Echoes of Hollywood

After the gunshot, a Black man was killed by another Black man, his body left lying in the street. The camera moved to show an indifferent teenager walking by, seemingly unfazed by what he saw, continuing to walk with his head down. The scene then shifted to his perspective, showcasing the chaos of the Los Angeles slums.

Drug addicts, brawling youths, emaciated beggars, and indifferent police officers all appeared before the boy's eyes.

Although the scene reverted to color, the dark tones made it seem oppressive, almost lifeless.

"This is deliberate."

In the second row, the distinct-looking Quentin Tarantino said to the hat-wearing Robert Rodriguez, "These tones reflect the boy's current mental state, just as these dark colors show no hope."

Robert Rodriguez replied, "I can't match his use of black imagery."

The boy entered a low, dilapidated apartment building, where the sound of a woman's curses and then a man's shouting immediately filled the air.

Through the verbal abuse directed at the boy, the film subtly conveyed his background.

The boy, named Diego Ross, had a father killed by the police for committing crimes, and his mother abandoned him for another city. Government agencies placed him in this Latin family, but as he was not their biological child, he received no proper care. The family was not well-off, and the couple, outwardly kind, were hypocrites.

The government left him there and essentially forgot about him, leaving the boy to grow up in an environment devoid of love, where his life was like dead ashes.

However, there was a glimmer of hope in this desolate life: Diego Ross was a devout Catholic. Every Sunday, he would go to a nearby church where a priest treated him well, always offering patient guidance. This priest was the boy's only solace in his miserable life.

The movie, through Diego Ross's eyes, highlighted the dark and oppressive living conditions marked by drug addiction, trafficking, and juvenile crime, contrasting them with the comfort brought by religion.

"When did Murphy Stanton become a Catholic?" Todd McCarthy shook his head as he watched, "The Catholic Church and that priest in the film are portrayed as almost divine saviors for the protagonist."

Seemingly aware of what his friend was thinking, Kenneth Turan quietly reminded, "Behind every glossy surface, there's darkness."

Todd McCarthy thought for a moment and slowly nodded.

A plot twist was necessary for a movie to reach new heights. Murphy understood this well. Thus, initially, the Catholic Church in the film appeared even more beautiful than the Vatican's propaganda. However, when the young Diego Ross faced the temptation of drugs and confided in the priest, the seemingly kind priest took him to the back yard alone...

Seeing the boy's pants drop in the dark house, with the kindly priest squatting in front of him with a charitable smile, Todd McCarthy couldn't help but sigh. The previous portrayals and the priest's current actions were in stark contrast.

A confused boy, faced with molestation from the only pure aspect of his soul, experienced a complete collapse of his last belief.

Diego Ross stopped going to church, but the priest didn't forget him. Under the guise of charity, he repeatedly visited the foster home. The couple there didn't care what happened to Diego, pushing him further into the abyss.

Many peers were drug users, forming the lower tiers of the drug trade network. Diego Ross's defenses against temptation finally crumbled, spurred on by an older white girl. He crossed the line he could no longer hold.

Fighting, drug dealing, theft, and even armed robbery—these boys from the slums grew up, and Diego Ross lived with the blonde girl who had led him down this path. They dealt and used drugs, operating under a major underground force in Los Angeles.

The collapse of faith deeply affected a person. How significant were the subtle influences of the environment? Did religion benefit this society more than it harmed?

Klaus Ismael furrowed his thick eyebrows. The terrible social environment in America led too many youths astray!

And what about the religious question? How much evil hid under the guise of religious freedom, poisoning humanity on this land?

Murphy Stanton was indeed an exceptional director, exploring such social issues deeply through the fall of a drug dealer, cutting open those negative influences and laying them bare in his film.

This was what an outstanding director should do—while emphasizing artistry, they should objectively and calmly dissect the most severe social problems.

Margot Robbie's role wasn't large. According to Diego Ross's account, she was just a passerby in his life, albeit one who left a deep impression.

Based on Diego Ross's description, Murphy appropriately dramatized the film. Margot Robbie's character, the first love, died after mistakenly taking a massive dose of drugs during a high.

Her death was a significant blow to Diego Ross. Already a small regional boss, he resolved to quit drugs and planned to leave the trade.

With some capabilities, Diego Ross continuously inquired about the priest, but he had moved from the parish, and no information was available.

When Ross was about to leave the trade, a friend found him a job as a car washer. However, he heard news that the priest, who was being investigated for child molestation in Nevada, had escaped punishment due to Vatican intervention and was instead reassigned back to the Vatican.

On screen, Diego Ross stood between the doorframe and the door, with a meaningful fallen angel painting behind him. He looked like a caged bird, always pacing within the frame, while the pointed spires on the porch columns loomed over his hesitant face.

One step forward, and he could leave the trade and become an ordinary car washer.

Remove the last barrier, stay in the trade, and climb up to become a regional boss.

Two choices lay before Diego Ross, and he had to choose one.

No one forced him, no one persuaded him, and no one analyzed the pros and cons. The decision was solely his to make.

In the end, it was up to him.

"This..." Kenneth Turan, watching the protagonist pacing in the frame, leaned closer to Todd McCarthy and whispered, "This might be Robert Downey Jr.'s best performance."

"Yeah," Todd McCarthy nodded slightly.

Kenneth Turan continued, "Completely shed the flamboyance of Iron Man."

He then questioned, "When did his acting improve so much?"

"This isn't about acting..."

Watching the long take on the screen, Todd McCarthy quickly responded, "The change wasn't brought by Robert Downey Jr., but by Murphy Stanton. The scene's design and the camera work highlight the character's inner turmoil over his choice."

Kenneth Turan watched for a few more seconds and realized it was true.

The shot was excellent, with outstanding scene setup and unparalleled cinematography. This long take was an artwork!

The shot gave Kenneth Turan a sense of immersion. The protagonist stood, obscuring the fallen angel painting. The camera slowly pulled back, with colors and tones becoming colder, creating a chilling atmosphere.

Using this shot to show the character's inner change was truly innovative!

Although the protagonist had no lines and the shot didn't explicitly state his decision, they could feel from the shot that Diego Ross had made a choice, leaning towards the dark side.

Diego Ross left, went to the cemetery, and stood before his first love's tombstone. The sky on screen became even gloomier. Even though the sun was visible, the camera's angle made it feel cold.

A faint chant began, resembling the Catholic choir's tone.

"Whether there is a God may no longer be so important. Often, people can only rely on themselves to live. It is said that in a city where God is believed, every day He combs His long braids in front of a camera. Dear, have you seen those distant yet immediate sorrows..."

For some reason, hearing this supposedly warm choir chant, Todd McCarthy felt cold. He quickly took his pen and noted down his feelings.

"Using an extremely calm tone and an almost indifferent voice to tell those sad stories. Because of the calm and indifference, and the tragedy, this contrast can more truthfully evoke a deeper tragic emotion. This film gave me such a feeling."

"Because of the tragedy, there is calm and indifference. Because of the calm and indifference, the sense of tragedy is intensified. Slow and sorrowful, a lament."

Kenneth Turan sighed lightly. This film, so far, flowed like a beautiful, slow-moving poem, seemingly disjointed but actually coherent. What seemed like a scattered narrative used ordinary shots to show the influence of the surrounding environment on people...

However, in another art house theater in Hollywood, many ordinary viewers watching the film didn't see it that way, especially the younger audience.

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!] 

[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]

[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter]