After watching "Focus"

Edmund 2022-04-19 09:01:09

"Focus" resonates with me probably because what it expresses has a strong idealistic temperament. People always want to be rational and truthful, but in reality, compromises are inevitable, and this may be even more true for a nameless rat like me who has no right to speak. So watching this movie was probably a catharsis for me. Because in my reality, idealism is almost unrealistic. But at a certain time, somewhere, for certain events, idealism turned out to be possible. Maybe I'm too pessimistic about the world. After understanding some things, I have always felt that idealism is the obscenity of the incompetent. This world has always been a class with guns. There is no justice and morality, only power and oppression. Maybe I'm pessimistic because around me, the right to speak has always belonged to the class with guns. I'm a little unconvinced that a person can speak confidently without a gun in his hand. Of course, this may have something to do with our system. In a place where speaking is a crime, "Focus" depicts a situation we can't hope for for now.

Another thing that resonates with me about this film is the collapse of faith. I think everyone who has experienced it a little has felt the pain caused by the collapse of faith. You have worshipped a thing so much; the image of that thing in your mind is sacrosanct. At first, you thought those words were just slander and slander against it. Later, more and more evidences told you that what you believed in turned out to be a heinous demon. You think it is God, but the truth is that you are blinded by ignorance. The collapse of faith is painful, but the collapse of the infinite worship of an event is not a bad thing for us. This kind of painstakingly remembered may teach us some truths about right and wrong.

Another thing that struck me about the film was that a priest took child molestation for granted. His shameless tone made me feel the deformity of some people's minds. This is not a pseudo-morality, but a deformed worldview. I don't know if this deformed worldview is caused by the church's abstinence. But I think what we think of as justice may be seen as a bad thing by some, while the evil we denounce may be permitted by some. Many times, we can't change the way those people see the world, and the only options are to imprison them forever or just destroy them outright. As we move towards civilization, we must put an end to violence, but in the face of violence, we have to fight violence with violence. The existence of deformity, the world view with too large gap will inevitably rise to violent conflict. This is what worries me about the world all the time. I long for peace, but increasingly I find it unrealistic.

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Extended Reading

Spotlight quotes

  • Mitchell Garabedian: I'm Armenian. How many Armenians do you know in Boston ?

    Mike Rezendes: Steve Kurkjian, works at the Globe...

    Mitchell Garabedian: Oh. That's two. You should get a prize or something.

  • [first lines]

    Young Cop: How's that going?

    Court Clerk Mark: Mother's bawlin' and the uncle is pissed off.

    Young Cop: She's not married?

    Court Clerk Mark: Divorced, with 4 kids. I guess the Father was helping out.

    Young Cop: Helping out?

    Court Clerk Mark: ...Hey, Mr. Burke, they're in the back talking to the Bishop.

    Paul Burke: [entering] And Father?

    Court Clerk Mark: We put him in the break room.

    Paul Burke: Any press?

    Court Clerk Mark: Some guy from the Citizen, but we sent him away. None of the big papers.

    Paul Burke: Let's keep it that way...

    [continues down the hall]

    Young Cop: Who's that?

    Court Clerk Mark: Assistant D.A.

    Young Cop: It's gonna be hard to keep the papers from arraignment.

    Court Clerk Mark: What arraignment?