“Red Rocket” 21st Century American New Cinema

second american Hidden Figures

“I can’t take it anymore/It’s not a lie/I want you to leave/Baby, it’s goodbye, bye” (In Sync “Bye Bye Bye”)

At the " Donut Hole", which has a name similar to "Donut Time", the scene of crime and love/hate in " Tangerine ", Mikey becomes obsessed with strawberries. acting). By daringly setting Strawberry at an age just before 18, this work highlights the structure of the exploitation of youth by the porn industry. At times, Mikey seems to be truly in love with Strawberry, but at the same time, with his The Hustler's instincts, he plots to exploit Strawberry's youthful image. Mikey puts on a false front because he wants Strawberry to respect him.

This narrative structure is reminiscent of `` Star 80 '' (1983), which influenced Sean Baker throughout his career. However, unlike the insidious Paul in Star 80 , who becomes jealous of a girl's success and ends up committing murder, Mikey has an innately positive image. And the image of Strawberry, which looks like it came out of the American New Cinema of the 1970s, is so vivid. The yellow dress that Strawberry wears and her restless movements make her appear more childish and more like an image than a real person. Is strawberry a fantasy of Mikey? Mikey lives in a world where he can't tell the difference between sincerity and malice. And as in `` The Chihuahua Was Watching: The Secret of a Porn Star and a Widow '' (12), the dog is watching everything about Mikey. The dog's gaze never judges Mikey's black and white. It can be said that this is the only neutral line of sight in this work.

“Red Rocket” © 2021 RED ROCKET PRODUCTIONS, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

In Sync's " Bye Bye Bye " played by Strawberry on the piano is wonderful. In front of Strawberry's singing ability and beauty, Mikey gives a surprisingly weak applause. At this point, Mikey may have discovered a talent that he didn't have. Or maybe he's just pretending not to realize that his expectations were completely misplaced.

Mikey is frank but obnoxious. Mikey is a cheerful scumbag. Mikey is disgusting. Baby, it's goodbye. Bye-bye. Mikey is the remnant of a Hollywood dream, a San Fernando Valley dream. ``Red Rocket'' exposes the portraits of those who have lost their American Hidden Figures and who have tried to have them again but never achieved them. Mikey has unexpectedly beautiful eyes. Mikey, who seemed like a stranger when the movie first started, begins to feel more familiar. Including the punishment for being extremely cheerful and shameless. Mikey's eyes may not only reflect his own unfulfilled dreams, but also the world we live in as we watch this movie. I would like to sincerely celebrate the birth of American New Cinema in the 21st century.

* Slant MagazineInterview: Simon Rex on Playing an Antihero and the Wild West Shoot of Red Rocket]

Text: Daiji Miyashiro (maplecat-eve)

Movie criticism. Contributed reviews to ``Leos Carax: Movie Wanderer'', Eureka's ``Wes Anderson Special'', Real Sound, Soen, otocoto, Toshio Matsumoto Special Pamphlet, etc.

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"Red Rocket"

April 21st (Friday) Human Trust Cinema Shibuya, Cinemart Shinjuku and other nationwide roadshows

Distribution: Transformers

© 2021 RED ROCKET PRODUCTIONS, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.