Who is Dave Van Ronk? He is the prototype of the protagonist Llewyn Davis in the new work "The Folk Songs of the Drunken Country" by the Coen Brothers. He is also the pioneer of American folk songs in the 1950s and 1960s. He is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Of course, these are far less famous than his other identity. He is Bob Dylan's guitar teacher. To put it simply, Dave Van Ronk is the Yip Man in the American folk music industry. His life was ups and downs during his life, and he regained his glory years later with his film works.
The movie "Drunk Country Folk Songs" selects a week in the life of Llewyn Davis, and observes his wandering struggles with a line drawing method: he rushed from one friend’s sofa to another friend’s sofa to stay overnight; he slept with his friend’s wife and got up. Other people's stomachs didn't know how to respond; he was ridiculed by his sister and sympathized by friends, and finally decided to take a ride on a snowy night and head to Chicago in an attempt to save his music career for the last time. What connects all of this is one after another beautiful, warm and sad guitar ballads.
A numb and old agent, a father who has lost language function, a ignorant musical teenager, a punk driver with a secret... Surrounding Llewyn Davis, the Coen brothers seem to be careless, but in fact they are meticulously sculpting the group portraits of the golden age of folk songs, just like As they said, "The Folk Songs of Drunken Country" is not just a biography of a singer, but a memory of an era. In my opinion, the most interesting character in the movie is the brown kitten who meets unexpectedly and leaves without saying goodbye. It comes and goes, sharply and ruthlessly teasing Llewyn Davis' entanglement.
For other directors, the theme of "Drunk Country Folk Songs" will inevitably be reduced to an inspirational little freshness, but the Coen brothers always have a way to use their unique black humor and invigorating foul language to agitate and dilute their sorrow. But for the fans of the Coen brothers, this is a rare opportunity to spy on the delicacy and sensitivity of the brothers. It is because they have wrapped their usual irony so softly that "Drunk Country Folk Song" presents a psychedelic temperament that is both strong and clear, both humorous and bitter. A Cannes Jury Prize is the most appropriate evaluation of the Coen brothers' work "lack of ambition, but pure emotion".
The story of "Drunk Country Folk Songs" is actually very easy for people to win the Oscar for Best Documentary "Looking for the Sugar Man". The protagonist of that story is American Detroit folk singer-songwriter Rodriguez. He disappeared after he released a volume album in the United States in the 1970s. He once became a mason but became the most famous foreign singer in South Africa. Two South African fans even made a leap. Across the ocean, looking for the idols of the past. There is no doubt that the same heart-stringed "Drunk Country Folk Songs" will also become the seed player of this year's Oscars, and Dave van Ronk will also "resurrect the soul" back to the public eye, and this seems to be the biggest "success" to our usual so-called "success". Satire.
Yes, for the topic of dreams and success, a thousand people have a thousand definitions and a thousand attitudes, but you are always willing to hear what the Coen brothers say. What is the answer from the Coen brothers? When they commented on Dave van Ronk, they said: "It doesn't matter who you are, the important thing is that you are part of this wave of folk songs."
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