1147 The tide of the times
Conversation is a very interesting thing. In just a few words, a person's education, quality and upbringing can be revealed; further, a person's background, investment and thoughts can also be revealed. The more professional he is, the easier it is to be exposed Just the details.
Just like this moment.
Both Joel and Ethan could deeply feel that Renly was the only one who really touched the core of the entire script, even more deeply than their producer. This made the two people exchange glances. Showing the light of tacit understanding, he reconfirmed his choice.
They had to be thankful that they found Renly.
In the field of folk songs, it is not an easy task to find an actor, and it is even more difficult to find an actor who can shoulder the dramatic weight of the entire movie. Even Justin Timberlake and the Coen brothers Don’t dare to entrust more roles in the drama.
In the actor industry, it is also not an easy task to find a singer who can not only truly complete a live performance, but also understand and interpret the weight of an entire era. Oscar Isaac is very good, he Very good, but he's not Renly Hall.
During the exchange of glances, both the Coen brothers showed a look of pride and relief..
“Tell me in detail." Ethan said, making an open gesture and waiting for Renly's opinion..
Much attention.
In an instant, Renly once again became the object of everyone's attention, but unlike the "interference and distraction" just now, all the guesses and doubts in his eyes this time were restrained, and it was more of a look of in-depth study. posture, immersed in this discussion, even John Goodman and others also paid attention.
“First of all, we need to listen to the entire album again, and even each song, and make sure it matches the characters and occasions in the script..." Renly adjusted his posture slightly and did not take out the master tape, but he continued to talk. Jedi continued, as if the entire master tape of the soundtrack had been deeply imprinted in his mind..
Needless to say, "The Ballad of Drunken Country" is one of Renly's personal favorite soundtracks.
By the way, the music taste of the Coen brothers is really eye-catching. The original soundtrack of the movie "Escape" was amazing, and it finally won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year - it was "Don Quixote" last year. The one that won it, not simply Best Motion Picture Soundtrack.
This time, the Coen brothers once again maintained their consistent musical taste and selected the movie soundtrack of "Drunken Country Ballads".
After actually listening to the original soundtrack and conducting preliminary historical research, Renly realized that the so-called master tapes were actually a collection of music by folk singers in the 1960s. They were not newly created, nor re-arranged or recorded. It's just a collection of music that fits the Coen brothers' vision and conception..
In other words, the Coen brothers created each character in the movie based on real singers in reality, and then connected them together according to their own story line. This also means that the choice of each actor It's meaningful - not just Renly Hall, but also the selection of Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan, etc..
Then, before actors understand the entire story and script, they must first understand their characters and their role in the tide of the times..
For LeVine Davis, the corresponding singer is Dave Van Ronk, an ordinary folk singer who is unknown in history..
Naturally, before officially entering the story of "Drunken Country Folk", you must first understand the singer Dave Van Ronk.
During the folk wave of the 1960s, everyone knew that Bob Dylan succeeded. He became the cultural leader of an entire generation, and perfectly combined music with politics, life, and literature to As for later winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, he left his mark on the long history..
No one can deny Bob's talent and talent, but Bob is an excellent singer, but that doesn't make him an excellent person..
Few people know that in the unknown season, Bobby always actively dealt with musician friends in order to get help from them. He was like a sponge, absorbing knowledge quickly. After completing his studies, he threw away his sleeves and left, never reciprocating. , take these things for granted.
Few people know that Bob did whatever it took to succeed, and after achieving success, he ditched the friends he had met during his unknown period, including his lovers and mentors. He chose a path to move forward alone, and believed that, This is what you must pay in order to succeed..
Also few people know that Dave was one of the people Bob asked for. When Bob was just starting out, he asked Dave for guitar memory, and Dave exchanged ideas without reservation; He secretly took the song as his own and achieved considerable success, but he always refused to admit it, even though it was never a secret in the folk circle..
Bob and Dave, in history, Dave is the real pioneer of folk music. He has his own style and creates his own characteristics, but he has been lost in the long history; while Bob has achieved a lot. His career not only left its mark in the 1960s, but also profoundly influenced two generations of people..
Bob succeeded and went down in history; Dave failed and was penniless. This is a fact, and it is also a very interesting history..
This is reality, this is life, this is society, this is the history left behind after the wave of folk songs roars past.
As the Coen brothers originally said, Dave is the real-life prototype of LeVeon Davis, and "Don Quixote" is the inspiration for the story. Throughout the story, they project their understanding of Dave and Thoughts and discussions on Bob, artistic creation, and the tide of the times.
In the last life, in 2013, "The Ballad of the Drunken Country" was officially released, and it received a lot of praise in Europe, and also received countless praises on the East Coast of the United States. Many industry critics considered it the best film of the year. Although this work failed to win more than Oscar, it still did not damage the historical status of this work..
reason？
Because "Drunken Country Ballads" presents the wave of an era, it also presents the confusion and embarrassment of art having nowhere to settle in the wave of the times. This is something that any artist must think about time and time again. The issue, just like the topic of "the balance between art and commerce", remains unchanged throughout the ages..
Should one compromise one's artistic ideas for the sake of business, and should one give up one's persistence in life for the sake of one's artistic persistence? Whether art works that are separated from the market have meaning, and whether artistic works that compromise with business can leave traces; More importantly, dreams and life, ideals and reality, art and business, these are words that will never fade..
The same goes for the folk wave of the 1960s.
Through seven days in the life of LeVeon Davis, the Coen brothers present fragments of the era：
In those years when folk songs swept the entire society, everyone flocked into the industry, hoping to become a member and achieve their own success. However, when it comes to dreams, art, and creation, there is a gap between reality and ideals. It is contradictory. Artists must learn to compromise, learn to surrender, learn to flatter, and learn to socialize in order to achieve success.
Otherwise, they will be lost in the long river of history, penniless, just like Dave Van Ronk..
The story focuses on LeVine, but through LeVine’s footprints and eyes, it outlines a grand picture of the entire era. Every character, every time, and even every ballad has a profound meaning. Just like Cohen The brother himself said that this tells the story of an era, not just the story of LeVine.
This is not just the case in the 1960s, it is also true now. Or, it is even more true in the 21st century where entertainment leads to death and profit comes first..
“"Don Quixote" is an album that was destined to fail, but due to a series of unexpected tragedies and unexpected mutations, it achieved incredible success, and even ironically received recognition from the Grammy trophy. It has become a concentrated imprint of the entire fast food culture and the Internet era.：
The audience saw the three gramophone trophies shining at the award ceremony, but did anyone really understand the meaning of Renly's three acceptance speeches?？
It is not a simple criticism or condemnation, nor is it ridicule or ridicule, but a reflection and exploration from the artistic creators. Because deep down in their hearts, they are also questioning themselves: The times have changed, should they change?？
The problem is that they themselves have no answer, because they are only an insignificant part of the wave of the times. Only history and only time can give the answer..
All of this, the Coen brothers showed through the soundtrack of "The Ballad of Drunkenness", just like "Don Quixote".
All the songs sung by Llewyn Davis in the movie are from the works of Dave Van Ronk; while the works sung by other singers are all from the works of other folk singers in the 1960s..
Every singer in the movie can more or less find a corresponding prototype. Their style, their talent, their thoughts and their soul are all condensed in their own creations and projected Among the movie characters. Based on the tracks of the original soundtrack, you can get a glimpse of the entire story..
After truly entering LeVine's world, Renly admired the Coen brothers. They dared to shoot such a movie and they also dared to focus on such themes. Maybe they are not art masters like Ingmar Borgman. They are exploring artistic language and spiritual reflection, but in the field of independent films, they always stick to themselves and dig out the social reality of the United States step by step..
“"The Ballad of Drunkenness" is about the 1960s, but it's also about current American filmmaking and artistic creation..
This is a work that truly reflects an era.
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