Another special feature of this film is the contradiction between ideal and reality. Faced with a broken system, the strength of the individual is too weak. He knows what the scope of his lectures is as a history teacher, but he doesn’t know how to teach; he knows what he should do for a 8th grade girl as a teacher, but he doesn’t even know what these things are. what. As history in the 1960s, it is long gone. When the spirit only exists in biographies on old bookshelves, posters on shabby classroom walls, or long-lasting lectures on black and white video tapes, who can support these struggling souls? The intervention of cocaine adds to the melancholy and inexplicable atmosphere of the film. Of course, this atmosphere is also shared by many independent producers.
In addition, one of the key words in this film is "opposing forces"-just like the boxing term that the title refers to-life is not a single direction, perfect and ideal. When we are exhausted and approaching beauty, we often find that the "negative" elements in life seem to be more powerful-whether they are our irresistible social factors or the dark corners of our personal souls.
Ryan Gosling, the leading actor of the film, performed exceptionally well, making people feel like they are the friends I see every day. His eyes and facial expressions are especially real and natural, and they are especially moving when emotions are revealed.
1. scenes
In the classrom,
Man on TV(in black and white, footage from 60's):
"
There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart that you can't take part, you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop, and you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all..
"
Dan: What is this machine that he's talking about? It keeps us down; what is it?"
Kid A: "Like robots and stuff, right?"
Dan: It could be robots. It could be robots. But let's
say it's a metaphor. He's saying this machine is keeping him down. Now,what is it? What keeps us from being free? Ms Drey"
Drey: Prisons.
Dan: Absolutely, absolutely. Prisons, okay? Prisons are definately a part of it. What else?
Kid B: White.
Dan: White is definately a part of it. The man.
Kid C: The school.
Dan : The school, exactly. The whole education system is part of the machine. What else?
Kid D: Aren't you the machine then?
Dan: (jokingly) Oh, no, you didn't. What'd you say?
Kid D: Aren't you the machine?
Dan: You are saying I'm a machine?
Kid D: Yeah, you're white. You're part of the school.
Dan: Oh, yeah, I guess you got a point. All right, so I'm part of the machine, but if I'm part of it so are you. You are, too. We all are. And this is the thing, remember? Everything is made with opposing force. We may be opposed to the machine, but we're still very much a part of it, right? I work for the government, the school, but I'm also very much opposed to a lot of its policies. You guys hate to come to school, right?
Kids all: Yeah~
Dan: You hated, but you come anyway.
Kid E: sometimes.
Dan: Sometimes, exactly.
2. Quote
"
I cleaned up ..
for the most part.
I do it now to get by,
but I can handle it
you know what I mean?
I tried the rehab thing.
I tried it.
It didn't work.
It didn't work.
You know, it works for some people.
My ex-girlfreind is getting married.
So it works for some people,
right?
It didn't work for me.
the kids keep me focused,
and I~..
"
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