No country for All Men

Rating: 7/10 (2 March 2008)

This is a movie with two tones. The crimes and dramas are concentrated on two men fighting for the money. On the other side, the old man Ed has been doing the pondering work in a aching way. However the Ed's line comes out not that obvious and strong, so if you don't really pay attention, you probably would miss this part, which makes you rate this movie one out of ten. Ed Tom represents the sadness and heaviness of movie. He is the man who is feeling "overmatched", who doesn't understand the world around him. and chooses to quit. He uses getting old as an explanation for his nonacceptance of the current world. He misses old-time and old-timers. In his eyes, the people nowadays, they kill, they prey, they get into the business which leads to ending their lives, they lack basic human compassion, and they run on the dead road without hesitation. Ed just doesn't get it. But is it really just a time thing? Is it really just about old-time and new-time? Probably not. Ellis says, I quote, "What you got ain't nothing' new. This country is hard on people. You can't stop what's coming. It ain't all waiting' on you. That's vanity." Half of Ed Tom's role is like an observer; he sees the things, he describes the impression this world makes on us, and he speaks out what's in his mind, as other roles in this movie are just going with the storyline. His worries and confusion and frustration is not that different from that of some people in real life. He appears as an archetype of a group of people who has been shocked by the campus shooting, the shopping-mall shooting, the causeless battles, the madness and unseasonableness. It seems to some people, the world has gone mad. What's wrong with us? We can't help asking this question. And the hole caused by the oxygen can is quite a symbol and strong image of the hearts of these confused people. Dark and deep and painful. How can we handle all these things? Accept it? Ignore it? Fight against it? You make your own decision. But still, it is nothing new. Older generations, they have experienced the same darkness and coldness, ahead of us.