Chapter 1311

When Michael Phillips arrived at the coffee shop, it was almost midnight, but the coffee shop was still crowded with customers, and it didn't mean dead of night.

We can accurately capture the figures of several peers in our line of sight. However, more of them are the new generation of film critics - or journalists - of new media and we media. Because on top of we media, they can no longer strictly distinguish the responsibilities of journalists and film critics. One person can have multiple responsibilities, even the work of a photographer.

The outline of each figure is similar, slightly bent over, typing on the computer keyboard quickly, rushing to rush the manuscript. The sandwiches on the table lie alone on the plate and never move at all; But the coffee cup has bottomed out. I don't know how many times this is the result of refilling.

Michael was not in a hurry.

Sitting down and listening to the jazz music flowing in my ears, I always feel that something is not right in my mind, but I can't tell why. Until the cafe began to play fresh and moving folk songs, I finally realized the lack of inspiration. This is the missing piece of jigsaw puzzle.

"Do you remember the beginning of the dream?"

Michael's fingers hit the first line on the computer keyboard, scanned it over and over again, and finally changed a word, which gently expressed his satisfaction.

"Do you remember the beginning of life?"

This is the final title. Michael started to work quickly. His long lost enthusiasm flowed rapidly in his blood vessels, and his inspiration came out continuously. This kind of passionate feeling is so real and accurate, which is exactly the most precious essence of the film festival.

"Drunken ballad", the latest film directed by Joel Cohen and Ethan Cohen, tells a very simple story about the week-long life of ballad singer Levine Davis. There is no drama, no turning point and no suspense. It is an ordinary daily life story.

Without the powerful cast of "land thunder" or "no country for old people" and complicated story clues, this is perhaps the simplest of all the works of the Cohen brothers. But just like Levine's music in the movie, it comes from the heart and reflects the clarity and complexity of the soul. This may be the best of all the works of the Cohen brothers. "

Although the words are cautious and plain, Michael is not stingy of his praise and affirmation, and clearly shows his position at the beginning.

"Following the film lens, the audience returned to the early 1960s, when Bob Dylan had not yet risen and folk songs had not yet been boiling. All eyes were focused on Levine Davis.

He is a failure.

He lives in no fixed place, wandering in the ice and snow of New York, constantly running around, borrowing his friends' sofas everywhere; He worked hard to create music, hoping to become an artist, but in the end he was regarded as a clown entertaining the public; He took advantage of living in a friend's home, but had a head and tail with his friend's wife, and even got into trouble, so that he had to participate in the commercial chorus that he despised.

In order to pursue his music dream, he gave up a relatively stable life and was unwilling to put down his airs in the face of his sister and father; He is eager to find his own place in the wave of folk songs, but he always sees other singers with critical eyes; He went all the way to Chicago for an interview, but a bucket of cold water poured down and left in a mess.

He is a failure.

In just a few days, he didn't finish a thing, and even couldn't give up. After venting his anger, he finally dropped his head in tears and laughter, and finally returned to the original place. Nothing has changed, but everything has changed.

In the face of such a life, how many people are willing to stick to it, or how many people can stick to it? Even people begin to wonder what they are insisting on?

So what is Levine sticking to?

This is the proposition of the whole film, and it is also the proposition left to the audience after the end of the film. It is also the proposition that makes the film different.

There is no doubt that Levine has musical talent, good or bad, high or low, but it is talent after all.

The commercial songs he sang with his friends were a great success, but he chose to give up the copyright, not only because he was in urgent need of cash, but also because he was full of disdain and disdain for the songs catering to the public.

He refuses to let music become a tool leading to success and fame, and refuses to let music materialize into goods or objects. For him, music is music after all, which is the melody and words from the heart and soul, which is the artistic creation carrying the weight and color of life, which is to escape from reality and embrace the beautiful golden sunshine, which is the most real self.

This is not only his persistence, but also his stubbornness.

Music to him is a fragment of the soul.

Music is the same for this movie.

For music movies and song and dance movies, the most taboo is to become a cheap and boring music video, but obviously, the Cohen brothers are not among them. Cohen brothers' skillful use of music and performance successfully made melody and singing the most important part of Levine Davis' role.

The song "green green rocky road" records the freshness and randomness of road travel; "The death of Queen Jane" carries his deep love for his lover and children.

The song "the shoals of herring" tells about his memory and memory of his father; The song "500 miles" tells about the conflict between dream and reality, and the sadness of being far away from home.

In addition, a song of "waving goodbye" witnessed the beginning and end of the dream.

Every melody, every lyric, every singing, gently and heartbroken, carries the weight of Levine's soul, tells the story of Levine, which is from the feeling of life, but also from the power of pain, truly let every audience witness his persistence, read his persistence, understand his persistence.

Quietly listening to Levine's every performance, the weight of the film is rolling down little by little.

Music and creation consume all his enthusiasm and hope, but he can't find any support and outlet. In the ice and snow of reality, it's like stepping on a shoe in the snow. It's wet, sticky and heavy, but he can't get rid of it all the time. He is hobbling and struggling, and the golden sunshine disappears bit by bit.

He's sticking to it, but he won't stick to it for long, because he can't see commercial value in his persistence. "

When writing here, Michael's eyes suddenly wet up, his mind can not help but recall the last scene of the film——

Levine sat down at the entrance of the alley, full of scars and embarrassment. He didn't even have a winter coat. With a touch of bitterness and relief in his eyes, he whispered "goodbye", but he couldn't tell whether it was goodbye to the audience, to the dream, to life or to music.

The surging emotion was so intense and turbulent that the flame in my chest began to burn.

"In the movie, the Cohen brothers didn't give an answer: whether Levine can continue to hold on.

They created a dilemma. After a big circle, Levine finally came back to where he was

He can choose to stick to it and stay around in Greenwich Village; He can choose to give up, return to his old career, and return to a stable and regular life like countless ordinary people; He can also choose to say goodbye, leave New York and embark on a new journey alone. Maybe, there are other options.

But the final choice is left to the audience.

Are you willing to stick to it?

What's more, do you remember the beginning of your dream? Do you remember the future you first described? Do you remember the initial source of your inner passion? Do you remember when you chose to give up? Do you still remember what you are sticking to in your life?

Do you remember the beginning of your life?

When reality begins to wear away our edges and corners, when life begins to destroy our enthusiasm, is that heart still beating? When there is no way out and no choice, giving up seems to be the only possibility. How many people are willing to continue to persevere foolishly and stubbornly, waiting for a hopeless dream?

’The so-called maturity of many people is just that they have been sharpened by customs and become sophisticated and practical. It is not maturity, but premature decline of spirit and premature death of personality. True maturity should be the formation of unique personality, the discovery of true self, the spiritual result and harvest

This is true of ballads, movies and life.

This is perhaps the most ambitious work of the Cohen brothers. The whole story revolves around Levine; But the spiritual core is on the contrary, presenting the magnificent picture of the whole era with the most ambitious attitude. It is a folk story belonging to the 1960s, a film story belonging to the 21st century, and an art story belonging to the whole era.

In the cruel reality, how many people are still choosing to insist, and how many people are ready to give up? "

All the emotions and thoughts were recorded in one fell swoop. The surging enthusiasm was so strong that the fingertips began to tremble.

In a trance, Michael seems to go back to the afternoon when he first saw "et" on the big screen 30 years ago.

Michael picked up the coffee cup carefully, but he didn't rush to drink it. He just put it to his mouth and quietly felt the bitter and mellow smell lingering under his nose, just like the smell in the air of Greenwich Village in the 1960s.