The African "boy scouts" reflected in " Blood Diamond ", " Hotel Rwanda ", " War Dance " and other films have appeared again, only this time they have become the real protagonists, and the director with a background in documentary work almost Made it into a documentary. When the children of high and low grades shot with Kalashnikov assault rifles and brutally killed people, we were shocked by the madness and unreasonableness of this world, but this is their life, crazy like a mad dog.
Living in a peaceful environment, it is almost difficult for us to understand the tribal hatred and barbaric thinking reflected in the film. From the arrogant arrogance and barbaric behavior of the young soldiers, we see madness and helplessness. The chaotic team, miscellaneous clothes, and they were holding guns that were almost as long as their height. No matter how they looked at it, they looked like a rabble. However, it was this gang of "rabble" who alternately covered the charge, countered sniper shooting and other tactics. , it is hard to believe that this is the behavior of a group of children.
When they lose control, when they have guns in their hands, when they find out that guns can take other people's lives, when they find out that guns can force others to obey them and do whatever they tell them to do, human nature is at its worst On the one hand, they were exposed with impunity. They robbed, shot, and even raped women who were much taller than them.
Johnny "Mad Dog" is the little leader of one of these teams. He claims to have been fighting and killing people since he was 10 years old. He talks about it with a sense of accomplishment and pride, and his gun in his hand allows him to do whatever he wants. want to do. In such a life, he became as manic as a mad dog, biting almost anyone he saw. His minion "No Good Ideas" is almost a crazy guy too, although he looks even younger than "Mad Dog" Johnny, and we only get a vague sense of him when he perseveres and carries a pig as a trophy There is still childishness hidden in him. While they are arrogantly fighting the so-called just war , the real profit grabbers behind them are snickering sinisterly and smugly, while these "warriors" are arguing over a pig. When "Mad Dog" wants a little lust to warm his cold heart from seeing too much death and blood, his life out of control gives him no choice, when his "woman" falls under his own gun , he finally shed tears, but it was too late.
Let's talk about the structure of the film itself. In addition to the main plot line of "Mad Dog" Johnny, the director also arranged a plot development line such as a girl whose father died tragically because of a rebellion, Rao Cole, who is looking for her lost brother. The two main lines advance almost in parallel, occasionally crossing each other. a bit. The director probably wanted to use a girl's perspective to interpret the inner world of "Mad Dog" and witness the madness. However, because the time between the two lines was too short and too short, and the dramatic conflict was not enough, we could see nothing but the brutal killing in the picture. , the inner world of the characters who can hardly feel too much. Another regret is that the director did not arrange for the conflict between "Mad Dog" and his team and the government army, but only weakly explained the dispute between "Mad Dog" and the peacekeepers. As one of the many child soldiers produced in the African environment, it is inevitable that there will be a war with the government army. It is conceivable that the ending will be cruel. It is precisely because of the lack of such conflicts that the film is It looks a little petty and lacks a stronger impact, both visually and spiritually.
What needs to be emphasized are the three little actors who played "Mad Dog", "No Good Idea" and "Butterfly". They were arrogant and ruthless.
AIDS, civil war, coups, hunger and poverty have long been almost synonymous with Africa. Due to the complex ethnic relations and the influence of the colonial rule of Western powers, civil wars have been frequent in many African countries and people's livelihood has been difficult. Pulling a group of people at random will dare to challenge the government with a few guns. The government army is often helpless. This is a unique phenomenon in Africa. The directors of the so-called democratic world in the West often use a sympathetic and condescending attitude to record the sufferings of Africa in film language, and then use it to win awards or something. It has become a habit and a shortcut. But miserable Africa remains miserable, and rebels and government forces remain common words in world news.
Exactly: the elegant West is still elegant, the crazy Africa is even crazier.
"Johnny Mad Dog" Could Have Another Way Small Farmers Posted: 2010-02-05 09:23
The Cannes International Film Festival awarded "Johnny Mad Dog" the most promising section titled "A Concern." A good summary text hides the embarrassment that is easily exposed between recording and re-creation. Here, don't talk about a visual feast, and don't expect it to be a super awesome story meeting. Knowing that there is such a thing is over. It seems that the slogan "call for peace, oppose war" can only be shouted, and if the voice is weak, it must continue to be shouted, children and grandchildren.
15-year-old Johnny, nicknamed Mad Dog, lives in a poor and backward African country, and has fought with guns since he was 10 years old. At the beginning of the film, he is already a small leader in the rebel infantry regiment. This group of children did not belong to the regular army, but it was easy to instill violence as a belief in ignorant children.
By overthrowing the ruling government and giving the people a banner of justice for a new life, the Baby Corps murdered, robbed, raped, and committed all kinds of evil. Hunt and shoot supporters of the old government everywhere, nothing they dare to do if they want to. But it is always a tool, a shield used by the rebels to protect themselves, a machine used for wanton killing, like a death squad, rushing up, if you can live, you can live, being a deserter is a dead end, their glorious mission is to become a waste of the rebels High-quality weapon after use.
This group of kids has one thing in common, crazy. Killing like crazy, screaming like crazy, doing like crazy. And for me, the biggest impact came from their unconscious perverted psychology.
Bang, bang, a few shots, and a small car grabbed it. Drag the dead person out of the car, get into the blood-splattered car, and drive into the city as leisurely as a tourist bus. Then I thought that the blood splattered on the windows was luckily ketchup or paint.
An adult woman in her 30s and 40s was gang-raped, and an old couple was ordered to strip naked and humiliated in public. This was considered a light sentence after giving alms. Not to mention the handicapped without arms and legs, even normal people with quick hands and feet can't escape bad luck. As long as they don't get shot, they are lucky.
In the film, there is another boy besides Johnny, who really can't stand his hissing. A fully fired submachine gun, the hand that pulls the trigger will always run faster than the head on the neck. He stole a pig from an old man and carried it anytime, anywhere. Johnny wanted to slaughter the pig to feed his subordinates, but he felt "pity" and refused to agree. I thought his soul was enlightened and he knew how to cherish life, even though it was just a pig. Still Johnny knew his own people, he just wanted to keep the whole pig as personal property.
Speaking of this film, we must mention the sub-line. A little girl in pink clothes, she is an angel deliberately arranged by the director. Going through the pain of losing a loved one and walking alone on a street full of bullets, I still have hope. When bathing the little girl who was also an orphan, her smile was so beautiful.
I would like to believe in one precious thing, knowledge, which gives girls endless strength and courage. As for the confession she made to God and her father in the cemetery, it can only be said that the reality is so cruel, and the Bible can't save the innocent life under the gun.
The Baby Corps was about to withdraw from the stage after all, and the rebels overthrew the government, but the Baby Soldiers only got a few dog-training roars.
The right to talk is to humiliate oneself, and the mad dog can only bark. After the war, Johnny accepted all this, the colonel's dream became a bubble, and the baby army could only wait for another rebellion.
Johnny's life is not over. But this is the best, and in the end the gun fell into the hands of the little girl, and the girl's insubordination was a wonderful accident.