"Million Dollar Baby" is the proud work of the famous director Clint Eastwood, which breaks the perception of traditional boxing movies and interprets a story between coaches and boxers in a new perspective. The film won four awards at the 77th Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor.
There are no handsome men and women in the movie, no fantasy special effects and sensational soundtrack, and even the characters who appear are few, but no one can deny its uniqueness and non-reproducibility. The film was shot in just 38 days and cost only $18 million, but it won a lot at the Oscars.
What exactly made this film a success? I think it breaks the thinking inertia of traditional boxing movies, it does not set up a clichéd ending that stands at the peak of life after experiencing struggle, but pursues the reflection on life, dignity and love after falling from glory.
While other films are teaching us how to succeed with mainstream values, this film does the opposite, telling us how to face failure, because as a human being, anyone can fail again after a lifetime of failure or success. How do we deal with the pain of not being able to reach a high place or the despair of falling from the top to the bottom? Do you choose to leave safely or continue to live? This topic has aroused people's deep thinking, so the film has aroused strong social repercussions and is well received by moviegoers.
Frankie's performance of Eastwood, who is also a director and a star, is suddenly presented, allowing the audience to see the infinite tenderness and complex contradictions hidden under the hard exterior. On the one hand, as a coach, although he is as eager to succeed as ever, the life creed of "protecting himself" has bound him. On the other hand, as a father, he loved his daughter deeply, but due to various unavoidable factors, his daughter could not accept him.
On the one hand, as a coach, he still sticks to his dreams, but he is trapped in the creed of "protecting himself"
Frankie is a boxing coach and boxing training ground manager who loves boxing and sticks to his dreams even when the training ground is not well run. He was the best coach and the best personal doctor, and he was able to stop the bleeding and help the boxers reach the top of glory no matter what kind of wounds he had. Frankie dug up the big man Willie and trained for eight years, but when the final key was to play the championship, Willie abandoned him, and he was instantly old.
While Frankie was working as a coaching assistant, boxer Eddie lost his right eye in his 109th game and was forced to terminate his boxing career, for which he always believed that he did not stop it in time, and fell into self-blame. So much so that in the subsequent coaching career, he was most concerned about the safety of boxers, and one of the most common words he said was: "The first rule of boxing is to protect yourself at any time." ”
Frankie went to church every week to ask questions about the priest, and his love and care were not accepted by those who cared, so he relied on church baptism and reading literature every day to fill the lack of inner world and place his soul that had no place to convert. Maggie's arrival surprised him, but he responded to her resolutely, of which Maggie's age was one thing, but for Maggie's personal safety was Frankie's original intention.
In my opinion, although Frankie still aspires to succeed, the creed of "protecting yourself" in the boxing ring has deeply bound him. Life and dreams mean a lot to him, but when he can't have both, he becomes confused and unable to make a choice. As a result, he has been unable to come out of the shadow of losing the last game of his career, and he is also afraid to let the boxers play challenging matches.
On the other hand, as a father, he loved his daughter deeply, but could not get her forgiveness
Frankie's obsession and dedication to the boxing career caused him to lose his precious affection, and his daughter alienated from him and left him. He wanted her forgiveness, but every week the letter he sent to her was returned as it was. In slow motion, the film presents a bleak picture in which Frankie picks up her daughter's untouched letter on the ground and puts it in a box. The pile of letters deeply touched the hearts of the audience, making people cry unconsciously.
When Maggie asked him to be coached, he began to refuse, but Maggie's perseverance touched him. When he was about to transfer Maggie to another manager, Maggie said, "Did you abandon me to another manager?" Only you can protect me..." The words struck Frankie's heart, highlighting his inner loneliness and chagrin as the camera pushed toward the empty, lonely training ground.
In the film, when recalling the neglect and abandonment of his daughter, deep self-blame once again surrounds Frankie, so he finally decides to accept Maggie. Maggie becomes a shadow of his daughter, and he does his best to lead Maggie to the success she desires, but at the same time, he often worries about Maggie's safety. He grew up with Maggie, from learning boxing to the chores of everyday life, from boxing to driving to meet Maggie's family.
Frankie took Maggie all over the United States and Europe, and in order to protect Maggie, he refused to let her meet with the defending champion Lan Xiong, because Lan Xiong always made shameless moves. Like he said, because Maggie was his mocuishle. But when Maggie was attacked and finally fell to the ground, unable to breathe on her own, amputated in a high position, and abandoned by the snobbish family, he euthanized Maggie in great pain, and he lost his "daughter" for the second time, losing the mocuishle in his heart (my dear, my flesh and blood).
Obviously, Frankie's character has a strong tragic color, contradictions, loneliness and self-blame have always surrounded him, but his insistence on hope has never wavered. Maggie makes up for the lack of warmth in Frankie's family, and Frankie also gives Maggie the fatherly love of Losing her father, becoming a leader and protector of her growth process.
Faced with Maggie's choice of dignity and death to end her life, Frankie tries to catch her but has no choice but is taken away by fate after a brief taste of the hope and beauty of life. At this point, boxing makes the audience feel the excitement at the same time, but also feel the sorrow brought by the unknown fate. In fact, just as Frankie's psychology is full of contradictions, in the long river of human growth, each of us will encounter various tributaries, and how to make the right choice is a thought-provoking topic.
Due to the early death of her father, the tempering of her early life has created Maggie's tenacious character, and in Maggie's world, only continuous efforts are the biggest goal of her life. She not only persuaded Frankie, but also shined on the field that followed. When her life fell from the peak to the bottom again, the film successfully resonated with the audience, causing people to reflect on the meaning of life, love and dreams, dignity and other issues.
(1) Although born from a humble background, he believes that everyone has the right to pursue their dreams
Maggie was born into a poor mountain family, her father died at an early age, her mother lived on broadcast money, her brother went to prison, and her sister became pregnant before she was married, and no one cared or cared. For many years, she lived as a waiter in a restaurant on the basis of tips and scraps from customers.
She came silently to Frankie and insisted on stepping into the world of boxing. Although she is 31 years old, although she has passed the best training period, she said in response to Frankie's refusal: "Since I was 13 years old, I have been a waitress, and I have been doing it ever since. Boxing is the only joy and hope in my life. And now, you stop me from training, and my whole life is hopeless! ”
Although boxing is the fastest way for a poor girl to get rich, she insists on boxing, not only for a living, but also to fulfill her dreams, after all, boxing is the only thing she likes. Despite her humble origins and poor living, Maggie still believes that everyone has a chance and that everyone has the right to pursue their dreams, and it is her perseverance that makes her finally succeed in convincing Frankie.
(2) Maggie's blood, struggle and perseverance have brought her glory but still have not won the respect of her family
Maggie's victories allow the audience to see the beauty of life that they want to see, and the relationship between her and Frankie also reflects the beauty of human nature. The two are not father and daughter but are like father and daughter, and both sides have found the warmth and sense of belonging to each other.
However, the plot of the film soon takes a sharp turn for the worse. Maggie's first thought when she used her blood and sweat to win a lot of competition prize money was to contribute to the improvement of her family's life, so she followed the advice of her coach and bought a house, and after giving the house to her mother, she was reprimanded that she might lose government subsidies for it.
Maggie's status was dispensable in the hearts of her family, no one cared about her, and no one asked her how much hardship she had worked. From the moment her mother scolded her, the feeling of being slighted and spurned returned to Maggie's heart. No matter what she did, she couldn't change the fact that she was ignored and rejected by her family.
Maggie once thought that she could gain dignity through her own efforts, but in fact, she was still so insignificant in front of her family. In my opinion, whether it is coach Frankie or Maggie's family, only the brilliance or darkness of these human beings is the main meaning of this movie, and those bloody battles and passions are only appendages of this movie.
(3) Maggie's life is like a dry dry land that celebrates spring rains, blossoms, but is quickly destroyed
When Maggie was about to receive the Gold Belt of boxing, she forgot Frankie's admonition to "protect herself at all times". The moment she lowered her hands and turned around, her fate was reversed, the sinister attack of her rival Lan Xiong completely broke her spine, and Maggie fell down in flowers and applause, unable to stand up again. From the film's dull tones and lonely music, we can feel the director's deliberate arrangement. Maggie's accident deeply stung the hearts of each audience, and also highlighted the impermanence and uncontrollability of life.
After Maggie was injured, she lay in the ambulance and smiled and comforted Frankie and said, "Look, we agreed to fly and drive back." When she lay in her hospital bed and endured pain and loneliness, sitting at the window every day expecting her mother and family to visit, when she had suffered physical trauma due to her long inability to move, she did not stifle her hope for life, until her family shattered her dignity and heart again and again.
Maggie's concern for her family did not exchange for the same treatment as them, everyone would only ask her for living expenses, never giving Maggie real care, but more of a blow and irony. Even as Maggie was paralyzed in bed, her family was arguing over her inheritance. Even when the paraplegic Maggie was unable to write, her family forced her to sign the suicide note with a pen in her mouth.
To that end, she said to Frankie, "I've tasted success, and that moment the audience shouted my name, the name you gave me. I struggled to come into this world and now I'm struggling to leave. Please, I don't want them to take little by little from me what I have. ”
At this point, Maggie fell from the peak of her life to the lowest point, paralyzed, she could not get the love of the audience under the boxing ring, but also realized that it was impossible to harvest the love given by her family. Maggie, once a million-dollar baby, can only die for dignity, because the most precious thing in her heart that she wants to cling to has passed away with the wind. Maggie's curtain falls like Yeats's poem in the movie says, "I'm going to get up and go, so there's peace." ”
The entire film takes a unique perspective, with Eddie, a silent one-eyed old black man, telling the story in a magnetic voice in light and shadow. Eddie in the first half of the film appears as a handyman in the boxing ring, who does not seem to be too involved in the boxing world, but knows everyone's life very well. He likes people like Maggie who chases his dreams like his own, and even the mentally handicapped young Tangier is the object of Eddie's silent care.
First, Eddie, the one-eyed old black man, was once an invincible boxer
The blind old black Eddie, who was also an invincible boxer in his youth, lost an eye in the bloody 15th round of the 109th game. This made Frankie, who was then a coaching assistant, constantly condemn himself, so that since then, Frankie trainers have repeatedly emphasized "protecting yourself at all times", and it seems self-evident which is more important, life and dignity.
The accident ruined his boxing career and opened up his deeper friendship with Frankie. Eddie does simple work in the training gym, but can still communicate with Frankie, who cares about Frankie but respects his choices more. Because Frankie was trapped in Eddie's accident, he was too conservative and no longer dared to arrange boxers to participate in important events. After he loses willie, a boxer who has been training for 8 years, Eddie helps him discover Maggie.
He taught Maggie behind Frankie's back, but did not reveal his true identity. When the mentally handicapped youth repeatedly fantasized that he could dominate the boxing world and defeat those retired boxers, he did not break this fact, but encouraged him to exercise well again and again. It can be seen that although he has also fought and scenery in the boxing ring, Eddie has not only hot blood, but also a gentle and humble heart.
Second, Eddie has the strength and wisdom but is not proud nor abusive, encouraging young people to pursue their dreams
Eddie looked calm and composed, and usually only helped others to do some chores and the like, but he treated everyone as if he were taking care of himself, even the mentally handicapped young Tangier was no exception. He loves people like Maggie who chases dreams, and he thinks that such Maggie is like his own madness for chasing dreams, so he helps Frankie find Maggie and recommends him.
Although Eddie lost an eye in his 109th boxing match, he never regretted playing in that match. Under his calm appearance, there is a heart that chases dreams. To this end, he is very enthusiastic, he not only helps to open Frankie's boxing gym, he also inspires every young person to pursue their dreams. Because Tangier was bullied and overwhelmed, Eddie even ended up playing a "game" for him.
Justice, softness, humility and forbearance are synonymous with Eddie, and his deep voice and vicissitudes of his gaze are full of understanding and understanding. The director's setting up such a character who is completely opposite to the image of the boxer who is dark and rude and immoral and benevolent highlights that Eddie has strength and wisdom but is not proud nor abusive. Eddie seems to be a bystander among all sentient beings, he looks at everything around him and tells everything, although he does not participate too much, he is also deeply concerned about their lives.
In my opinion, this is exactly the connotation of the story that the film wants to express - even if you are injured, you will not stop chasing your dreams. In order to dream, Eddie has gone through vicissitudes, but he has always maintained a positive mental state. He unreservedly helps everyone who chases their dreams and opens a guiding light for the cause of their dreams. As the American poet Langston Hughes wrote in Negroes On rivers: My soul became as deep as a river.
In my opinion, the success and greatness of "Million Dollar Baby" lies not only in the reflection on human nature, but also in its interpretation of friendship and love, leaving the audience with thinking about life, dignity and love. It breaks the conventional routine of traditional boxing movies, tells the growth process of a female boxer with a new perspective, and the brilliance of humanity emitted in the collision of Frankie, Maggie and Eddie triggers the audience to think deeply about the pursuit of the value of life.
This is a wonderful movie, and the beauty lies in the fact that it always makes people feel a vague pain in their hearts, which cannot be discharged, but it is deeply fascinating. In the film, Eddie once said: Boxing is an unnatural sport, its movements are usually the opposite, in order to make a heavy punch, you have to take a step back. But if you keep backing, you're out of the game. Isn't that what life is all about?