In-depth analysis of the brain-burning blockbuster "Us" to solve all your doubts about the movie
A friend asked me earlier what made me keep recording my feelings after watching a film
The reason is simple, because reading and analysing a film is very interesting, it's like the "reading comprehension questions" you used to do in school.
Unlike questions, there is a lot of freedom in understanding a film, and even the director, screenwriter, cinematographer, lead actor and other creators can't give a 100% "standard answer" to the interpretation of a film.
After all, there are a hundred Hamlets for a hundred audiences.
See, that's the beauty of interpreting a film.
Today, we're talking about a film that deserves to be re-watched and re-mastered - Us!
Let's set the tone, not to brag, but there are very few of us here who can really get through this film.
I myself was confused when I saw it for the first time, and my biggest feeling was, "What the fuck is this?
What the hell is this movie?
But the more I don't understand it, the more value there is to savor it. After four times, Kan finally had the courage to write an explanation for you guys, but of course, the explanation is only what I have understood so far.
Here's a spoiler warning, if you don't mind, you can bookmark it and come back to it after you've seen the film
Plot Setting
The storyline of "Us" is actually quite simple: the replicants turn over and resist, attempting to kill the original body and take over the nest.
It could have been a moderate, in-your-face, back-and-forth story that could have been as thrilling as "Escape from Tortola" or as darkly humorous and violent as it was.
But director Jordan Peele has accidentally added a number of small, uncanny details and settings to the plot, giving the film a very personal character, and it is these seemingly inexplicable elements that seriously affect the viewing experience and leave many people feeling puzzled afterwards
I will take the viewpoint of the general audience, ask some common questions and give answers, you can selectively read according to your own understanding of the film and interest
- Q: What is the connection between humans and the Shadows?
A: As revealed in the film, the Shadows are the product of a failed scientific project, they are the counterpart of humans, sharing the same body but the same soul.
The original purpose of the Shadows was to control humans on the ground, to make them as easy to manipulate as puppets, but in my opinion, it was more of a misguided scientific project than a failure
Because the actions of ordinary humans can influence the behaviour of the Shadows, and if the link is reversed or becomes bi-directional, then humans are really manipulated as puppets.
In the case of the individual Shadows, they lack an independent sense of self and are always in a state of confusion, only able to carry out commands mechanically, a "setting" that was hammered into them when they were created, because only such a thing could be easily controlled.
Obviously, in 1986, the Shadows were like the underground mapping of humans, all their actions were a replica of humans, so the first step of the Shadows' revenge was to weaken or get rid of this influence, and this was an important part of their paramilitary training for more than ten years, as to how to get rid of the influence of humans on the ground, we do not know, but it was definitely a long and arduous process. - Q: Why do the Shadows hold hands after they kill someone?
A: For this question, many people like to analyze from a variety of metaphors, deeper meaning, in fact, it is not necessary, Kan seems that the reason for such a "resistance", there is only one reason: this is the choice of the leader of the resistance - the real ▪ Adelaide (Adelaide is the name of the first little girl, we know that she was eventually swapped by the fake, in order to facilitate the distinction, let us use the real ▪ Adelaide to call the girl who was swapped, with the "heroine" to call the fake from the dungeon)
The real Adelaide was a teenager when she was swapped, her mind was not fully developed and she was dumped in a horrible underground world, surrounded by uncivilised freaks, where she almost lost her language skills after a long stay, and she was left to plan a rebellion with a child's mind torn by hatred, so guess what she could do!
The original name of the Hands Across America campaign was Hands Across America, which was the same commercial that ran repeatedly on TV before the real ▪ Adelaide was swapped, with the tagline "Together we can solve hunger in America".
Coincidentally, the T-shirt that True Adelaide was wearing at the time of her loss was an advertisement for Hands Across America, which she hung on her wall, stirring up her anger for revenge and furthering her belief and determination to implement Hands Across America. - Q: Why didn't Adelaide just kill the heroine's family?
A: Obviously not because of the main character's aura
As we have seen in the previous article, True Adelaide is an avenger who is not mentally developed, so she can't use the clickety-clack chopping on her enemies who have usurped her happiness and destiny, she must enjoy the process of revenge. - Q: Why are the Shadows' murder weapon scissors?
A: Here we have to use our little brains to understand
The scissors that appear in the film have a strong symmetry that fits the dichotomy between humans and the Shadows, while the real Adelaide constantly emphasizes that they want to cut off their ties with humans and replace them, and the scissors are a powerful tool to cut the ties
Speaking of scissors, we have to mention the Shadows' standard: gloves on one hand and red clothes, a look that, I think, comes from Michael Jackson's "War Cry" music video, and yes, from the T-shirt that Dad won for True Adelaide.
5、Q: Why are there so many rabbits in the underground tunnels
A: We can directly refer to the film director's statement in the interview, to the effect that
Adelaide's arrival in the underground world is like Alice being guided by rabbits into the fairy tale world, and the rabbits represent the fantastical otherworldly world - Q: What is the meaning of the mother and son's stare-down at the end of the film?
A: Like the initial plot of the film, the son Jason disappears for ten minutes after being taken by the real ▪ Adelaide, which, in my opinion, is enough time for him to accept an absurd and bizarre story, such as the real identity of his mother
When Jason is found in the locker by the heroine, he is clearly wary of and resistant to the mother in front of him, such as not wanting to hug her and not believing what she says
The first time is when he is locked in a small space by his sister, the second time is when he is alone with his Shadow, the third time is when he picks up a weapon and fights a white Shadow, the fourth time is when he gets out of the car and kills his Shadow, and the fifth time is at the end when he confronts his mother.
See, the mask is Jason's weapon of self-protection, and each time he puts it on, it's a critical situation, and it's clear that his mother's secret is enough to send chills through Jason's body and make him wary
How about the fact that, with this sorting out, many of the plot points and settings that would otherwise seem unbelievable can now become an important part of the film's logical puzzle?
There is no denying that the director has artificially left out some of the details that should have been explained in order to emphasise the prophetic nature of the film, and this is why the film has been so controversial and criticised.
What metaphors and meanings does the film imply?
The film's moral
If we look at "Us" as a reading comprehension, then Kan can identify at least 5 levels of meaning, and we will still list them one by one, using an entry style - The issue of race
Similarly to Escape from Tortola, race is a topic that director Jordan Peele is keen to discuss. Although not central to the film, the contrast between black and white families highlights the superiority of white people and the unconcealed discrimination. - The issue of class
This is quite obvious, as many people have noticed that the title Us is an abbreviation for United States. The humans on the ground (the rich, the elite) enjoy the sun, the rain, the food and all kinds of quality resources, while the "shadows" (the underclass), who have the same shape, body and even soul, are left to languish in the dark sewers.
Even the only lift that connects the two worlds (a direct metaphor for social class) is one-way and irreversible. - The problem of religion
From Old Testament - Jeremiah 11:11 to the implication of a saviour, the whole film is full of religious elements. As mentioned earlier, at the beginning, all the Shadows are muddled and lack self-awareness, and the only person with a clear concept of revenge and a desire to seek a better existence is True Adelaide, who is the guiding light for all the Shadows and their saviour.
True Adelaide also repeatedly stresses that this is a test from God, and although True Adelaide eventually dies, the Shadow's uprising achieves its original purpose and the Great Wall of Across America is successfully established.
In essence, however, such a struggle was doomed to failure from the outset, for the class divide could not be easily overturned through bloodshed alone.
- The problem of human decency
In both the West and the East, human experimentation involving the issue of human decency is a forbidden art, and whether the experiments mocked in "We" are meant in a broad sense or in a specific sense is something we in China really have no shame in thinking about. - As for the fifth layer of meaning, Kan is prepared to leave it at that, but to give a hint for your own discussion.
The story told in the film can also be seen in this way: a group of people who are suffering and have no food or clothing come to your doorstep under the banner of human rights and equality, they want to steal food, people and land, and they even want to replace the aborigines with them
The uninformed onlookers, the kind-hearted welcomers all fall one by one under the onslaught of the other side, and in the end only those who dare to resist the hardliners (the heroine's family, the police, the army) survive and become the only hope left
I think the director's attitude to this issue is very clear by this point in the hint
In another article, Kan mentioned that it is shameless hooliganism to impose a deeper moral and core on a film based on illogical and poor storytelling
Fortunately, after careful analysis, "Us" does not leave as many flaws as one might think, except that the storytelling is not really acceptable to most people.
Even so, Kan would never recommend Us to others, because such a film is too audience-selective, and it's hard to guarantee a good viewing experience for everyone.
