擅离职守影评：What's More Depressing - A Fast Car or AWOL?
Two women falling in love can be complicated by many factors, such as job prospects and family circumstances. This movie had me thinking about Tracy Chapman's Fast Car the whole time while I was watching it.
In Chapman's Fast Car, she told a romantic tale of small-town escape with her lover that takes an unexpectedly sad turn when her lover turns out to be kind of a bum. At first you’re thinking, “What a nice song about a girl and her lover whose car is fast enough to drive them away from all of their problems”. She paints a pretty bleak picture of life – shitty job at a convenience store, dropped out of school, mom has left town and dad is a broken down alcoholic. Maybe with the fast car and her plans for the future they can make a change in their lives. But it has to be now. After all if they don’t leave tonight they are going “live and die this way”.
The lyrical bargain "You got a fast car / I got a..." begins each verse, what makes it even more depressing is that the hook is so infectious and full of hope. Who hasn’t experienced moments of escapism? Whether it’s running away on vacation or barreling down a road so fast that all of your problems can be left behind and someone’s arm, “wrapped ‘round my shoulder” made you feel safe and in a world where you belonged.
In AWOL, the struggles springing from both can be traced back to their shared township. An affecting clash between yearning to escape your fate, and knowing that truly leaving something or somewhere behind isn't easy. It’s thematically rich, and confidently directed with a clear point of view, set against a backdrop of relevant socioeconomic and cultural issues.
It’s also a deeply relatable and affecting depiction of the heedless beauty of a first love. There is something nice about the gritty vibe. Certain scenes made me cringe because they were poorly done. Don't dwell too much on the flaws of production, as doing so will ruin the lovely features of it. Just watch it with an open mind.
