When it comes to American Western movies, the impression will always come to mind the vast western wilderness, the lonely and scattered customs town, the dusty horse galloping, the rough and tough cloaked darts, the American westward movement has forged the iron-blooded character of the American nation, and the pioneering spirit has become the driving force flowing in the blood. Sean's lonely crime in 1953's "Wilderness Hero"; Joe's endless fight with two gang members in "Red Dead Redemption" in 1964; Lambo," a Vietnam veteran in "First Blood" in 1982; Lieutenant Dunbar and the Indian Sioux in "Dance with Wolves" in 1990, the brave story of Lieutenant Dunbar and the Indian Sioux to fight against aggression, all show the hope of the wilderness hero to endure loneliness and loneliness, uphold justice and freedom, abandon the worldly shackles and burdens, and pursue an idealistic paradise.
In 1969, Charles Portis created the novel "Earth Thunder", which was adapted into a film that year, becoming another model of Western cinema. In 2010, the Coen brothers brought the story back to the big screen and received multiple nominations at major film festivals, even with the intention of taking the 2011 Oscar for Best Picture. However, under the momentum of "optimistic" public opinion, whether it is the Oscars or the Golden Globe Awards, this film has not won a single one, becoming the biggest cold door of the year. As the representative of American independent films, the Coen brothers will never be inflammatory, and they will not be shocked by the honor or disgrace of winning or not, and they have only one purpose in their minds: to make a film that they are satisfied with.
Cohen's version of "Earth Thunder" is not a remake of the 1969 version, and even in the minds of the Coen brothers, the impression of the film has long been forgotten, the reason for choosing to shoot stemmed from the love of the novel's characters, in the transitional period when order and law have not yet been established, law enforcement officer Rost Cowburn and Texas Mounted Police LaBeouf are not heroic portrayals in the traditional sense, which is very different from the many genre heroes mentioned earlier, and the addition of 14-year-old girl Marty Rose has become the finishing touch of the film. The Coen brothers construct an unconventional story trend with black humor and obedient ridicule, the restoration of the spirit of the original work and the rendering of feminism subvert the heroism in the audience's impression, and the unique audiovisual language and profound character image make the film highlight the unique texture of the times.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > faithful restoration of the spirit of the original work, and the wonderful lines of retro wisdom highlight the spirit of the times</h1>
The original name of "Earth Thunder" is "Ture Grit", "Grit" has the meaning of courage and courage in English, the original work takes the desolate and chaotic governance environment of the American South in the second half of the 19th century as the background, telling the story of a 14-year-old girl Marty avenging her father, "Ture Grit" refers to Marty's fearless, brave and persistent spirit, if in terms of connotation, the translation of "real courage" is more appropriate, the translation of "Earth Thunder" obviously considers god-like, There is a lack of spiritual essence. However, in terms of catchiness and momentum, it seems unexpected and concise.
This work is a typical Western, frozen in Arkansas in 1878, and the biggest feature is the vivid and vivid language style, which begins and ends with Matisse's memories, showing the original appearance of the magnificent story from a first-person perspective. Numerous narrations have an inseparable connection with the times and themes, becoming a key factor in the novel's standing out. The Coen brothers even said that "wonderful dialogue attracts all the actors who come to play", although education was not widespread in the United States at that time, but those retro and wise dialogue became a sharp weapon to grasp people's hearts, leading the audience back to the wild western grassland.
The story slowly unfolds with the first soft-light shot" No one believes that a young girl can get away from home and avenge her father in the cold winter, but there is a real thing, when I was 14 years old, a coward named Tom Chaney shot my father and stole everything from him, his horse and two California gold coins. The image of the weak Marty comes into view, and the picture of the times unfolds.
In the face of her father's body, Marty's haggling conversation with the funeral homemaker shows her determined, brave and unhurried personality, paving the way for the subsequent plot.
Man: That's him?
Marty: That's my father.
Man: It doesn't matter if you want to kiss him.
Marty: Why is it so expensive?
Man: It's the cost of a fine coffin and embalming. It is very natural to make him very labor-intensive and time-consuming. The material is expensive, there are details on the bill, and it doesn't matter if you want to kiss him.
Marty: Thank you, he's gone. Your telegram says $50.
Man: You didn't say you were going to transport the body.
Mattie: I only have $60 and no money for accommodation... If I could spend the night here, I would accept the conditions.
The last words of the three prisoners who were immediately executed reflect the good hearts of the people in the 19th century, and the dialogue is full of tension and humor.
Criminal 1: Fathers and fellow countrymen listen well, teach your children to obey the law and don't fall into this fate like I love to drink.
I killed a man just to fight with a small knife, and if I had been taught well since I was a child, I would be with my wife and children today.
Criminal 2: I killed by mistake to get here, I will not be hanged if I kill the right person, there are people in the crowd who are worse than me.
Criminal 3: Before I was hanged, I wanted to say, though...
On the way to arrest Tom, Roster also chatted with Marty about the memories of single-handedly picking out seven people, as if the experience was vividly remembered, and the narrative was tense but legendary, and the side set off the image of a heroic and righteous character.
Rost: Once in New Mexico City, we were chased by seven people, and I turned my horse around, bit the reins, rushed at the guys, shot them with guns in both hands, and I guess they were all men who loved their families, so they all obediently rolled home.
Marty: It's hard to believe.
Rostreld: Really?
Marty: One person against seven people.
Rost: It's true, as long as he rushes towards a person, he doesn't have time to think about him and his partner, he only thinks about himself, how to dodge the oncoming death.
Marty: Why are they chasing you?
Rost: I robbed an underground money house, and I guess you can't rob the bad guys of their money, I haven't robbed the common people or stolen anything.
When Marty finally meets her father's enemy, she shows a calm and calm attitude, and this dialogue is also very comedic, which vividly shows Marty's righteous words of justice and Tom's cunning and cunning.
TOM: I know you, you're Marty, the librarian.
MARTY: I know you too, Tom Channie.
TOM: What are you doing here?
Marty: I came here to get water.
TOM: What did you do in the wilderness?
Marty: I don't have the formal authority, but on behalf of Sheriff Rost and Judge Pa, I'm going to take you back to Fort Smith.
Tom: I'm not going, you're not going to take me.
Mattie: There's a bunch of officers who will force you to go back.
TOM: Interesting, how many officers are there?
Mattie: About 50 of them, all of them have weapons. I want you to come over and come to me.
Tom: I think I'm going to have the officer chase me.
Marty: If you don't come, I'm going to shoot.
The above lines all show the psychological changes of the characters in the special period, which play a role in promoting the plot and point to the standards of good and evil that cause these phenomena. In the end, what is good and what is evil, I believe that everyone can experience different meanings in these dialogues.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > anti-traditional black humor and chiaroscuro style to present Cohen's poignant characters</h1>
The Coen brothers are not only outstanding representatives of American independent films, but also represent the rise and inheritance of film noir. In the film, the gloomy character close-ups, cynical black elements and cheerful narrative style, the bright and open long-range presentation not only highlight the depression and depth of the revenge theme, highlighting the pleasant atmosphere with a unique sense of comedy, the theme song of the film is also the classic confessional song in Christianity, "The Eternal Arm of Dependence", it seems that even if the revenge is successful, it cannot dissolve the loneliness of the heart.
Black humor is characterized by the absurdity of laughter and tears in the cynical attitude of the reality of cruelty, the form of comedy wrapped in a strong tragic element, often bringing about the struggle and wandering formed by the destruction of values, trying to examine the changes in the whole world with a self-deprecating attitude, the core of which is still the complex human nature that has gone through vicissitudes and the inexhaustible pain of the heart.
In the traditional concept, the western mounted police should be vigorous and fierce, they shoulder the heavy responsibility of upholding justice, and the image of tall and brave has become a typical brand that lingers on them. But in this film, Roster was tried in court when he first appeared, which is a typical Cohen-style heroism deconstruction, unlimited rights are often accompanied by corruption, while seeking justice, all acts must be subject to public supervision, from the lawyer's step-by-step to Roster's retreat, it is implied that Rost is not perfect, his motivation for pursuing criminals is no longer to punish the strong and help the weak, but to become a helpless act to support the family, and the hero's twilight in the Xiaoser environment coincides with the deep tone of the film noir. Reflect the inner state of the character gray.
The Texas Mounted Police Officer LaBeouf is reticent, contrasting with Roster's alcoholic, nagging personality, but with similarities: coveting huge bounties. He likes to brag about his glorious experience, but he seems helpless in the face of gangsters, and accidentally hits Rost, which is far from the legendary image of the mighty in the impression, "atypical" is the trait given to the character by the Coen brothers, building an impressive, real and vivid character imprint for the audience, facilitating the preparation and rendering of tragic elements.
Rost and LaBeouf are both policemen, with the same purpose, but because of the high bounty and form an internal competitive relationship, they constantly ridicule each other, such as the drunken Rost said that he can shoot a mosquito in the eye 90 yards away, but he can't even hit the bottle in front of him, on the pretext of saying "Chinese and sell me cheap bullets", LaBeouf sneered at him "I thought you would say that your eyes were blocked by sunlight". Lip service has become their daily communication method, and unlike the traditional heroes, who are sympathetic and enthusiastic, the indifference and estrangement between them can be seen everywhere, metaphorically referring to the indifferent interpersonal relationships and lack of empathy between modern Westerners.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > an innovative subversion of the western spirit, and the 14-year-old highlights the rise of feminism</h1>
The anti-traditional heroic dismantling method once again points the spearhead at the origin of the western spirit, which in the eyes of Americans is a warm memory, awe of conquest, calm indifference, intelligent courage, and sincere friendship. But in the hands of the Coen brothers, the chivalrous tenderness of hoeing the strong and supporting the weak is refracted from the perspective of a 14-year-old girl, which is less emotional and righteous, and has a touch of worldly coldness and humanity, subverting the western spirit in traditional movies.
In Once Upon a Time in the West directed by Sergio Leone, the ubiquitous element of violence stimulates the senses of the audience, with Frank, played by Henry Fonda, dying in a showdown with the Lone Ranger, heralding the end of an era; in Clint Eastwood's "Enforcer of the West," José Wells is devastated by outcasts, joining the Southern guerrillas to protect his native people, unwilling to be conquered and domesticated, forced to wander the road; in Robert Downey's "The Mexican's Palace," Wandering became an inevitability, and it seemed that cowboys should go around making a home and doing justice. In "Doc" starring Fei Donnevi, the gambler Holliday is caught up in the vortex of political campaigns and caught up in the civil war of family strife; in John Huston's "The Judge of Death", Roy's act of punishing evil and promoting good is not only not punished with capital punishment, but becomes the new enforcer of the town, telling the humorous story of the regime out of the barrel of a gun.
All five of the films are Western films of the 1970s, with typical gore elements and spoof-style comedic plots, all of which share a common spiritual essence despite their different styles: typical heroic plots and a relentless pursuit of liberalism. This universal value then continued to appear in Westerns, and it was from these five films that the Coen brothers drew inspiration from these five films to complete the filming of this film.
The Coen brothers' unconventional independent film spirit not only chooses to inherit, but also adheres to the breakthroughs and innovations that have been tried since the film. Instead of starting and ending with a Rostree perspective like the 1969 version of Earth Thunder, they adopted the original framework of Marty's opening and ending, illustrating distinctive heroism from the perspective of a 14-year-old girl.
In traditional Westerns, there is basically no status of women, and women can only act as "playthings" or "appendages" of men, but the Coen brothers subversively make women independent and strong, in order to blur the traditional sense of heroic morality. Marty has no concessions in the face of his father's enemy Tom, and his brave character has impressed the audience and is also a metaphor for the promotion of women's status, which corresponds to the proper meaning of this "ture grit".
At the end of the film, Marty not only slashed the enemy, but also lost half of her arm due to being bitten by a poisonous snake, but she has always been optimistic and positive to deal with, traditional Western films often choose a happy ending of the reunion, but when Marty went to rost many years later, he learned that three days ago he died of "fever" due to unaccustomed to hot weather, the hero finally died, Roster did not die in the usual personal heroism, and died in a peaceful and peaceful life, the coen brothers' black humor is full of charm, Provoking. "Earth Thunder" dissipates in the dusky sunset with Marty's narration that "time has flowed away", and Marty's firm steps herald the rise and development of women's independent spirit.
The Westerns not only have the traditional impression of the ancient road west wind skinny horse, but also the Coen brothers' black humor and poignant beauty.