of the three people to see. There was a dark line: his wife left him with her daughter, but kept calling him. At the end of the film, he knows that Jimmy is the murderer and no longer pursues it, but instead calls his wife to apologize, admitting that it was his fault that caused her to leave.
At first I didn't understand why he didn't pursue Jimmy. It was later understood that when he called his wife before, the reason had been explained. He said he was tired of criminals showing up forever, and that putting them in jail would not bring their victims back to life.
This shows that he has given up on the past and is ready to start a new life. Any new killers and victims are no longer important. The former lover may have left because he was too focused on his career, and now he wants to get rid of everything in the past and start over.
As an aside, Kevin Bacon, who plays Sean, is a real decades-old look. Born in 1958, he is 63 years old this year. I feel like he's hardly changed in the last 20 years. When you are young, you appear old, and when you are old, you appear young. Take a look at these screenshots:
Alien Monster 1990 32 years old
Transparent man 2000 42 years old
Underworld Police Department 2013 55 years old
Character 3: Annabeth Annabeth (Jimmy's wife)
This character I think is the most awesome in the movie, but also the most hidden. First of all, it should be noted that the dead Katie was not born to her, but to Jimmy and his ex-wife who died of illness. Although Jimmy and Annabeth have two more daughters, he loves Katie the most, perhaps because of katie's shadow of his ex-wife.
Annabeth does not play much in the film, and at first she feels that she is just a vassal of her husband. But at the end of the film, she stepped forward.
In this scene, a joyful parade is taking place outside, and Jimmy inside is standing in front of the window, regretting that he killed Dave by mistake.
Annabeth first acknowledges her husband's deep love for the dead Katie, but also gently points out that "you love Katie so much that your heart is about to explode."
Then the topic leads to the two girls who are alive. Because what she really cares about is her girlfriend. The ex-wife's daughter is dead, and she wants to pull her husband's heart over.
She began to soothe Jimmy's guilt, saying that she had told her two girls last night that Dad was the one he loved and that whatever he did was right.
Jimmy was a little puzzled: You said these words to your daughter last night, did you know something then?
She told Jimmy that Celeste (Dave's wife who was killed) was worried about Something was wrong with Dave and had called last night. Celeste told her everything she knew. She explained that she didn't bother her husband because of her contempt for Celeste: "What kind of wife would not trust her husband?"
In fact, she guessed last night that her husband was going to kill Dave, but she didn't stop it, why? The latter sentence is the key: "Why did she come to you when she encountered something?" ”。 Dave's wife encountered things and even found her husband again and again to solve them. The subtext is: Celeste what do you mean? Want to rob my husband? scram!
Then she quickly returned to praise her husband: "I told our daughters that their father was a king and would do everything for the people they loved, and that was the most important thing." A few words of diverted her husband's attention. At the same time, it is also a hint to Jimmy: other people's wives are not good people, not like words. Their family's affairs are not important, our daughter is the most important!
She continues to encourage her husband: We are not weak, we have always been strong. The strongest is my husband.
Finally, she returned to her subject again, saying, "Take your girls to the parade." That means: "Forget everything else, listen to my arrangements, take my daughter well, and start a new life." By this time, her husband was completely at her mercy.
After reading this paragraph, I only have one exclamation: these ladies are awesome! This is the big boss hidden at the bottom of the level. She is actually a jealous and controlling woman. When her ex-wife's daughter didn't die, she couldn't bear it. But then by chance, Katie died. She knows the cause and effect, and uses her husband's guilt of killing the wrong person to transform her husband's nostalgia for the forgotten daughter into a love for the living girl, while shielding other women close to her husband. She healed her husband's wounds and satisfied his needs for a tough guy, and finally made him obedient to himself. Lions are not good, and the talents who train lions are great.
By the way, Laura Lynnie, who played Annabeth, played the wife of Kim Carey in the Trueman Show, and her smiling and smiling appearance is really suitable for playing this kind of cunning woman.
Character 4: Celeste Celeste (Dave's wife)
Simply put, this is a character who is more deadly in the whole play. The husband has an accident, without any comfort or encouragement, and suspects that the husband is the murderer every day. Finally ran to Jimmy to report it. Jimmy asked her, "Do you think Dave killed Katie?" She nodded silently, which gave Jimmy a direct reason to kill Dave.
Celes features head recognition
At the end of the film, she looks for her husband and sees Sean. Sean put his arms around his wife and daughter and started a new life. Just gave Celeste a look of condolence.
She saw Annabeth again, and Annabeth was expressionless, looking at her like she was looking at a trash can on the side of the road.
Celeste felt helpless and suddenly saw her son's float coming, which was her only sustenance. She chased after her son and called out her name, but the son just looked at her sadly and did not respond. The child can't find his father and can't be happy. Imagine what the child's life will be like later.
summary:
After analyzing this movie, I found that on the surface, the story of three men was told, but in fact it was three women who dominated their fate. Sean's wife forces him to realize his neglect of the family, which allows him to start a new life; Jimmy's wife controls her husband and paves the way for herself and her daughter; Dave's wife is suspicious and goes around informing, eventually harming her husband, herself, and her son. Men are not good to ruin one generation, and women are not good to ruin three generations. Men are no longer good, can not find a good wife, the family is all finished.
Movie name: Mystic River Mystery River
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bakken
Release Date: October 15, 2003
Major Awards: 76th Academy Awards Best Actor (Sean Penn)
76th Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins)