``No Country for Old Men'' Fear without assertion or pain. “Disappearance of emotion” that brings an end to the previous era

The existence of `` The Dark Knight '', which is comparable to ` `No Country for Old Men ''

The horror of "No Country for Old Men," mentioned above, can also be rephrased as the horror of "nothing." Even the violence that makes you want to cover your eyes is dismissed as cold and cold. This sense of distance, which makes the death of others seem like an event from another dimension, is even more persuasive in today's world where social media has become so familiar.

The disappearance of emotion. Finally, I would like to introduce a film that depicts this phenomenon. It is " The Dark Knight " (2008), which was released in Japan on August 9th, about six months after this film was released. It was released in the United States the year after "No Country for Old Men for Old Men," and Heath Ledger won the Best Supporting Actor award at the 81st Academy Awards (a posthumous award).

The previous year's winner was Javier Bardem, who played the hitman Anton Chigurh in this film. As a villain has won an Oscar two years in a row, the two are often compared (incidentally, the winner of the Best Supporting Actor award at the 82nd Academy Awards in 2009 was Christoph Waltz from Inglourious Basterds , who also played a strong villain).

“The Dark Knight” preview

What was groundbreaking about "The Dark Knight" was that it destroyed the concepts of heroes, justice, and good and evil. The villain in this film, the Joker(Heath Ledger), has no purpose, beliefs, or ambition. Even the scene in which he reveals his brutal past is full of lies, and everything is nonsense. He is a hedonist who finds meaning and value in simply "destruction." This "impulse to destroy" is carried over, but with a completely different approach, to " Joker " (2019), which won the Golden Lion, the highest award at the 76th Venice International Film Festival.

One of the highlights of the film "The Dark Knight" is the scene where the Joker equips two ships, one carrying ordinary people and one carrying prisoners, with switches that blow each other up. This is where the aforementioned theme of "disappearance of emotion" is deeply connected.

How will people act when they are forcibly given the power to decide life and death? This horrifying "experiment" shakes the hearts of viewers even more strongly when it is based on the "emotionless modern age" shown in "No No Country for Old Men." The reason behind Joker 's "trying it" may be because of "people's indifference to others" as shown by Chigurh. Without fear of being misunderstood, I feel that the "question" of " The Dark Knight " is even sharper because of the "premise" of "No Country for No Country for Old Men ." There may not be a direct correlation between the two, but perhaps a miraculous fusion was born because both films keenly captured the times.

"No Country for Old Men" (C) 2007 by Paramount Vantage, a Division of Paramount Pictures and Miramax Film Corp. All Rights Reserved.

Cigar violates the "old ways," while the Joker destroys "justice." Both are destroyers of reason. In the end, they follow completely different paths, but in the minds of the audience, they seem to be remembered as a set. This twist of fate is also proof that this film transcends time and is a masterpiece that will create the next generation.

"No Country for Old Men" stares into the dazzling darkness where "there is nothing." "The Dark Knight" tries to find a ray of light in it. If the former depicts "despair" towards others, the latter depicts "hope." Which is the true essence of humanity? Has "emotion" really been lost? The answer surely resides within each and every viewer. They reflect the state of the viewer's heart - that is the hidden quality of these films. Which one will you choose?

Text: SYO

Born in 1987. After The Graduate from Tokyo Gakugei University, he worked at a film magazine editorial production site and a film information site before becoming a film writer. Works on a wide range of topics including interviews, reviews, columns, event appearances, and recommendation comments. Contributed to ``CINEMORE'', ``FRIDAY Digital'', ``Fan's Voice'', ``Eiga.com'', etc. Twitter「syocinema」

Watch now

View work information

No Country for Old Men

Blu-ray: 1,886 yen + tax / DVD: 1,429 yen + tax

Publisher: NBCUniversal Entertainment

(C) 2007 by Paramount Vantage, a division of Paramount Pictures and Miramax Film Corp. All Rights Reserved.

*Information as of September 2019.