基本資料
《候選人》英文名：TheCandidate
導演： Michael Ritchie
編劇： Jeremy Larner
主演： 羅伯特·雷德福RobertRedford....BillMcKay
彼得·伯耶爾PeterBoyle....Lucas
茂文·道格拉斯MelvynDouglas....JohnJ.McKay
影片類型： 劇情
片長： 109min
國家/地區： 美國
對白語言： 英語
色彩： 彩色
混音： 單聲道
級別： Australia:PG/Sweden:Btl/Finland:S/USA:PG/Spain:13
攝製格式： 35mm
洗印格式： 35mm
上映日期
美國
USA1972年6月29日......(NewYorkCity,NewYork)
瑞典
Sweden1972年10月18日
西班牙
Spain1972年12月13日
芬蘭
Finland1974年11月29日
荷蘭
Netherlands1975年7月17日
一句話評論
Nothingmattersmorethanwinning.Notevenwhatyoubelievein.
候選人 獲獎履歷
美國編劇工會(WGAAward(Screen))1973
最佳劇情類原創劇本JeremyLarner
奧斯卡1973
最佳音響(提名)GeneS.Cantamessa
最佳音響(提名)RichardPortman
最佳原創劇本JeremyLarner
劇情介紹
MarvinLucas,PeterBoyle,apoliticalelectionspecialist,isgiventheunenviabletaskoffindingademocraticcandidatetounseatCaliforniaU.S.SenatorCrockerJarmon,apopularRepublican.Withnobig-nameDemocrateagertoentertheseeminglyunwinnablerace,LucasseeksoutBillMcKay(RobertRedford),athirty-something,married,attractivemanwhocouldn’tbefurtherremovedfrompolitics.DespitebeingthesonofformergovernorJohnJ.McKay(playedbyMelvynDouglas),Billwasneverinterestedinpoliticsandinsteadactsasalawyerforliberalcauses.
LucasgivesMcKayabluntproposition:Jarmoncan’tlose;andsincetheraceisalreadydecided,McKayisfreetohitthecampaigntrailandsayexactlywhathewantsbecausenoneofitmattersanyway.Thoughhenowknowshewilldefinitelylose,McKayacceptsthepropositionbecauseitgiveshimthechancetospeaktogroupsofpeopleandspreadhisliberalvalues(whichincludesupportforabortionrights,busing,environmentalregulation,andwelfare).Herejectshelporinvolvementfromhisfather,wantingtomakeitonhisownsteam.
McKayhitsthecampaigntrailandbeginscourtingvoters.Histeamofcampaignstaffersstartairingpro-McKaycommercialswhilecreatingadsdesignedtomakeJarmonlookoldandweary.WithnoseriousDemocraticopposition,McKaycruisestotheDemocraticnominationonhisnamealone.HeisthenconfrontedbyLucas,whohasdistressingnews:Accordingtothelatestelectionprojections,McKayissettobedefeatedbyanoverwhelmingmargincomeNovember.WhileMcKaycountedonlosing,henevercountedonbeing“humiliated”–andtherecentprimarywinmeanshecannolongerbackoutandquittherace.Worriedbyapossibleblowout,heagreestostart“broadening”hismessagetoappealtomorevoters.
Throughoutthenextseveralmonths,McKaytravelsthestateandcampaigns,withhisliberalstatementserodingeachday.Hisearlysupportofabortionrightsandguncontrolfadetomush,whilehisstumpspeechisreducedtothesamefewclichésandanewslogan:"Forabetterway:BillMcKay!"ThenewapproachcausesMcKaytogaininthepublicopinionpolls,buthehasanewproblem.BecauseMcKay’sfatherhasstayedcompletelyoutoftherace,themediaspeculatesthatsuchsilenceisactuallyanendorsementofJarmon.McKaybegrudginglymeetshisfatherandtellshimtheproblem.McKay'sfatherthentellsthemediaheisnotendorsingJarmon,simplyhonoringhisson’swishestostayoutoftherace.AsMcKaycontinuestodoashe’stold(ratherthansaywhat’sinhisheart),hecontinuestogaininthepolls.Asthecampaigncontinues,McKaysuddenlybecomesself-awarethatheisbeingmanipulatedandyellsatLucastoexplainwhatthecampaignhasbecome.ThoughLucasneververbalizesit,it’sevidentthat,inhiswisdom,LucassawMcKayasanunpolishedgem–acandidatewhobeganwiththingsyoucouldn’tbuy:goodlooks,confidenceandmassivenamerecognition.LucasthencountedonmoldingMcKayasthemonthswentalong.LucastellsMcKaythattheshiftinelectionstrategyisn’timportant.Whatisimportant,hesays,isthatMcKayisnowonlyninepointsdown–soclose,infact,thatJarmonproposedadebate.Lucassaysthedebatewillprovideachancetoclosethelastgapinthepolls.McKay,somewhatresignedtohisnewcourseofstrategy,agreestogivetailoredanswersinthedebate,ratherthanhisrealopinions.
Thedebatehappens,andthetwocandidatestradebarbs,withMcKaytheslightwinneroverall.Justasthedebateisending,McKayhasapangofconscienceandblurtsoutthatthedebatedidn’taddressanyrealsubjects,suchaspovertyandrace.Lucasandhisstaffersarefurious,knowingthisoutburstwillhurtthecampaign.ThemediagotoconfrontMcKaybackstageabouthisremarksbutarrivejustasJohnJ.McKayappearsandvigorouslycongratulateshissononthedebate,apparentlyhavingbeenveryimpressedwiththehonestyMcKayshowedattheend(butprobably,asaseasonedpolitician,actuallypullingthestunttodeflectfromhisson'spoliticalgaffe).InsteadofthemediareportingonMcKay’soutburst,thestorybecomesthereemergenceofformerGov.McKaytohelphisson.Thepositivestory,coupledwithMcKay’sfather’shelponthecampaigntrail,putsthingsneckandneckwithJarmon.
Electiondayarrivesandvolunteerscanvasstogetoutthevote.McKay,meanwhile,hasstrayedsofarfromhisoriginalvaluesthathe’sinahotelroomslightlyconfused.ThevotesarecountedandMcKaywins.Inoneofthemovie’smorefamousscenes,McKayescapesthevictorypartyandpullsLucasintoaroomwhilethrongsofjournalistsclamoroutside.McKaythenasksLucas:“Marvin...Whatdowedonow?”ThemediathrongarrivestodragthemoutatthatmomentandMcKayneverreceivesananswer.
分析
ThefilmhighlightsmanycriticismsofmoderndayAmericanpolitics,suchastheimportanceofmoneyandtheemphasisontheimageofpoliticalcandidates.Inparticular,thedegenerationofMcKayfromanidealisticpublic-interestlawyerworkingforunpopularandthen-little-knowncauses(theyoungenvironmentalistmovement,civilrightsforLatinos,integrationthroughbusing)andstrongopinionsonallissuesintoaconstructofhiscampaign,dominatedbyidioticlittleslogans(mostnotably"BillMcKay:thebetterway")andaroad-wearynervouswreck,toboot.
Thetitularcandidateispoliticallydisaffected.Itisrevealedthathehasnotregisteredtovoteanddoesnothaveaclearpoliticalmessagetocommunicate.Butthereareissuesheisinterestedin(‘savedsometreesandgotaclinicopen’asLucasbaldyexplains)andthisopportunitypresentsapublicplatformandthefacilitytobeinapositiontocommunicatehisideas.Inagreeingtorun,afterLucasguaranteesthathe’lllose,hemakeswhatIanScottdescribesasa‘Faustianpact’,whichwillinevitablyleadtohisideologybeingsubmergedduringtheprocessofcampaigning.
McKaynaivelybelievesthatLucaswilllethim,toparaphrase,gowherehewants,dowhathewantsandsaywhathepleases.Asthenarrativeprogressesthispromisedfreedomevaporates,hisideologybecomeserodedandheiscompromised.His‘straightforwardstandsonissues’areblandedoutininterviewrehearsals–heisrevealedtobepro-choiceonabortionbutadvisedtosaythatheisconsideringwhathispositionshouldbe.Whenhedoesgooffmessage,andpresentshisownideas,particularattheendofatelevisiondebatewithhisrival,itistreatedwiththesamecollectivehorrorasabasketballplayerdroppingtheballatacrucialmomentofagame.DespitesomeearlyscenesinwhichthecandidatestrollsontoabeachtotalkoffthecufftoyoungstersaboutenvironmentalissuesanddoingwalkaboutsinWatts(recordedfootageofwhichareusedintelevisioncommercialsthroughoutthecampaign),bytheendofthefilmhe’sstandingonsoapboxesworkingapre-preparedspeechinfrontofmiddleclassgardenpartiesandfactoryworkers.McKaychangesthesocialclasseshetalkstoinordertowinvotes.Heisevenquotingthecampaignsloganinthestumpspeech.
McKaybecomescorrupted,butitislargelyhisownchoice.Inakeyscene,heiscalledintoLucas’warroomandshowntheresultsofapollinwhichheislosingbadly,heaskswhythatissoimportantsincehewasgoingtoloseanyway.‘Lucasaskshimifhereallywantstobehumiliated.McKayanswers,“Thatwasn’tpartofthedeal.”’Evenwhenhemakesattemptstodistancehimselffromtheprocess--he‘collapsesintohelplesslaughterwhiletryingtotapeatelevisionstatement;hemockshisownstumpspeech.’andsitsinthebackofthecampaigncarmockinghisstumpspeech(‘thiscountrycannothouseitshouseless’)–itisclearthathecaresforhisownimage,especiallyintheeyesofthevotingpublic.Whenarumoursuggeststhathisfather,whomhehashithertokeptoutofthecampaign,isbackingJarman,hisrival,heimmediatelypayshimavisitinordertogetastatementreleased.Indeedhisdescentintopoliticsbecomesacliché–itisvisuallyhintedthatheisgoingtobelateforanimportantmeetingwithalabourleaderafterabriefromantictrystwithacampaignworker.‘Thereisasexualcompromiseforthecandidateandanassociationbetweensexandpower’.Intheclosingmomentsheischaste.‘IwonderifanybodyunderstoodwhatIwastryingtodo’,towhichisfatherreplies,"Don’tworry,son,itwon’tmakeanydifference."
unusually,inafilmsosteepedinpoliticalandelectoralprocess,theiconographyusuallyassociatedwithacampaign,andinparticularthestarsandstripes,onlyappearatcertainkeymomentsinordertodemonstratethecorruptionofthecandidate.UnlikeTimRobbins’sBobRoberts(1992)inwhichtheAmericanflagisfetishisedtothepointofparodywiththetitularRobertsinonekeyimagestandingnakedbutforaflagwrappedabouthisform,McKayisdistancedfromeventhecolorsthroughmuchofthefilm.ItisworthnotingthattheposterforthefilmhasRobertRedfordfrontandcenterwiththeU.S.flaginthebackground,whichisanoddchoiceconsideringitslackofanappearancethroughoutmuchofthefilm.
Hiscampaignbannerisingreenandyellowandattheralliesorganizedbyhisowncampaignteam,red,white,andbluearenowheretobeseen.TheonlydeploymentoftheflagitselfinthefilmhappensalmostsubliminallyduringanarchivetelevisioncommercialforhisRepublicancompetitor.Whenthecolorsdofinallyappear,drapedoveracarduringatickertapeparadewithMcKaystandinginthecenter,itemphasisesthatthecandidate’sapproachhasutterlychanged–intheselatesuccessfulstageshehasembracedthestandardiconographyofapoliticalcampaignandisaligninghimselfwithexpectation.
Onecentralmessageofthefilmisthatthebusinessofcampaigninghasoverriddentheconditionoftakingoffice.Attheendofthefilmratherthanbeing‘triumphantinvictory:BillMcKayisonlyconfused’.Theweaknessisthatthespectatordoesnotclearlyseetheconsequencesofthecampaign.AsScottdescribes‘Thedilemmaforthedirectorwastoanswerthesechargesofmediapowerandsoundbitemanipulation,notsimplypointedlytoallowcampaignguruLucastoflyofftohisnextcandidateasifgoingtoasalesmeeting.’justaftertheoft-quotedlinefromMcKay‘WhatdoIdonow?’Monacoagreesthatitisnot‘enoughtoexcusethefilmbyexplainingthatitworksinaBrechtianway,toaskquestionsratherthantoanswerthem.Brechtalwaysimpliedanswers.’
Ithasbeenreportedthatuponviewingthefilm,DanQuaylecametotheconclusionthathewasmorehandsomethanRobertRedford,andthathewouldbewellequippedtowinacampaigntoentertheWhiteHouse.Ironically,thefuturevice-presidentoftheUnitedStates,perhapsinadvertently,highlightsoneofthethemesofthepiece–thatnomattertheideologyorinterestsofthecandidate,thebusinessofpoliticalcampaigningisdrivenbyimage.
