"The Extraordinary Road": When you feel sad, go to see the sea

Jazmin 2022-06-26 21:34:11

(Written by Zhining on August 4, 2015)
On this blue planet, the sea that accommodates hundreds of rivers seems to have a special power of comfort and healing. Shuji Terayama, who has many literary and artistic identities, once said: "The feeling of sadness is the When you're alone, go see the sea. When you're alone, go see the sea." The American film "The Road Within" was adapted from the 2010 German film "Vincent Wants to Sea". ”, which shows that this is a road film with the purpose of watching the sea as the travel destination and the purpose of healing.
The overall structure of the film is exquisite, the narration is simple and smooth, the primary and secondary clues are clear and clear, the characters are shaped and interesting, and the film is also a relatively special road film, which is significantly different from other films of the same type. The protagonists are extraordinary - three young men who are not normal in the eyes of ordinary people, Vincent with Tourette syndrome (common symptoms: frequent motor tics and twitching of the vocal cords), a severe Alex, who suffers from severe anorexia, and Mary, who suffers from severe anorexia, escaped from the treatment center and set off to the beach due to coincidence and various reasons. Comedy effect.
Normal people will encounter all kinds of things during their travels, and conflicts and frictions are inevitable, not to mention three young people with diseases who slipped out of the treatment center. Although "if you decide to go, then the hardest part of the journey is over", but for Vincent and his friends, the decision to go is the easiest part of the journey, they just travel by accident, lack of geographical knowledge. Understand, there is only one intention to go to the beach, and worst of all, not long after the three were out in the stolen doctor's car, Vincent's strong dad stopped his credit card...
However, like Most journeys will bring more or less insight and help to the experiencers. In this escape journey full of situations, problems and stumblings, three mentally or neurologically "critically ill" people gradually learned A little self-healing and mutual help, and trying to build a relatively harmonious relationship, which may seem a bit idealistic, is presented naturally in such a film, which is receptive and receptive to a good audience.
Unlike many films about the life of a patient, which are either tragic, sensational or hypocritical, the tone of "Ordinary Road" is relaxed, the style is more pleasant, the entangled psychology, disputes and encounters are mostly It is presented in a slightly exaggerated and amusing way. Among them, Alex, played by Dev Patel, who has an extreme cleanliness seems to adjust the atmosphere and rhythm of the film. Of course, the audience is also deeply sympathetic to his situation, even more so. It is gratifying that he can finally bravely overcome the psychological barrier and gain mutual trust and friendship with his friends.
Compared with the relatively simple Alex, Vincent and Mary are much more complicated, especially Vincent, who has recently entered the treatment center, the symptoms that he often attacks and the strange words he speaks uncontrollably during the attack. Or the strange actions made seem to represent a rebellious rebellious to the extreme. In Vincent's heart, the cause of his parents' divorce in the early years was due to his sudden illness. After his mother died, Vincent, who was not on good terms with his father and his family, was sent to the treatment center. The scar of exile was carved in Te's heart, and the photo of his mother smiling at the sea became the incentive for Vincent to want to see the sea. In fact, this is a signal that this young man urgently needs to pursue the warmth of the past and regain the comfort of his family.
The film is also comforting, it clearly shows that growing up is not just for children to do, sometimes it is more important for parents to have a mature mentality. Usually, finding out that a child suffers from a disease or defect is a disaster for a family. The proud hearts of parents have to suffer the blows of despair and pain over and over again, making frustrated parents, even heartbroken, unhappy. Ashamed parents, how to get along with such children is an important topic in itself. In the secondary clues of the film, the seemingly indifferent and grumpy father who is desperately looking for his child also gains spiritual comfort and growth, and the desperate and strong adult also has a chance to breathe and an outlet to vent. It can be seen as a kind of equal humanistic care.
The sea is still the sea, the wind is still the wind, the sky above the sky is still the sky, and the road ahead is still the road. A trip to the beach is just a small stop on the way to understanding and integration, and it is also a sustenance on the way to more understanding. After all, most people do not want their world to become smaller and smaller. Yoshida Yoshige said: "Although the world is full of disorder, people can still survive well. This is the true state of human beings." order, but still a necessary and extraordinary journey.
(magazine appointment)

View more about The Road Within reviews

Extended Reading

The Road Within quotes

  • Dr. Mia Rose: How in god's name do you know how to do this anyway?

    Robert: Hmmm, let's just say I wasn't always a politician.

    Dr. Mia Rose: Huh!

    Robert: What?

    Dr. Mia Rose: Maybe the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

  • Robert: [Just after saving the car crash] Are you alright?

    Dr. Mia Rose: No. You?

    Robert: No.

    Dr. Mia Rose: Might I suggest that we stop at a hotel for a few hours?

    Robert: Excellent idea.