The world is barren and the heart is full of flowers

Rating: 8/10 (4 May 2020)

The character begins with a triangle, Hayes, sheriff and Dixon, all of which maintain a wonderful balance at first. Dixon complained for the police, but the sheriff had to find a way to make peace with Hayes while stopping his subordinates from making trouble. But the sheriff's cancer and final self-determination broke the balance and catalysed everything. This sudden death has become a "material" for the people in the town to interpret infinitely. Some people think that it is due to the relief of suffering from disease, but more people think that it is suffering from Hayes' humiliation and pressure, more like a decisive counterattack. At the same time, the death has become a strong internal driving force to promote narrative.
Stable start to shake, balanced start to tilt, one corner of the triangle suddenly collapsed, and the other two ends of the game began. And that set off the two fires. As the confrontation in this story reaches its peak, it happens to be the process of both sides entering each other's heart. The sheriff left a letter to everyone, to Hayes and Dixon. His absence turned into a more obvious presence. A confession full of self mockery and humor from the dead was far more powerful than his futile explanation in his life. At this point, the theme set up in "the good man is hard to find" has been diluted. Although it is full of violence, all things have finally subsided. The lines on Hayes's face are no longer rigid, and Dixon is no longer so reckless. The angle began to move towards the resultant force. Just like those two fires, seemingly tit for tat revenge, in fact, they are all misunderstandings. After a series of misunderstandings and violence, they accidentally promote reconciliation and softness.
This unexpected change is closer to the truth of life, self righteous judgment, irresolvable estrangement, unexpected and unprovoked disaster, unexplained dawn. People think that they are on the right path, but they may go astray. They believe that the mountains are poor and the waters are flowing again, but they run into the dark.
There is stupidity and violence in this town, but it's not the inside that the film focuses on. It's all the surface. They are finally peeled off layer by layer. Although there are costs, they have experienced blood and fire, but the final result is actually tempered very softly. It starts with heartbreak and ends with liberation. Everyone has scars, Dixon's on the cheek, Hayes's in the heart, but the two finally look at each other and smile. The ending is destined not to put on another crazy ending, but to "make decisions on the road" like life itself.