Dark to the depths

Author: Wang Min
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features:
Film is a conspiracy,
Film is a carnival,
Film is a fling,
Film is a disguise,
Film is a murder!
Film is a caress,
Film is a love.
Words are already difficult to describe the rich and subtle feelings that film brings us, let alone recording the film with one's own words—that is simply a dream of a madman. Once I introduced a friend to a gangster film. After hearing my description, she concluded: "It seems that only in the world of gangsters exists heroism and a sense of justice." This conclusion has 50% correctness, which is also the reason why gangster films have long attracted creators and audiences. In the 1970s, Coppola created the "good gangster image" in The Godfather; in the 1980s, Hong Kong's gangster films entered the international market, and the heroic images in films like A Better Tomorrow and Armour of God became objects of admiration and imitation for teenagers in the late 20th century. The emergence of Quentin Tarantino showed people an alternative life in the world of gangsters. Quentin revitalized the gangster genre and set a benchmark for many followers. After witnessing the usual gunfights and violence, his unique narrative style and documentary-style filming without commentary presented us with another life trajectory of gangsters: living in violent struggles, amidst blood and death, fear and submission. Compared to the predecessors who glorified crime and gangsters, Quentin's works possess a stronger sense of realism, allowing people to understand the true world of gangsters: there is only eternal interest, no eternal justice.
Audiences who love gangster films have been trained by outstanding directors to develop a high level of appreciation. The process of watching a film is often a contest of wits between the audience and the creators. Beyond performances and techniques, whether the story is clever, the presentation innovative, and the scene direction distinctive are all aspects that seasoned film enthusiasts focus on. In today's increasingly (bemoaning) digital and reproducible business model of filmmaking, it seems that only gangster films possess the warmth and craftsmanship of handmade, capable of stirring deep emotions and evoking a naive belief in film itself, as well as playing and savoring the experience. Whether it is painful or beautiful, life will eventually end, and so will the world of gangsters—just as films always have to come to an end.