On 'The Rider', a Film by Chloé Zhao

Federico 2022-04-10 09:01:08

After watching it, I was very emotional, and I was also very moved. I also communicated with the uncle who was showing the movie and other audience members at the entrance of the theater for a while.

A heartbreaking and splendid portrait of marginalized people and land. And a compassionate, gentle, and intimate approach to their struggles, frustrations, and agonies.

The story is told naturally and smoothly, and the presentation of the narrative and content is very organic. It also has the feeling of a documentary. Natural, authentic, and affecting performances from the cast. (It doesn't matter if they are professional actors or not, they can all have real, natural and accurate performances, it depends on the director's skill.) Stunning landscape and cinematography. The soundtrack is lyrically refreshing as well.

There are many beautiful and moving moments and shots. It was particularly impressive that Brady got up early in the morning and walked to his beloved little white horse and said a short prayer to God for it, then rode it for the last time on the vast plains, put it on the truck, and watched it go away; One person patrolling, standing in the wilderness under the thick dark clouds, lonely and magnificent. The scenes near the end have a sincere tenderness and compassion.

I admire and admire director Zhao Ting's filming method. Using an ultra-low budget to shoot such a texture is also very visible. And for young Chinese filmmakers who want to write in English in the United States and shoot stories they care about, she and her works are also good inspirations. I look forward to director Zhao Ting's future masterpieces.

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Extended Reading
  • Liam 2022-04-09 09:01:08

    The movie actually has no plot, just the daily life of a western cowboy who quit the arena because of an injury, but I don't know why I was moved, when the cowboys sat around the bonfire, talking about the past and dreams, when the cowboy was training his horse, when When cowboy rides on a horse in the vast western grasslands, when he drives his car and weeps silently, you finally understand that life is about letting go and finally reconciling with yourself. Whether it is Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain or Zhao Ting's Knights, Chinese directors are not inferior to local directors in the development of American Westerns.

  • Felicia 2022-04-24 07:01:26

    Very nice, 3 and a half stars, 4 stars. The pace is good and the mood is steady, which is amazing as a new director. A few scenes are also very touching and delicate. But the screenwriter is not sophisticated enough, relatively ordinary, and has not been able to break away from the routine. The full color contrasts with the pain and depression in the protagonist's heart. Perhaps that fullness is the heart of the cowboy who is not rich in expression.

The Rider quotes

  • Brady Blackburn: If any animal around here got hurt like I did, they'd have to be put down

  • Brady Blackburn: You know, Lilly, I believe God gives each of us a purpose.

    Lilly Blackburn: Very true.

    Brady Blackburn: To the horse, it's to run across the prairie. For a cowboy, it's to ride.