"Manchester by the Sea" has been on Hollywood's "unelectable list" for two years, Matt Damon liked it very much after seeing it, and wanted to complete the film as a director himself, but because of the film schedule reasons turned to an investor, the film was directed by Kenneth Lorna, in 2017, as a small-budget literary film, it won the National Critics Award, the New York Film Critics Association Award and other awards.
The film has a soothing rhythm and a bland narrative, but it is very vivid and realistic, and through the experience of Li, a middle-aged building administrator, it tells the story of parents' responsibilities for the care of their children and how to reconcile themselves like mistakes. Manchester in the film is not the famous city in the United Kingdom, but is located in Massachusetts, the United States, 10 kilometers away from Los Angeles, this is where Lee lives, but because of an accident, Lee completely fled.
01, desperate man's life turned around, he still chose to flee
The film tells the story of Lee's complete "depravity" through flashbacks, he forgot to put the fireplace in the fire net when he went out to buy things late at night, causing the whole house to catch fire, three children were burned to death, his wife escaped, but he could not face Lee's mistakes and made the decision to divorce.
Lee left Manchester also because he could not face his own mistakes, he repaired the sink, toilet, changed the light bulb and throwed garbage in Boston, no matter what work he did, he was as lifeless as a walking dead, which was a world away from the image of a happy life before, he gave up his life and completely sank, he knew that this was not right, but he was powerless to change.
When his brother Joey died, he gave his son Patrick to him to raise, on the one hand, because his son needed to be taken care of, and on the other hand, Joey wanted his brother to wake up from his state of decay, which was actually a turning point in his life that Joey gave him.
In the pain of losing his son, Lee once wanted to get the support of his wife, and when he wanted to comfort and touch Randy, he was met with extreme resistance from Randy, which intensified his inner sense of loss, and gradually changed from a sunny and cheerful personality to a taciturn and silent personality, thus becoming afraid to take any responsibility.
Raising Patrick is the best way to overcome his inner fears, but Lee still chooses to escape, and when Patrick was a child, Lee and Joey took him out to sea, when Lee asked Parick " If you could only go to an island with one person, who would you choose?" Lee also particularly emphasized that "I can do anything, is the best candidate", the result of Pacrick did not hesitate to answer "father", for the child, fatherly love is what he can not replace, which hints at the next direction of the film, many years later the two have to rely on each other, life is sometimes like a joke from heaven.
02, with guilt, how to forget the past and face the future?
For most of the time, Lee has no emotional outpouring and dialogue, he is full of hostility to anyone, does not seem to admit his fate, but nothing has changed, every friend who has seen the movie should be able to feel the pain in his heart, but he has established a defense line in his heart and does not allow anyone to enter his heart.
When Randy meets Lee again, she has formed a new family and has children, at this time she can completely denounce Lee's fault, but when confronted by Lee, Randy apologizes, she should not be so selfish, this selfishness is understandable to everyone, Randy can not forgive the person is not so much Lee, but herself. From here, you can feel Randy's love for him, but as soon as he sees Lee, Randy will think about the past, and the best way to cut off the connection with the past is to change the environment.
Lee can't accept Randy's apology, does he really not accept it? For so many years, what he couldn't accept was to forgive himself. He could only feel his connection with his three children by curling up in a shell he had woven, and he felt guilty that he could only miss the children in this way, but this way was the most harmful.
Lee is completely immersed in an atmosphere of pain, he tries to create an illusion that he is unwilling to face a new life, and the question the film wants to discuss is which way is the best way to deal with mistakes? If Lee makes a decision not to change, it is possible that he will repeat this state forever until the end of his life.
Should we forgive our past mistakes? What is the point of immersing yourself in pain all your life? I believe that everyone has their own answer.
03, everyone is a lonely universe, facing the pain of life alone
Everyone's past makes the present and the future. Lee resists everything, chooses to drink and escape the way to face the pain of life alone, his brother gave him another chance, he gave up, there will be more such opportunities in the future, how should he choose?
Pa Creek grew up in a single-parent family, the departure of his father became a pain that he could never bear in adolescence, and his uncle did not give him any comfort at this time, he kept spending his days drinking, just to get rid of the pain in his heart, this state is not the epitome of his uncle's life?
In this process, the audience is actually full of expectations for Li, hoping that he can reinvigorate, meet a new life, and find a way to salvation, but the first step is to take a step out of his closed heart and try new changes.
In the accident, the police said to Lee, who was trying to commit suicide, "Look, Lee, you did a stupid thing last night, and others will be confused." We will not crucify you." This is clear about the main theme of the film: there will always be accidents in life, and when bad luck comes, the worst punishment is to ask for trouble.
epilogue:
"Manchester by the Sea" gives the audience a sense of powerlessness, a broken family and an individual struggling in pain, he wants to be saved, but he also wants to save others, but he hesitates and retreats again and again, and finally punishes himself. In the face of missing out, we can only better forget the past and face the future if we look forward and actively strive to embrace a new life.