Author: Nick L
Translator: Yi Ersan None of the protagonists in Baker’s films were born with a golden spoon in their mouths, and the concept of wealth does not seem to exist in the world of these people, who have few, if any, well-paying jobs or the support of stable families. If the characters in Baker's films do have a family, it's often a family of choice. Most of these videos are about earning enough money to get through the day by any means necessary.
Sean Baker
Since Baker broke through the proverbial "self-sufficiency" ceiling and entered the mainstream independent film market, his popularity has continued to be successful with a series of lively and interesting character studies centered on sex work. steadily rising. Baker's Rose to Bloom (2012) is an unexpected art film that deftly interprets pornography as a tedious routine, at least in 's San Fernando Valley .
And then, of course, Orange (2015), the gritty masterpiece about Hollywood trans sex workers, and the vibrant Florida Paradise (2017), about a prostitute/temporary sex worker and The story of her 6-year-old daughter living in a motel on the outskirts of the Walt Disney World theme parks in Florida. And last year's "Red Rocket" was Baker's roughest and most graphic sex work portrait to date: a nuanced study of an out-and-out pornographic male star—a glib man without compromise.
"Red Rocket" (2021)
In these films, the protagonists show their magic in an effort to make money, no matter how unscrupulous or "traveling in a gray area" their methods appear to outsiders. Before this series of films, however, Baker's creative tastes were very clear. The best example is Takeaway, a special independent film co-directed by Baker in 2004 with fellow director and producer Zou Shiqing, which will be released through the Criterion Collection on September 13. ) to release the latest fix.
"Takeaway" (2004)
Zou Shiqing moved to New York in the late 1990s and soon met Baker, who was also taking classes at The New School. Both Zou Shiqing and Baker have expressed a desire to tell different stories in the film industry, giving voice to underrepresented groups. As such, The Takeaway is arguably one of Baker's purest expressions of America's marginalized or neglected citizens, though it should also be mentioned that Shiqing Zou, who co-wrote the screenplay with Baker, gives the film a certain degree of character as a whole. Cultural insight that a white male filmmaker simply cannot achieve on his own.
While Baker has taken on the directorial duties individually in every production since The Prince of Broadway (2008), the duo have worked together over the years: Zou Shiqing remains a key player behind the scenes in these films, she Participated in the production of all Baker's works from "Rose to Bloom" to "Red Rocket", and undertook the task of costume design or appearance in some works.
Sean Baker and Zou Shiqing (left)
in the tradition of Neorealist masterpieces such as Bicycle Stealers and Shoe Shine Boys (both by Vittorio De Sica Directed), "Takeaway" is about an ordinary man's daily life and what happens when he hits rock bottom. The protagonist's name is Ding Ming, who is played by the Korean-American actor Charles Zhang.Jang), his performance is heartbreaking.
Ding Ming works hard as a delivery guy at a Chinese takeaway in the city. He also often sends money to his family back home. However, there is a very serious problem here. Ding Ming owes money to several gangsters who helped him smuggle to the United States, and if the debt is not repaid in time, these people will not hesitate to take violent revenge.
We then see cycling in and out of the restaurant where he works, delivering as much food as possible, and struggling to deal with chores with customers whose reactions range from polite indifference to outright hostility. And foot. The Takeaway is an indie film shot on a tiny budget, yet the moment-to-moment angst it conveys is as suspenseful as any multi-million dollar Hollywood thriller — because we care about Ding Ming , and fervently hoped that he could scrape together the money to pay off the debt.
The most distressing scene in the film happened when Ding Ming was robbed by two young men after delivering his meal, and all his cash was looted. It's a harrowing moment - not just because for any New Yorker going through a similar situation, it triggers PTSD , but because we've already witnessed Ding Ming try to raise what he needs In the process of $800, he coped with so many complicated and trivial difficulties.
And this unexpected contingency magnifies this cruelty. In the world of The Takeaway, no amount of hard work can save you from the random chaos of life. Bad things happen to good people, and the myth that you can save yourself with hard work is just a myth.
Crucially, however, Zou Shiqing and Baker never lost their deep, unwavering sympathy for Ding Ming. "The Takeaway" isn't a tragic lament about a fringe figure dragged into a quagmire. Instead, it looks at what it means to survive in America when you're not born into a white or wealthy family with an honest, admirable, and nonsensical lens.
In an interview with the media, Baker claimed that the style of "Takeaway" was influenced by directors such as the Darney brothers, Ken Lodge and Mike Lee . Compared with the works of the above-mentioned masters, "Takeaway" is a film that clearly sets its sights on the issue of class division in the United States.
has no excessive plot design or narrative traps that the protagonist must fall into in order to achieve some unattainable goal. In the world of this movie, the most important thing is how to survive. It's not about success, it's about basic survival. Long before the episode "The Bear's Restaurant" became a 2022 after-dinner talk, "Takeaway" managed to capture the extreme hustle and bustle that restaurant employees can get into during peak meal times, which in large part required. Credit goes to the director for deciding to start filming during real business hours of a real restaurant.
"The Bear's Restaurant" (2022)
Aside from its many thematic merits, "The Takeaway" is an affirmation of the integrity of true independent filmmaking. It provides clear evidence that you don't need special effects, movie stars, or unnecessarily complex plots to keep audiences engrossed in their seats. Sometimes all you need is empathy, a keen eye, and a core dilemma that is as simple as it is universal.
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