Nightcrawler - Empathy for the Antihero
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- The protagonist of Nightcrawler is motivated, clever, and a sociopath - and despite him taking unforgivable actions, the audience stays engaged in the story. Why? This video analyzes how to create empathy for an antihero.
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Gyllenhaal got robbed for not even getting an Oscar nomination. What an amazing performance.
Seriously.
i didn't know he didn't even get a nom... i thought for sure he'd be top 2 or 3 that year if not win it.... i thought this WHILE watching the movie
no one paid for the movie to be nominated, it was obviously the kind of movie that people wanted to fly under the radar
With ease one of the best in the last 10 years. I stand behind my words and can talk with anyone who wishes. Jake is a fantastic actor.
Agreed, but at least he won a golden globe for it.
I also think it's worth mentioning that Lou's "politeness" is very clearly "learned" niceness, and not sincere. It very clearly comes across as though he's repeating info he's read is "acceptable" and memorized.
Bingo! His niceness is "learned manipulation". He is being manipulative; that's why it's not sincere. But people often fall for it because that's how the world is. They often don't detect a sociopath, a politician or a twisted mind when they see one; instead they say: "ah, that's a nice guy". People need to see beyond appereances and look more closely at what people do not what they say or how they say it, like the guy who kept objecting to his videos being shown. I think the movie is true to life and educational.
that's pc culture for you
I have a friend with some very apparent sociopathic tendencies, and god damn does she come off as polite to people who don't know her. People like that are fun to be around, but never to be trusted.
iamlight1 With most of society consumed by vanity, that may never happen for a majority of people.
Yeah it comes across as very “by the numbers” like he’s going through a well rehearsed script
I think this is the most realistic depiction of a sociopath. Non crazy, just real.
@@dancingbanana627 to us. But to them, its just a natural progression of events. If you want to understand the sociopath and psychopath, you have to see it from their pov, ironically what theyre unable to do. When you do that, with the sociopath you'll realize all you have is a reactionary animal surviving, attempting to thrive at a game of chess with human players. Its in the name I rhink for a reason, SOCIOpath, the path the sociopath takes is one revolved around society and attempting to dominate it while the PSYCHOpath, is one of mental instability and a different psychology than that of us.
Sociopaths are not regarded as legally insane
the most realistic is Anton Chigurh.
I mean... to be fair... he was pretty crazy...
@@ryswick1064 i mean yeah just not in a non real way
"I'm lost." Has there ever been a more perfect opening line of dialog from a protagonist that describes the essence of a movie down to a T.
@@marcusliber8865 dude, he's lost in a sense because he hasn't found something truly fulfilling yet, it's not that hard to comprehend man. He even mentions it in the video. Try to keep up buddy
@@bluepajamagamers5704 ,
Yeah well tell me a movie where someone isn't lost, at the beginning especially.
And he finds the nightcrawler job in the first minutes of the movie, afterwards he doesn't seem lost at all. How is him saying he's lost describe the essence on the movie?
@@marcusliber8865 that's why it's the first line, its the intro. Shows you were the character is mentally at the beginning. OP wasn't comparing it to other films, you made that connection for some reason.
What does the T stand for?
@Lovecraftian Face k, thx
When Jake didn't get nominated at the Oscar's that's when I lost all respect for that award show.
Right?
tbh i lost respect as soon as The Dark Knight was mostly left off the board for the big categories (No nominations for Screenplay, Directing, or Best Picture) back in 2009.
I left all my respect when Shape of Water won.
I prefer watching BAFTA. That award giving body recognizes pure talent. Forget Academy Awards! Welp
@@somniato7759 exactly how I felt too
A very important part of this is also the score by James Newton Howard, who chose to score scenes like Lou moving the dead body to get a better shot in a triumphant way to contrast the morbid nature of the action.
It is also not only a contrast, but an introspect into Lou's character. For US this action is horrific and lacks any respect for the dead but for him it's big success. The music adresses the way HE looks at this scene, not us.
Yep! 100%. Really love that they took that approach.
I noticed that too. When he basically murders his employee at the end and he walks into the news office with a huge grin on his face, the music is triumphant.
Astutely observed. Great point.
Exactly ! I was thinking who tf scores scenes like these with music like this and then I realised the point you’ve put down.. there was empathy for Lou throughout the movie but I lost it completely when Ricky got killed. Ngl this movie got me thinking for a very long time on whether it made me disturbed or it made me convinced.. idk still now !
That was SUCH a good decision on their part, I really loved that tone, it really drove his character home
Man, you should have added the extra 21 seconds so that you got prime ads, you made an amazing video that I feel deserves to earn the extra money.
Is that a thing? 10 minutes gets different kinds of ads??
Lessons from the Screenplay Yes, they get prime ads that are worth a bit more per view because bigger companies pay for longer vids, they also get recommended more by UA-cam so you would also get more coverage as well.
Good to know!
Lessons from the Screenplay Glad that you learned later than never! Hope you keep making videos, I really enjoy them (and just between me and you, your content is better than 99% of other channels'.
Lessons from the Screenplay I think you should do this with the movie "The Lord of War."
I love Nightcrawler. The actor should of gotten a nomination.
I agree!
Alberto Arras Juat goes to prove that the Oscars are balls
Exactly, it took them far too long to give Leo DiCaprio his Oscar and they don't recognize Jake Gyllenhaal's brilliance.
should have*
Watch "you" on Netflix . It's awesome
6:08 has to be the best aged line in anything ever.
i watched the movie yesterday and that line cracked me up lol
@@LordZelgadis1 samesies
This is like coming back to a grave just to get the corpse's belongings, stop making everything about the pandemic 😐
underrated comment XD
i watched this just today and it took me a moment to realise its NOT THE CORONA lmao
"The real character isn't Lou. The real character is a society that creates a character like this and rewards a character like this."
Damn, that hit hard.
And it’s getting worse in the real world everyday...just look at Trump. A significant portion of our society actually believe he cares about them and rewarded him with the highest office of the land.
I wouldnt't say society. The character is the inherently and fully amoral system that is capitalism.
Yess. Felt the same!
@@jansarstedt1063 you’re reaching on that one for me pal.
Pretty fucking corny
Please let this video reach one of the many reviewers that think protagonist means 'good guy'
Probably the same people who whined about Jordan Belfort not being openly condemned and shamed in The Wolf of Wall Street. Anyone who had trouble figuring out whether or why Belfort's actions were bad should seriously rethink their moral values.
I remember when I first learned the terms protagonist and antagonist in elementary school, and the teacher made it very clear that anyone could fill those roles. She even gave an example saying "if you were to tell the story from the bad guy's perspective, then the bad guy in that story actually is the protagonist, and the good guy trying to stop him is the antagonist."
I got the same lesson multiple times in high school, only with real examples.
But I guess it's that Canadian vs. American education at play ;) (Americans probably don't get the clear education on the subject, so since the majority of stories have the good guy as the protagonist, they end up with that association.)
I remember when I first learned the terms protagonist and antagonist in elementary school, and the teacher made it very clear that anyone could fill those roles. She even gave an example saying "if you were to tell the story from the bad guy's perspective, then the bad guy in that story actually is the protagonist, and the good guy trying to stop him is the antagonist."
I got the same lesson multiple times in high school, only with real examples.
But I guess it's that Canadian vs. American education at play ;) (Americans probably don't get the clear education on the subject, so since the majority of stories have the good guy as the protagonist, they end up with that association.)
Exactly. It's not the job of the movie to grind to a halt just to say "You see kids, this is bad, mkay."
that's the opposite of most stories tho, in most stories the antagonists are the ones who drive the plot, the protagonists simply respond and react to the antagonists' actions.
I love JG's creepy, starved look in this movie.
Mmhmm!
he starved himself to look like a coyote
Bruh he so reminded me of Joaquin in joker. Same creepy scary look. Especially when Jake was staring at Riz Ahmed's character in the car.
@@aseeiim joker came after it I guess..but what I like abt jake's wt loss in this movie is it was not dramatic..he did it to bring out the creepiness in his face..😆
So many comments saying 'No, you're wrong, he's not likable'.
That's not the point of this video, it's about you being able to relate to someone's situation even if they are UNLIKABLE. The video says it quite a few times but I guess it slipped through the net for some people.
^ Good to know the message is there and being received by most people. :)
I agree! especially because the goal for Lou, succeed in a capitalistic society is relatable, while we may not like Lou we understand because we are all in that same situation- which might create uncomfortableness but I feel like that only adds to the point being made
I honestly like the character, his superficial charm and how well he was portrayed got to me.
That's what the video gets wrong about the film, it's not even about you being able to relate to someone's situation, it's about a completely disgusting person achieving success
AChimpKnockinAbout a lot of people don’t understand the difference between liking someone and being empathetic to someone
Nightcrawler only freaked me out because it takes place exactly where I live. I'm talking square blocks - not miles lol.
I'm in the Hollywood area too, definitely recognized a lot of familiar sights.
Lessons from the Screenplay It's not Hollywood at all, though. It's Granada Hills lol
A lot of it does take place over there, it's true. But several scenes take place here in Hollywood-particularly a lot of the stuff in and around the TV station is over here on Sunset.
Also Koreatown
Lessons from the Screenplay I actually live in corona so when she said that line I got kinda pissed for some strange reason
My dad’ has a saying about politeness; “being polite is a social strategy” I think Lou is one of the best examples of my dad’s saying
He’s not wrong. But it’s not always covering up nefarious motives. I’m exceedingly polite because I was raised by my grandfather, but I’m also empathetic and caring by nature.
If that's what your dad taught you then I feel bad for you.
I think this flim is very underrated.
Agreed.
definitely...one of my favourite films.
I don't know if it's underrated. Almost everyone who has seen it rates it highly. It's maybe underexposed. It's reach and acclaim will grow in years to come imo.
Yeah, I think technically speaking it's not "underrated", but as Sodacake said "underexposed". But I imagine that's what Bradpit soft meant.
+Sodacake I'm pretty sure that's what he meant.....not enough people are talking about it .
I still can't wrap my head around the fact that Jake didn't even get nominated. The guy should have won.
Seriously!
yeah he was absolutely mesmerizing in this movie
You're profile picture looks like it needs a big Mac
"I DON'T GIVE A GOD DAMN ABOUT CORONA"
Well you should be, especially right now.
such a good line. omg
Saw the movie for the first time today. The line did not age well. :D
damn it, you got to it before I did. nice
6:08
When i saw that part, i immediately scrolled to look the comment section XD
There you are hehe
I find it interesting how you never mentioned him sexually extorting Nina, I've always thought that's the moment where you realize there isn't a shred of humanity in this man
👍
He used the word "Anithero" instead of the correct word, villain
Yep, his coercion of Nina informs the audience a whole lot about who he is and how he thinks about human relationships. To him, people are simply resources from which you can extract "things you want" - so long as you have the right bargaining chips and press the right buttons.
Nearly every conversation Lou has with other people is a negotiation.
He’s more of a villain protagonist than an antihero.
Yes I agree there’s nothing “heroic” about him
anti-villian maybe.
@@callmeej8399 you could make a case that he is trying to inform the viewers about the crime that is near them. That is somewhat heroic
@@lachyreid25 Heroism is the motive, not the result.
True. It needs to be stated more clearly more often when talking about this movie.
You really make me want to be a screenwriter.
You really make me want to be, Vince. ;)
Do you want me to crush your dreams? twitter.com/ashleylynch/status/725417817638576129
These are the scripts that look interesting, but not incredible. They're screenplays that are of relative interest but have done nothing to grab the execs who were sent the loglines. The ones that they see potential in, the real money earners/Oscar winners get fast tracked to the top.
Oh, and another thing; never, ever, ever start your screenwriting career by trying to get straight into Hollywood. Start small, don't be afraid to get involved in an indie company and make some stuff. Submit to film festivals. Once your name is out there you stand a much greater chance of Hollywood finding *you.*
Don't ever stop dreaming.
+Royce Bracket I actually started my screenwriting career by getting straight into Hollywood, then immediately replacing a well-known producer with my human puppet. Little known trick that can go far in the screenwriting business.
+Royce Bracket Also before that I made sure to stop dreaming.
Wow a Cinefix, Every Frame a Painting and Lessons From The Screenplay video all within two days?!! Life is good.
:)
me too. literally stumbled across them in the same time frame.
what are the odds
Exactly what I was thinking
And now a Now You See It video. WOW.
When I was finished watching this film, I immediately watched it again. There's so much to chew on and you can learn so much about yourself by thinking about it after it's done. On top of that, I think it's Jake's best performance of his career so far. Another great video, Michael.
I liked his performance in Nocturnal Animals, but I can't disagree with you.
SnqR I haven't gotten a chance to see that yet.
This is performance of a lifetime. It's one of those instances when the actor embodies the character so naturally. Jake will probably never do better than this. It's a shame he wasn't nominated for his performance.
It’s crazy that this movie is able to make us empathize with a character that isn’t even capable of empathy himself. It’s an interesting concept.
@Let The Ego Die I don’t think so man.
Oh good lawd I just watched this movie, and remembered you did a video on it so I immediately came to watch it after I was done. I honestly don't think I've ever been more creeped out by a character. He's so slimy. Got right under my skin. What a performance. And the directing was understated but so articulate. I loved the mirroring shot of the wristwatch at the end, showing that he as a person hasn't changed one bit. Just his success. Little character bits about him ironing, or laughing at a show. The killers filling their tank with gas. Never any closeups on the killers, just what Lou would see. Mundane things that really bring the entire movie home. How he never acknowledged what he did to that guy's van, just let it be there in the back of your mind. "He did that. And didn't care." All of the awful things he does building on each other to make the next horrible thing believable. Wondering if there's anything he won't do. I knew from the second that Rick said he was homeless that he was gonna die. Lou picked such a person just in case he needed to dispose of him. WHAT A MOVIE MY GOSH
yeah especially when Rick would witness Lous craziness he would simply forget about it because Lou had power over him and talked in such a way that rick would end up justifying Lous actions the manipulation was crazy !!
Lou was so uncomfortable to watch.
it was so jarring to hear the way he talked
You know a movie's characterisation is on point when you're emotionally confused watching all the shit he's doing. Especially that scene when he dragged the body just to get a shot... it felt so wrong yet was understandable... great movie.
His demanding nature floored me quite honestly. I wasn't uncomfortable. It was interesting to watch him twist other people into doing his will. It's like a talent.
especially that painfully awkward forced date
It's not a talent, it's a mental disease. '' Lou's Brain '' can't understand or relate to others people suffering , problems or happines, neither he can create real bondings or feel real things that are not related to himself. People with that does not realize they are doing something bad, they see like they're only doing their lifes. You can see that in the restaurant scene, when he says that his threaten was just a negociation.
This film says a lot about how much modern cinema has evolved. A few decades ago Lou would definitely have been either dead or in jail by the finale. but instead he achieves his goals and goes unpunished.
Reminds me of Wolf of Wall Street, how the unlikable protagonists succeeds and that itself becomes a commentary on our society.
Nightcrawler is a hell of a debut film for Gilroy. Great work.
I think this movie is a mirror to modern society and how almost everybody with an iPhone has become a nightcrawler and records fights, scenes, etc. instead of helping.
It still pissed me off he got away with everything he did, especially when he let Riz Ahmed die
That's exactly what the screenwriter wanted the audience to feel, and they succeeded. Clever writing. Fantastic film. Jake's best performance, in my opinion.
Me too. I hoped so much he'd get caught. I was disappointed he wasn't. He didn't just let him die; he set him up to be killed so he committed murder by proxy.
Would have been interesting to see how HE would have reacted but it wasn't in his character to be caught.
That's how you know film is great. When makes you want certain things to happen to characters, the script did exactly what it set out to do.
The same "pissed off"-Ness I got for Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. The two movies deserves more praise and attention than they have had.
Great video once again.
At some point you need to talk about Breaking Bad.
that pilot script! No wonder Bryan Cranston was hooked from the first sentence.
The "Half-Measures" script is so good it hurts
The "tragedy greek" of ozymandias is perfect
Excellent analysis. We were planning on doing nightcrawler as well but i'll save it for a little bit in the future ;). My thoughts on Lou is him as the personification of a corporation. It's a both disturbing as intriguing character since it shows how succes can be achieved by pushing aside morality, like big corporations often do, but translated towards an individual.
Especially the language he uses in the film is often corporate jargon. The character is this twisted version of corporate talk and personal development theory.
Jake Gyllenhaal was also quite positive about Lou, stating in an interview that he saw it as the birth of a cinematographer.
Keep up the work!
Totally agree. If Nightcrawler is "about" anything, it's capitalism.
Agree with both of you. It's absolutely about capitalism, and how it's essentially geared toward sociopathic behavior.
I also really like that we don't know anything about his past. It's almost like he sprouted out of nowhere, like a byproduct of the city, of our capitalistic way of life.
The character obviously read alot of cheap self help/personal motivation books.. but one thing? the OP was wrong about bloom.. he isnt the hero of the story.. capitalism is.
I'd be interested to see you do one on WALL•E as the screenplay was nominated for an Oscar which almost never happens for animated films and I am a total sucker for amazing nonverbal storytelling and character development.
One thing I loved about this movie (saw it last night) was the subtlety in how the main character's actions escalated. We don't see Lou doing anything truly disturbing until he starts to move corpses to fit his shots, which I believe is half-way through the movie. And yet I was always on the edge of my seat wondering to what lengths he was willing to go in order to do his job.
I think that's the magic of having a well-written character. His personality creates expectations, but at the same time his erratic nature makes you unsure of these expectations. I think that's why I was so enthralled in the story. I had no idea what was coming, it was exciting.
As a screenwriter I can say I find your channel to be one of the most genuinely informative and overall well made ones on UA-cam. Your passion for the craft and knowledge surrounding it have motivated and taught me volumes, and I hope to continue to grow alongside you.
Really fantastic analysis. I'm gonna have to rewatch the movie. I think a lot of the things you say about Louis can be applied to Walter White. Breaking Bad shows cause and effect very clearly as well, and that's probably why people sympathized with Walt for so long. In House of Cards, I think the cause and effect is a little less clear, or at least less relatable for most of us. This makes it more difficult to sympathize with Frank Underwood than it does Walter White (at least in my opinion).
Yeah I agree with you, Frank Underwood is in no way understandable. The cause is his desire, and the effect are his means. I like House of Cards, and I think Frank Underwood is a great character (probably partly due to the brilliant portrayal by Kevin Spacey) but he isn't as relate-able as other characters. I think we enjoy watching Frank in the same way that we enjoy watching The Joker, he's an evil genius.
SeeThis608 Yeah probably because of the gargantuan buckets of shit he got poured over him constantly. Life was fucking him in the ass and he said fuck this, no more, time to do some of the fucking myself. You have to root for an underdog like that...
You are absolutely one of, if not the best channel on UA-cam right now, keep up the good work Michael :)
Thanks :) I'd say you're even an above-average Slytherin :P
Thank you! That's awesome! ;D
Every time I find a gem of a channel like this, who takes time to analyze a movie, and compare it to other work or ideas to help you better understand it, i practically leap for joy. Every Frame a Painting, Now You See It, Ryan's Theory, and now Lessons From The Screenplay. Looking forward to future content!
Thank you Lieutenant Mustache! **salute**
Here after watching netflix. Ya'll are talking about Jake Gyllenhaal's performance, but how about Riz Ahmed's (Rick)?
Both performances are just as great as the other!
Rick is the one character deserving of our empathy.
Jake is an extremely underrated actor. In Nightcrawler he was remarkable.
This is a fantastic video essay! Nightcrawler is one of my favourite films in recent memory, Gilroy did a fantastic job of crafting the character of Lou Bloom. His calm yet frantic demeanour, and how his character ranges from likeable to disturbing at a whim demonstrates how good Gilroy is, and how good Lou is, too.
It's true! It's so good.
They should have casted Jake Gyllenhall as the joker
Birdman Hand rub he was my favorite pick for the job , glad he didn't get that offer or he'd been stuck with Jareds stupid version of it .
Jared had just as much skill to make a great Joker. It was mostly fucked up due to the director's vision to have a wannabe gangsta Joker.
MoviesForLife yeah gangasta a joker just don't go together
Birdman Hand rub suicide squad one yes, dark knight one no
Heath Ledger retired the joker. No one else can pull it off
That shot at 6:31-6:42 is my favorite part in the entire movie, it says so much without the character having to say anything. The framing and the acting are just perfect.
Fun fact. That scene is not in the script, and in filming it Jake Gyllenhaal sliced his hand open and had to go to the hospital.
My favorite shot is when he sets up his camera while waiting in front of the Chinese restaurant. It always reminded me of a sniper setting up his gun.
Lessons from the Screenplay ....Shit. Good thing he got it on the first try.
Trisket Indeed.
Graham Kristensen My favorite shot is when Rick says he want half the money, and Lou says "in that case I'm"...pausepausepause..."just going to have to give it you." You can basically seeing him decide that he's going to get rid of Rick one way or another...
nobody:
Michael: As Robert McKee says in Story;
Haha so funny
I think one of the greatest parts of this movie is that the only person society has to blame for the creation of Lou Bloom is society itself. You said it perfectly in how he’s only filling the supply of what society demands. It’s not wrong in his eyes
Confidence: The character trait so nice you have to list it twice!
Yep! *Totally* on purpose!
You should definitely do Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange!! Alex is another classic anti-hero.
Nathan Chanthamontry YES!!! I would love to see you tackle that movie, and that character!
Nathan Chanthamontry I've never been able to finish that. I find it all so repulsive from the get go that I just stop. This one on the other hand slowly and though I was really sad at Ahmed's death, I was still rooting for Lou by the end.
Nobody's liked that bitch tho
So happy you did this! One of my favorite films of the last few years. It's similar to what you said about the Joker in your Dark Knight video - everyone raves about the performance (and with good reason) but the writing is a huge part of what makes the character work. Actors don't give performances of this caliber unless they're working with a great screenplay.
It's very true. Great performances are usually the result of a perfect marriage of director, actor, and screenplay.
It's very true. Great performances are usually the result of a perfect marriage of director, actor, and screenplay.
+Lessons from the Screenplay wow, I didn't expect a reply! But yeah I agree. Well-written characters = great acting. I think Paul Thomas Anderson is the perfect example of that. He makes films that are almost entirely driven by richly written characters and because of that, the acting in his films is always top-notch. Obviously people like Daniel-Day Lewis, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix are gonna be amazing no matter what they're in, but PTA also got powerful, dramatic performances out of Mark Wahlberg, Tom Cruise and even Adam Sandler.
You should definitely look at In Bruges! It is one of my all time favorite movies and is an incredible look into Dark Comedy.
You should check out Nerdwriter1's analysis of In Bruges! It's pretty interesting
Oh I have about a hundred times! Nerdwriter1 is incredible!
Bradi Cooper yesss
Bradi Cooper really underrated film.
“If I was raised on a farm and retarded, I might like Bruges. But I wasn’t. And I’m not.”
God, what a great movie.
The mirror scene is just one of the most terrifying performances I've seen. It beautiful! I love this movie
Woah, it's Naz from The Night Of.
rubber dinghy rapids bro
I found him more unnerving than likable
me too. I don't put him in the anti hero category at all, he's the villain period.
it's a hard concept to grasp, the straight villain, so people call them anti heroes
Yeah I couldn't empathise with him at all and that's probably why I didn't like the film at all
Same. But I still liked the movie.
To be honest, I liked his assistant way more.
It's not necessarily about liking him but rather empathising. Lou has character traits that we as an audience can identify with, however his sociopathic nature negates these, leaving us to view him negatively. The reason that empathy is key is that it allows us to connect with Lou, leaving eager to find out more about him and the story.
I think this was Jake Gyllenhaal's best performance.
Agreed!
I really love him in southpaw and Source code, but I agree this was his best performance.
I watched Nightcrawler because of this video and now I can't stop watching it. It's so amazing and so unique, I still get engaged every time.
I didn't watch the movie, but Gyllenhall's performance really pushes through even in these short snippets. That's a really incredible performance.
This is exactly why anti-hero characters stand apart from conventional figures. Lou's ambition to do whatever it takes defines him. While he took controversial approaches to acquire the footage necessary, he had reason. To give character empathy is to understand his motives behind his actions, do the ends justify the means? He needed an inspiration, a guide toward finding his craft in life. That's what allows for the audience to provide empathy without losing interest. What we witness is the manifestation of Lou's true personality and his desire for power.
In my opinion, screenwriters are the unsung heroes in the art of film-making. Without a compelling story, you're left with a piece of art devoid of any meaning. Excellent work!
👍
I was so excited to see that you took on this title! This movie stuck with me in ways that only a good story can because of all the reasons you noted in this video. Lou is such a fascinating character who acts purely on instinct and I think audiences reacted so positively in a similar way to how they did to American Beauty because both speak to our impulses of speaking out of turn (or out of known character) and acting in similar accord, which is what establishes the understanding you mention. It doesn't change your morals in regards to driving chaos or being infatuated with someone 30 years your junior, but it creates a core understanding based on these impulses that allows the audience to allow themselves to be taken by the story-- at which point, it's only beginning.
Agreed! :)
This was excellent. A good perspective on something many filmmakers fall into.
As for what to study in the future, a look at Her would be amazing. Studying what it means to make a character feel real, and further than that, what it takes to make them feel present
Dear Michael,
I love the way you said at the end " when we empathize with someone, not normally". I had that thought through in the beginning but didn't expect you to point it out. I appreciate your effort of comparing a movie making and philisophy side by side.
How did I only discover this now? This might just be my new favourite channel.
These keep getting better. Keep it up man! Looking forward to the next one
Thanks!
Nightcrawler was a great movie. And it's great to see you grow in subscribers, you really deserve it.
Thanks Bradley :)
Very interesting analysis of this movie and subject. These are the characters I am drawn to most; a character who has a goal and is determined to reach it, despite morally questionable methods they employ to reach it. When a character is a displayed as good or bad, it doesn't come across as genuine. Thank you for making these!
My pleasure!
Please keep making more videos, you make film analysis so engaging and interesting, love your videos!
Thanks Hannah!
This movie is such a powerhouse of a storytelling experience, acting, writing, direction, camera work, music, everything.
Would love to see a video on Donnie Darko or another of Richard Kelly's movies.
Good suggestion, another Jake movie!
Donnie Darko would be great! Love these keep them coming.
6:05 oh she would give a damn about it now lol
THANK GOD people commented on 6:10, i was more scared that people didn't comment on this, than to see the news
I love how in each video you use the soundtrack as background music in your videos!
I think Lou's character fits the archetype of those American Dream story we have heard of: a self-motivated, self-made man that achieve his dreams after his struggles. Yes, he is villainous but this "self-made man" story is so potent that audiences worldwide can relate to.
I absolutely LOVED the soundtrack in that movie. It reminded me why I love electric guitar 🎸
Love your channel man. Awesome analysis! Nightcrawler was one of my favorite films in 2014. Keep it up and looking forward to more of your videos!!
As a someone who spends a lot of time sreenwriting, I find this channel very useful. Thank you for the informative, quality videos!
After two minutes of this video, I had to watch this movie. it was well worth it. Thank you.
My Ethics professor showed this in class and I am forever grateful for it. I love how she asked us not to fully judge Lou the moment we were about to write our essays, it really relates to the end of your video.
This is really one of the greatest representations of a actual psychopath. Zero care or empathy to anybody but himself is something shown so realistic in this movie.
True
And on the top of that, the naturalness and normality of his actions, no hesitation, regret or other type of overthinking, straight crazyness
God I love your channel so much! I feel like I finally understand why certain movies have a certain effect on me and also I love how you analyze the screenplay on a psychological level (like you did with Gone Girl and The Shining). THANK YOU SO MUCH
EXCELLENT. I've always loved films and TV shows that follow the "unlikeable but empathetic" protagonist, and this is possibly the best articulation I've heard of why those works of art are worthwhile and, I believe, completely necessary. I don't think it's the feel good family drama that drills down and tells us who we are and how the world works - it's these sorts of stories that do that the best.
Totally. Glad you liked it, Daniel!
"what if my problem wasn't that i don't understand people, but that i don't like them?" sums up sociopathy and antisocial personality disorder so well
When I first saw Nightcrawler, I never really understood the film. In fact I almost came close to hating. Now after watching a bunch of videos analyzing the film and re watching it, it's one of my favorite movies of all time.
No other actor had eyes freaky enough to play Louis
I have no problem with calling Lou as he is- the villain of the movie. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with creating a move that follows someone without that person needing to be a hero or antihero or even the protagonist. Lou can just be the character the movie follows
Great movies like this happen only with empathy. Books and movies like Psycho do the whole sociopath thing wrong. I loved Dexter because they took the time to create empathy for a Psycho, even Sherlock Holmes, the writers take the time to create empathy for him by showing how others make fun of him. I think this is a valuable lesson for writers, when doing the whole sociopath thing, empathy is your friend.
One of the things I love the most is when the camera stays on him after someone turns away, he'll be smiling, but it'll drip, just a bit, showing how it's something he follows but doesn't quite understand.
6:08 when you are tired of Covid -19 news
6:07 did not age well at all
Hahaha I was thinking about this
No, it aged perfectly.
I saw this masterpiece yesterday and found this line particularly amusing 😂😂😂
Please, Do "Arrival". It is an amazing movie.
Keep it up, your channel is just Phenomenal. :)
I very much want to! And thank you :)
One of the most forgettable movies I've ever seen.
Darragh O'Leary I was thinking about watching it. Would you not recommend it?
@@zaltarical Mate it is hailed as an extremely original interesting scifi movie by an acclaimed director. So clearly I am missing something. I just cannot remember anything about it and found it forgettable. It has a sort of mysterious mindbending story involving communication and aliens and I would put it closer to interstellar then The Martian. If that's your thing then great. But I wasn't a fan of interstellar or this so clearly I am not a fan of open-ended movies built on speculation and theories. I would give it a watch regardless and form your own opinion. And get back to me and tell me what you taught. Maybe it deserves a rewatch?
Darragh O'Leary Thanks for the advice. I think I’ll watch it, and I’ll let you know how I like it. Have a great day
I actually didn't finish watching that movie because it was too much for me
It's pretty intense at times.
+1 for Hard Candy, that would be interesting as fuck
I knew nothing about Nightcrawler until a friend of a very good friend, someone who knows me very well, thought that the main character reminded him of me. After I watched it, I sat back and thought to myself, " Is this an honest reaction to my personality, or a back handed insult?" . After I thought about it, I realized that it was more. It was sincere admiration.
As a fresh graduate of Hofstra University in the 80s my first Stringer job was WOR radio, NY,NY I can remember all the other seasoned journalists looking at me like I was a scrawny little rat LOL but I always got in front of everyone of them and got the best sound bites! 😁
Could you make a video about what makes a great horror villain/monster?
I don't understand why most people assume and claim that because a character is the protagonist he's an "anti-hero" instead of just the villain.
If this movie was about Rick, Lou would CLEARLY be the villain, no questions asked. Just because we see the world from his perspective and his reasons to be who he is doesn't make him an anti-hero, just a great villain with an good background and motivations.
This is the same for Walter White in Breaking Bad or Joel in The Last of US. They are the villains of the story to me, yes, they can be likable and/or sympathetic, so what? I'm sure if they made a movie from The Joker's perspective people would claim he's an anti-hero but for me he just isn't, he'd still be the villain even if he's the protagonist and I feel empathy for him.
92brunod so what exactly is the difference between villain and anti-hero for you?
92brunod The only reason he is an antihero and not a villain is because we see it from his point of view. You could argue the same thing for regular heros. The opposition is always the villain.
92brunod exactly, he is not even close to an anti hero, he is a straight up villain
Robin Hood. an antihero is someone like redhood, the punished or wolverine, Lou is a straight up villain, a brilliant one with a brilliant actor
if he was the Villain, we would have to witness the story from another person's point of view, that's the key difference between Villain and antihero. Antihero is when the main character is the villain, so Walter White and Lou ARE antiheroes, not villains.
These are excellent, I think you're the best in the game right now
please dont stop making videos
theyre actually the best
A few worth analyzing:
Daniel Plainview - There Will Be Blood
Anton Chigurgh - No Country for Old Men
David Dunn - Unbreakable
Solomon Northrup - Twelve Years a Slave
Loving this channel. Watched all your videos on this channel but just finished with this one and honestly, your analysis and way you present these video essays is great. Subscribed, can't wait for more videos!
Awesome! Thanks so much Paul!
Do Whiplash
What part of Whiplash would you want me to talk about?
+Lessons from the Screenplay Maybe how Andrews goal (to get Fletcher's approval) should not be what he wants, but we still want him to receive it. Terrance was a bad guy, going so far with his psychological torment to drive one to kill himself. Though the ending seems as though a happy one, he is actually just giving Fletcher what he wants and giving in to being a slave to him to get his approval. All Fletcher wanted was to be known as the mentor of the next Charlie Parker, and he finally got it. He didn't care about Andrew at all, but was just a selfish hedonist.
+Lessons from the Screenplay And I really appreciate that you actually responded. Channels like yours are the reason I developed a passion for film at my young age
Sammy Belskus Of course! I try to respond to as many comments as possible because I really appreciate you guys watching :)
I like that approach to Whiplash, and it is kind of a weird-feeling ending for the reason you mention. I love movies that explore whether or not it's worth sacrificing everything in pursuit of perfection.
+Lessons from the Screenplay yeah I bet you could make a full length video discussing that and the ambiguity of emotion at the end like you said, and I'm sure people would love it. Anyway, just another suggestion
You should perhaps try Donnie Darko or even Seven next.
Good suggestions. Se7en is definitely on my must-do list.
Or Zodiac
I once heard someone say "likeability is overrated, it's reletablity that matters" I think I'm paraphrasing abit but the point still stands.
I think part of why the film works is that it manipulates the viewer using what they want in a story. No-one actually wants the best, most moral outcome- that would mean the Empire just surrendering in the first few minutes of Star Wars, for example. People want to see someone overcome struggle, and whether they're a good person is secondary to that. Nightcrawler is so good at showing the protagonist struggle and then succeed that his morality doesn't need to be correct to satisfy the viewer.