Author: Fang Hanjun
Ken Lodge's "Children and Eagles", "Mother with Broken Wings", "My Name is Joe", "Bread and Roses" and "The Wind Blows the Wheat Waves" are all well-known masterpieces. The famous British director Mike Lee is a master at shooting realistic themes. It just means that Ken Lodge is more destined to deconstruct at the social level, which is straightforward, realistic and stern, while Mike Lee focuses more on the analysis at the level of family relationships, which is delicate and joyful.
Of course, Ken Loach's films also have a kind of incredulous taste, but it is by no means a sense of joy, but a helpless cold humor. Like his "I Am Black" (also translated as "I, Don't Bend Your Head" in 2016), Black was confused by the cumbersome application process for unemployment benefits. The words in my heart aroused the happy echoes of passers-by, which seemed to be amused, but actually contained endless sadness.
Indeed, the voice over the title appears at the same time, it feels like watching an Abbas movie. Daniel Black, 59, has been a carpenter all his life. According to his words, he can do any hands-on work. But for such meticulous work as a computer, he could only be stunned. But doctors diagnosed him with a heart attack and could no longer work, and advised him to install a pacemaker. This left him with no choice but to apply for Social Security unemployment benefits. With his good carpentry skills and hard work, if it weren't for the risk of illness, he would never have bowed his head to apply for unemployment benefits.
But this money is not easy to get. Blake used the computer to check in, and it was so frustrating for him. Even if he made a phone call for consultation, he had to wait 1 hour and 48 minutes, which made him grow hairy and coldly "please wait patiently", which was inefficient at all. What's worse is that during the application process, the outsourced medical examiner is always in a difficult situation and always avoids the major problems. He is required to attend re-employment training courses and interview for jobs, and he needs to complete 35 hours of work per week before he is eligible to apply. The problem is, if he's in good shape, he won't have to come and file for unemployment benefits over and over again. It is useless for him to explain to the other party.
The film goes to great lengths to present the dilemma of his bid process. This kind of direct film approach is commonplace for Ken Lodge. This is how "The Child and the Eagle" was shot nearly 50 years ago. The Chinese elements involved in the film "I Am Black" are also quite intriguing. One is Black's black neighbor. Because the young man worked in Guangzhou, he was called "China" (Chinese transliteration) by Black. Chaina asked a Chinese friend in Guangzhou to express fake brand-name sneakers to him, and claimed that they were produced by the same manufacturer that produced the authentic ones. The authentic ones cost 180 euros, and the fake ones only cost 80 euros.
Of course, Chaina can only make a secret profit in the streets. During the video, Chaina talked about the Premier League with friends in Guangzhou. The Chinese people are very familiar with the Premier League, which is also intoxicating. Ken Lodge's integration of Chinese elements also conforms to the general economic trend, just as his "Bread and Roses" incorporates elements of illegal immigrants from Latin America, which is a wonderful blend in the international context.
In the process of running errands, Blake met Katie, a woman who also came to do errands. Katie left her ex-husband and left her young children alone. In order to avoid high property taxes, she took her children out of London to Newcastle. London's high property taxes can be described as notorious, repeatedly criticized by the media and the public. Like a light in the darkness, Katie was moved by Blair's voice for her. Come out together, even if they know each other, they will be close since then.
If the film is only Blake's appearance, it would be too thin. Then there is the most moving setting, and as a result, the superposition effect of the poor at the bottom has been deeply demonstrated. Blair did everything he could to help her family, repairing her humble home and appliances, and making cabinets. Anything he can think of that can be done, he will do his best. Katie's daughter, Daisy, was very sensible and called him "Dan", and he brought her the tapes that his deceased wife liked to listen to, all pop music from the 70s and 80s. Dan also tells stories to Dylan, who has ADHD, so he can sit quietly and do something. Although they were embarrassed, they were also full of joy by holding a group to keep warm.
But the hard life made Katie breathless, leaving delicious food for her children, but she opened the can of sardines privately in the "food bank" and fainted because of hunger. Without money, I stole from the mall and got caught. Fortunately, the boss opened the door, which made her ashamed. Ivan, the security guard of the mall, let her have something to find him. As a result, he made a phone call, but could only make a deal to sell hue.
The problem is that, inadvertently, Katie's prostitution message is seen by Blake, and his heart hurts. He pretended to be a guest and begged her not to do it, which made her feel ashamed, but she had to insist on continuing, and said that I don't want too much love from you, which made him feel as uncomfortable as a knife. The series of embarrassing dilemmas that Katie has experienced seems to be a bit too much, but in fact, after thinking about it, it is also the result of forced helplessness. A marginalized life is destined to be a marginalized life. This is a cramped and very bad choice.
In fact, they have always been just an ordinary relationship between friends, and there is nothing out of the ordinary. Blake's concern for his family is more compassion under fraternity. Since then, the former "Dan" is gone. He went there every day and kept complaining, and all he got was cold news. Walking alone on the lonely street, my heart is ashes, either old and nowhere to go, or forced to be a prostitute...
Under the bone-chilling cold, the hysteria of the spraying incident broke out. In his view, the government's inaction is undoubtedly equivalent to humiliating those of us who are lonely and helpless. This can be understood by the echo and support of the crowd on the street. The film has a reality regardless of country, which is thought-provoking.
After Blake was released by the police station, he huddled in the house every day. Katie has been uneasy. Her daughter, Daisy, knocked on the door, but didn't respond. The poor kid said, Dan, I've been here countless times, and my mom asks your forgiveness and wants you to come back. Finally, his figure shook. He was with them again, and decided to go hand in hand. Sadly, when the application was finalized, Blake collapsed in the office bathroom and suffered a heart attack, which made Katie devastated, she kept calling his name, but he did not wake up again. Come.
Cold reality, cold everything. In the end, at the farewell ceremony hosted by Katie, she read the appeal letter he hadn't come up with: I, don't bow your head!
The film makes good use of long-term perspective, highlighting the lonely and helpless feeling of being alone, which is impressive. I have always thought that realistic films use long-term perspectives, which is easier to construct the isometric distance between reality and people, and to explain the mysterious relationship in it. There is a detail in the film. When he was in the office hall, when he was tinkering with the computer, he couldn't even figure out the movement of the mouse and the cursor, and he tossed him repeatedly. And his frustrated mantra was always "Ah, God". The kind clerk reassured him that you need not be ashamed.
Yes, with such a complicated procedure, what should be ashamed of is a government that is inefficient and drags its feet. In today's globalized world, there are many bad habits of government social services, high above, and indifference to the people at the bottom, which has almost become a common problem in the global society. The film won the "Palm d'Or" at the 69th Cannes Film Festival. It is quite controversial. Maybe its artistic quality is a little bit inferior, but in terms of its deconstruction of reality and its interpretation of human nature, I think it is a matter of course and beyond reproach. Indeed, exposing the evils of the times, grief and compassion for life are the main theme of the film, and it is also the life theme of the 81-year-old director's film. It is precisely this that the film reminds the world and touches people's hearts.
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