血溅摩天楼[Last Film I Watched] Mirage (1965) 7.3/10分集剧情
MIRAGEhasanastoundingopeninggambitwhichpotentiallyelicitsaplethoraofhypothesesinsideaviewer’sheadtryingtooutguessthebigreveal,suchasbrainwash,hypnosisorothersinisterconspiracytheoriesofthatilk.Indeed,therearesinisterpartiesinvolved,butbelieveme,theyareascluelessastherestofusinthisenthralling,implausiblyunder-seenmysterythrillercookedupbyacraftyEdwardDmytryk.Duringapower-cutinaNYChigh-risewhereheworks,DavidStillwell(Peck),acostaccountantisflummoxedbysomethingdevilishinexplicable(thevanishedsub-stories,awomanwhoapparentlyknowshimbuthecannotreciprocatewiththesamegesture)andafterbeingheldatgunpointathisownapartmentbyathugLester(Weston)andcoercedtomeet"theMajor”withwhomhehasneveracquainted,slowlyitdawnsonhimthatheissufferingfromasevereamnesia,hehasnoinklingofwhathappenedpriorofthelasttwoyears,andpuzzlinglystatesthatduringthatspellhelivesonhisown-somewithnopersonalcontractwithasinglesoulotherthanhisjob,itisabeggar-beliefhogwash,nowonderthepsychiatristDr.Broden(Harris)angrilydriveshimoffwhenheseeksforhelp.Butastern-facedDavidisnotafibber,afterhiringarookieprivateeyeTedCaselle(Matthau)toinvestigatehislostidentity,hebeginstotwigthateverythingheknowsabouthimselfisnottrue(thejob,thecompanyheworks),toomanylacunaeandcontradictions.HemeetsagainwiththesaidwomanSheila(Baker),whoseemstoshadowhimandadmitsthattheyareromanticallylinked,andhasnoqualmsaboutrekindlingtheirpassionevenDavidisstuckinatabularasa,murdersandchasesensuethenextday,andeventuallythenexusemergeswhenDavidapprehendsthattheamnesiadidn’toccurtwoyearsearlier,buttwodaysbefore,tobemorespecific,rightduringthearbitraryblackoutwhenapeaceactivistmagnateCharlesCalvin(Abel)felltohisdeathfromhisofficewindow.Thus,theresultcanbeboileddowntobeaself-inflicted,radicalself-denialintheaftermathofwitnessingahorrificincident/ashockingrevelation,thusDavidconjuresupafalseidentityandtemporarilygumsuphismemory,itisastopgapdisplacement,notapanacea,intimeallthoseoccludedwillstrikebacksoon(stillthecondition'splausibilitydoesneedsomemedicalprofessionalstoputintheiroars,notthatuppityDr.Brodenofcourse),andaface-offwiththeMajor(Erickson)istheonlywaytosettlethescoresonceandforall.AsgrippingastheRussianroulettegambleis,themovie'sclosuredoesn’tliveuptothesamecraftsmanshipwhichprecedesit,thevictoryofgoodpeopleisinevitablebydesign,butisexecutedtooslapdashtoobtainthatfeelingoffulfillment,andinfact,theactionpiecesareanothermajorfaultline,noticeablyfakeduringafistfightbetweenDavidandWillard(Kennedy,aninexorableheavy),thereisajarringdisjunctionintheprocess,alsoatricktominglewithaschoolcrocodiletoevadecoercionlookslamelyfacileinaction.GregoryPeckdevoteshimselfemphaticallytoupholdexigencyandagencyintrain,andremarkablygeneratesenoughcredibilityoutofacock-and-bulltextwithmarqueeélan.DianeBaker,takespainstomakeavirtueofaffectionoutofplot’srequirementtoplaytheloveinterestwhoofcourse,knowsallDavid’sbackstorybutgracefullycramsupwhenbeingconfrontedwithherpulchritudeàlaAudreyHepburn.WalterMatthau,stillpayshisduesinanunder-utilizedperipheralrole,neverthelessstrutshisstuffwithconsiderableeaseandharmlessbanters,anditisalsohimwhopinpointstherubduringhisnotsoamplestint:itisDavidhimselfwhodoesn’twanttorememberthepast,assimpleasthat.Lastly,thenuclearradiationneutralizationdiscoveryisafar-fetchedideabutconceivablyrelativetotheColdWarfomentedparanoiaaka.a“mirage”,andwhatthemoviehitsgoldiswhenitmanifeststheinsidious,cheek-by-jowlcohabitationofanon-profitorganizationandthesociety’simmoralcapitalisticdrive,thatisanaphorismsoundsgratingtotoday’sears.referentialpoint:JohnFrankenheimer’sTHEMANCHURIANCANDIDATE(1962,7.8/10);StanleyDonen’sARABESQUE(1966,5.9/10).
