In revisiting this film, I cam to recognize that, wow, it's been nearly a decade since I first saw it theaters. God I feel old. I mean, not as old as Jeff Bridges, but man do the years go by. But getting serious now, what I find most fascinating about Crazy Heart is that it doesn't seem like a film that is talked about much these days, or at all, which is an interesting parallel with the whole idea of the film. It's not necessarily a new story.
We've all seen the old tale of the struggling artist whose glory days are far past them to the point that they're not only struggling to get by, but they're struggling just to move forward with the very creativity that helped life flow through them. In the case of country music star, Bad Blake, he's an alcoholic, and he drinks heavily. No surprise, and to a great extent of not only blocking out the pain old wounds have left him with, but also to the extent of dealing with the agony that comes with the act of creation itself.
I don't think of Crazy Heart as simply a drama about a man who battling his demons through substance abuse. On a deeper level, I see the story as an examination of the very pain that is carried by any artist in their routinely struggle to craft a new work. This doesn't just apply to the talents of a musician, when we can look at a painter, a writer, a filmmaker, and a sculptor to the extent of how much time, suffering, and contemplation are needed to craft a deep and meaningful work in relation to their art.
I didn't the film in this light the first time I saw it. However, after a long awaited second viewing, having seen it from a deeper and more introspective perspective, I look at Crazy Heart as the perfect example of a film that knows how much pain is needed, especially when transmitted through the self-destructive behavior of an alcoholic musician as a means of communicating a deeper human level. I hope you all enjoy this episode, subscribe to this channel, and I'll see ya next time.
Sincerely,
Andres
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