《夜行者》(Nightcrawler)講述一個(gè)年輕記者在夜晚的洛杉磯拍攝犯罪現(xiàn)場(chǎng)最終自己也卷入“犯罪”的故事。Lou Bloom(Jake Gyllenhaal飾)是一名充滿激情的年輕人,迫切地想得到一份工作。他發(fā)現(xiàn),自己或許可以在報(bào)道洛杉磯地下犯罪活動(dòng)方面有一番作為。于是,他跟其他敢于冒險(xiǎn)的攝影師們一樣,闖入了那個(gè)既危險(xiǎn)又刺激的“夜行”世界。所謂“夜行”(Nightcrawler),指的就是自由記者和攝影師們四處拍攝暴力犯罪的影像,并將其賣給電視臺(tái)相關(guān)節(jié)目組的行為。來(lái)自電視臺(tái)的經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的女導(dǎo)播Nina(Rene Russo飾)成為了Lou的合作者。然而很快,他就模糊了正與邪的界限,從一名旁觀者變成了他鏡頭中故事里犯下罪行的“明星”。
《夜行者》多少有著《華爾街之狼》(The Wolf of Wall Street)的影子,充斥著金錢、背叛與欲望。而Jake Gyllenhaal在影片中奉獻(xiàn)了自己2014年最好的表演。這部電影描繪了一張不道德且冰冷的野心家面孔在洛杉磯的黑夜中疾馳的畫面。
通過(guò)倒賣盜竊的金屬原料為生的Lou Bloom試圖尋找一份長(zhǎng)久的工作,卻因自己的身份遭到了廢料場(chǎng)老板的拒絕。
Lou Bloom: I 1)guesstimate that I have about 50 pounds of copper wire, hundred pounds of chain-link fence and two 2)manhole covers. The nice thick ones.
Scrap Yard Boss: I’ll give 50 cents a pound for the wire, 15 for the fence, and 10 for the covers.
Lou: That’s below market value. That…
Scrap Yard Boss: Market value? You know the cops came by asking about manhole covers?
Lou: I’d like to 3)counter at a dollar a pound for the copper, 30 cents a pound for the fence, and 20 cents per for the covers. Scrap Yard Boss: Ah, sell them somewhere else.
Lou: I’d feel good at 75, 25, and 15.
Scrap Yard Boss: I’m not negotiating with you.
Lou: I think we’re close.
Scrap Yard Boss: I’m done.
Lou: I’m willing to take less to establish a business relationship. If that’s your last best offer, then I guess I accept.
Scrap Yard Boss: Alright. Drive around back and unload them.
Lou: Excuse me, sir? I’m looking for a job. In fact, I’ve made up my mind to find a career that I can learn and grow into. Who am I? I’m a hard-worker, I set high goals and I’ve been told that I am persistent. Now, I’m not fooling myself, sir. Having been raised with the self-esteem movement so popular in schools, I used to expect my needs to be considered. But I know that today’s work culture no longer caters to the job loyalty that could be promised to earlier generations. What I believe, sir, is that good things come to those who work their asses off. And that people such as yourself, who reach the top of the mountain, didn’t just fall there. My 4)motto is if you wanna win the lottery, you have to make the money to buy a ticket. Did I say that I worked in a garage? So, what do you say? I could start tomorrow, or even why not tonight?
Scrap Yard Boss: No.
Lou: How about an internship then? A lot of young people are taking unpaid positions to get a foot in the door. That’s something I’d be willing to do.
Scrap Yard Boss: I’m not hiring a thief.
盧·布魯姆:我估計(jì)我有50磅左右的銅線,100磅左右的鋼絲網(wǎng)圍欄和兩個(gè)井蓋,很好很厚的那種。
廢料場(chǎng)老板:銅線我給你每磅0.5美元,圍欄每磅0.15美元,而井蓋每磅0.1美元。
盧:那低于市場(chǎng)價(jià),那……
廢料場(chǎng)老板:市場(chǎng)價(jià)?你知道警察來(lái)打聽井蓋的事了嗎?
盧:我的要價(jià)是銅線每磅1美元,圍欄每磅0.3美元,而井蓋每磅0.2美元。
廢料場(chǎng)老板:哦,去別的地方賣吧。
盧:我覺(jué)得0.75,0.25和0.15也行。
廢料場(chǎng)老板:我沒(méi)有在跟你討價(jià)還價(jià)。
盧:我覺(jué)得很接近了。
廢料場(chǎng)老板:我就這個(gè)價(jià)。
盧:為了建立長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)的業(yè)務(wù)關(guān)系,我愿意少賣點(diǎn)錢。如果那是你出的最高價(jià),那么我想我可以接受。
廢料場(chǎng)老板:好,開到后面卸貨吧。
盧:不好意思,先生?我在找工作。事實(shí)上,我已經(jīng)下定決心尋找一個(gè)我能夠?qū)W習(xí)和發(fā)展的職業(yè)。我是誰(shuí)?我是努力工作的人,我設(shè)立遠(yuǎn)大的目標(biāo),別人說(shuō)我是個(gè)有恒心的人?,F(xiàn)在,我不是在自欺欺人,先生。我自小受學(xué)校盛行的“自尊運(yùn)動(dòng)”的熏陶,以前只是期望自身的需求被滿足??晌抑溃缃竦穆殘?chǎng)缺乏像上幾代人那樣對(duì)工作的忠誠(chéng)度。先生,我的信條是,只要拼命工作,就會(huì)有好的回報(bào)。而像您這樣事業(yè)有成的人,不會(huì)就此停滯不前。我的座右銘是,要想中大獎(jiǎng),你得要掙到買彩票的錢。我有說(shuō)過(guò)我在車庫(kù)工作過(guò)嗎?那,您意下如何?我可以明天就上班,或者甚至今晚就開始?
廢料場(chǎng)老板:不。
盧:實(shí)習(xí)生怎么樣?很多年輕人為了踏入某個(gè)行業(yè),從事著不領(lǐng)薪水的職位。那是我也愿意做的事情。
廢料場(chǎng)老板:我不會(huì)錄用一個(gè)小偷的。
Lou無(wú)意間發(fā)現(xiàn)各種事故命案現(xiàn)場(chǎng)的第一手視頻資料能夠賣給電視臺(tái)并獲得高額回報(bào),于是憑借偷來(lái)的自行車換取了一臺(tái)手持DV和一個(gè)警用對(duì)講機(jī),從此作為第一手視頻資料提供者走上了新聞媒體從業(yè)之路。
Frank Kruse: Yeah?
Nina Romina: Lou Bloom. Frank Kruse, our assignment editor. Play it back.
Police: I got no pulse here.
Nina: That’s the lead. I want to break it up and do a 5)wraparound from the scene. I want a walking stand-up, 6)teaser at five, repeat on the half and I want the copy to start with a warning.
Frank: You’re gonna show this?
Nina: With a warning.
Frank: It’s 7)excessive.
Nina: We should have 8)packages like this every day.
Frank: People are eating breakfast.
Nina: And they’ll talk about it at work. Tie it in with the 9)carjacking last month in Glendale. And the other one, the van in Palms. When was that? In March?
Frank: In March, yeah.
Nina: It’s a carjacking crime wave. That’s the 10)banner. Call the victim’s family, get a quote, mic it. And you know what to do.
Frank: Yeah.
Nina: How much?
Lou: I’m selling this particular piece for 1,000.
Nina: Not even close. This late, you have nowhere else to go. And the quality’s for shit. I’ll give you 250, that’s the most I’ll do. Now, let’s get you paid. Here you go. Buy yourself some better equipment, a directional mic, and get interviews when you can. You have a good eye.
Lou: Thank you. I’m just beginning, so praise from someone such as yourself, well, you can imagine that it means quite a lot.
Nina: Well, I’ll help in anyway I can. And, of course, you can help me by calling us first. I want you to contact me when you have something.
Lou: Something like this.
Nina: That’s right.
Lou: Bloody.
Nina: Well, that’s only part of it. We like crime. Not all crime. Carjacking in Compton, for example. That isn’t news, now is it? We find our viewers are more interested in urban crime creeping into the suburbs. What that means is a victim, or victims, preferably well-off and white, injured at the hands of the poor or a minority.
Lou: Just crime.
Nina: No. Accidents play. Cars, busses, trains, planes. Fires.
Lou: But bloody.
Nina: Well, 11)graphic. The best and clearest way that I can phrase it to you, Lou, to capture the spirit of what we air, is think of our newscast as a screaming woman running down the street with her throat cut.
Lou: I understand. I’m a very, very quick learner. You will be seeing me again.
Nina: I believe you.
弗蘭克·克魯斯:什么事?
妮娜·羅米娜:這是盧·布魯姆。這是弗蘭克·克魯斯,我們的指定編輯,回放一遍。
警察:我摸不到脈搏。
妮娜:這個(gè)作為頭條。我想分解鏡頭,做個(gè)現(xiàn)場(chǎng)環(huán)繞式報(bào)道。我要邊走邊講解的單人報(bào)道,五秒鐘的片頭,中間重播一遍,開頭警告觀眾謹(jǐn)慎觀看。
弗蘭克:你打算播放這個(gè)?
妮娜:開頭有警告。
弗蘭克:那太血腥了。
妮娜:我們每天都應(yīng)該有這樣的報(bào)道。
弗蘭克:觀眾們都在吃早餐呢。
妮娜:可他們會(huì)在公司里談起。和上個(gè)月在格蘭岱爾市的劫車案放在一起,還有另一起,在帕姆斯的貨車搶劫案。那是什么時(shí)候的?三月的吧?
弗蘭克:對(duì),三月。
妮娜:劫車犯罪潮,這是大字標(biāo)題。給受害人親屬打電話,錄下采訪。你知道該做什么。
弗蘭克:好。
妮娜:多少錢?
盧:這段錄像我要賣一千。
妮娜:貴得離譜。這么晚,你沒(méi)有別的買家了。畫質(zhì)又那么糟糕。我給你250,這是最高價(jià)了?,F(xiàn)在就去領(lǐng)錢吧。給你錢,給自己買些好點(diǎn)的設(shè)備,指向性麥克風(fēng),盡量做些采訪。你很有眼光。
盧:謝謝。我剛?cè)胄?,能得到像你這樣的人的稱贊,你可以想象意義有多重大。
妮娜:嗯,我會(huì)盡量幫忙。當(dāng)然,若能第一時(shí)間打電話給我們,你就是幫我的忙。我想你拍下什么就聯(lián)系我。
盧:類似這樣的錄像。
妮娜:沒(méi)錯(cuò)。
盧:血腥的。
妮娜:嗯,那只是其中一部分。我們喜歡犯罪類,并非所有的犯罪。比如在康普頓的劫車案,就已經(jīng)不是新聞了,是吧?我們發(fā)現(xiàn)觀眾更感興趣的,是城市犯罪蔓延到郊區(qū)。也就是說(shuō),受害人最好是富有的白人,被窮人或少數(shù)民族所傷。
盧:只拍犯罪。
妮娜:不。意外事故也不錯(cuò),包括轎車、巴士、火車、飛機(jī),還有火災(zāi)。
盧:但要血腥的。
妮娜:呃,要有畫面感。我用最好最清晰的方式向你解釋一下,盧,要捕捉到我們想播出的精髓,就把我們的新聞想象成一個(gè)喉嚨被劃開的女子,在大街上狂跑、尖叫。
盧:我明白了。我學(xué)東西非常非??欤銜?huì)再見(jiàn)到我的。
妮娜:我相信你。
對(duì)于職居高位的導(dǎo)播Nina,Lou從男人的角度給予審美上的夸贊,從下級(jí)的角度給予服從權(quán)威的敬仰,以及關(guān)系動(dòng)搖時(shí)對(duì)于其核心利益的一針見(jiàn)血,這些軟硬兼施的伎倆將老江湖Nina牢牢掌控。Lou的成功策略在于他清楚地知道對(duì)方想要的是什么,他只需把兩個(gè)人的共同利益綁定給她看,如是而已。
Nina: I didn’t wake up until five. My body is so off, I feel like it’s time for breakfast.
Lou: I bet you’re beautiful any time of the day. In fact, I’d say you’re much prettier than Lisa Mays. I like the dark makeup on your eyes. I also like the way you smell.
Nina: So, where you from, Lou? Lou: The north end of the Valley. Some of the calls sometimes take me over there, but nobody I know still lives out there. You’re from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Nina: How d’you know that?
Lou: It’s online. Everything about you is online. Not everything, but definitely a lot. I’ve watched all the videos from when you were a reporter. I’m sure you look at those, of course.
Nina: No. No, God, no. Not without a drink in my hand.
Lou: I watch my work all the time.
Nina: Yeah? Do you want to become a reporter?
Lou: No.
Nina: Most of you guys want air time. Lou: Not me. I want to be the guy that owns the station that owns the camera. The business is going well, but in order to grow to the next level, I need to stay one step ahead of my competition and take risks. I also need financial support to 12)implement expansion. Would you like another Margarita?
Nina: One’s enough.
Lou: Thanks for coming out to talk. The place I’m in now is that I want a relationship with someone I can team up with and share, like we share the same job and hours and 13)whatnot. I could go down a 14)laundry list, but you get the idea.
Nina: Yes. Well, I hope you find someone.
Lou: Here’s the thing about that, Nina. I’m quite certain I already have.
Nina: Okay. Let me put this politely. I only came out to dinner with you, Lou, purely as a professional 15)courtesy.
Lou: Thank you. ’Cause I don’t think it’s any secret that I’ve single-handedly raised the unit price of your ratings book.
Nina: Our ratings book price? Whoa!
Lou: I’m a very fast learner. We had a conversation where I specifically mentioned that. Do you remember that? Well, do you?
Nina: Yes.
Lou: I recently learned, for instance, that most Americans watch local news to stay informed. I also learned that the average half-hour of Los Angeles television news packs all of its local government coverage including law enforcement, budget, transportation, education and immigration into 22 seconds. Local crime stories, however, not only usually led the news but filled 14 times the broadcast, averaging five minutes and seven seconds. KWLA relies heavily on such stories. With Los Angeles crime rates going down, I think that makes items like mine particularly valuable. Like rare animals. I can only imagine that your needs will increase during next month’s rating sweeps period.
Nina: Ooh! Yeah. Well, we certainly appreciate what you do.
妮娜:我下午5點(diǎn)才醒來(lái)。我的身體還處于休息狀態(tài),我感覺(jué)像是在吃早餐。
盧:我相信你一天任何時(shí)候都是美麗的。事實(shí)上,我得說(shuō)你比麗莎·梅斯(KWLA 電視臺(tái)的節(jié)目主播)漂亮得多。我喜歡你黑色的眼妝,也喜歡你身上的香味。
妮娜:那么,你來(lái)自哪里,盧?
盧:山谷的北端。有時(shí)因?yàn)橐恍┌缸游視?huì)去那里,可我認(rèn)識(shí)的人都不在那里住了。你來(lái)自賓夕法尼亞州的費(fèi)城。
妮娜:你是怎么知道的?
盧:網(wǎng)上有。你的所有信息網(wǎng)上都有。不是全部,但肯定不少了。我看過(guò)你所有當(dāng)記者時(shí)的錄像。當(dāng)然,我相信你也看過(guò)。
妮娜:不,不,天啊,沒(méi)有,除非喝酒的時(shí)候才看。
盧:我經(jīng)??次业淖髌?。
妮娜:是嗎?你想當(dāng)一名記者嗎?
盧:不。
妮娜:你們大多數(shù)人都想有出鏡的機(jī)會(huì)。盧:我不想。我想成為臺(tái)長(zhǎng),這些鏡頭的所有者。目前生意不錯(cuò),但為了發(fā)展到下一個(gè)階段,我需要比競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手領(lǐng)先一步,需要冒險(xiǎn),也需要拓展業(yè)務(wù)的財(cái)政支持。你想再來(lái)一杯瑪格麗特酒嗎?(Margarita是雞尾酒的一種。主要是由龍舌蘭酒和各類橙酒及青檸汁等果汁調(diào)制而成,一般在餐后飲用的短飲。)
妮娜:一杯就夠了。
盧:謝謝你出來(lái)跟我聊天。我目前的情況是,我希望結(jié)交能與之合作和分享的人,就像我們一樣,有同樣的工作和時(shí)間,諸如此類的東西。我可以列出一張清單那么多,但你懂的。
妮娜:是的,呃,我希望你能找到這樣的人。
盧:?jiǎn)栴}就在這里,妮娜。我很肯定我已經(jīng)找到了。
妮娜:好吧。讓我用客氣的話來(lái)說(shuō),盧,我之所以出來(lái)與你共進(jìn)晚餐,純粹是出于職業(yè)的禮貌。
盧:謝謝。因?yàn)槲矣X(jué)得我靠個(gè)人的力量提高了你們的收視率,這不是什么秘密了。
妮娜:我們的收視率?哇!
盧:我學(xué)東西很快。我們以前交談時(shí),我特意提過(guò)這一點(diǎn)。你還記得嗎?記得嗎?
妮娜:記得。
盧:比如,我最近學(xué)到,大多數(shù)美國(guó)人看當(dāng)?shù)匦侣勚皇菫榱吮3窒㈧`通。我還學(xué)到,洛杉磯電視臺(tái)普通的半小時(shí)新聞,把有關(guān)當(dāng)?shù)卣膱?bào)道,包括執(zhí)法部門、預(yù)算、交通、教育和移民壓縮到22秒。然而,當(dāng)?shù)氐姆缸镄侣?,不但一般都是頭條,報(bào)道時(shí)間也是前者的14倍,平均長(zhǎng)達(dá)5分7秒。KWLA電視臺(tái)很大程度上依賴這樣的新聞。隨著洛杉磯犯罪率的下降,我認(rèn)為這使得我的拍攝特別有價(jià)值,就像稀有動(dòng)物。我可以想象下個(gè)月收視率評(píng)定期間,你的需求還會(huì)增加。
妮娜:嚯!是的。嗯,我們的確很重視你的工作。
Lou跟蹤入室作案的兩名男子到達(dá)快餐店,然后打電話報(bào)警,在警匪交戰(zhàn)的過(guò)程中,他的助手Rick被歹徒擊斃。事后Lou主動(dòng)到警察局交代為什么他出現(xiàn)在槍擊現(xiàn)場(chǎng),而警探Frontieri并不相信他的話,但也沒(méi)有實(shí)質(zhì)證據(jù)證明Lou的行為有罪。
Detective Frontieri: You understand that you’ve been read your rights, and you’re here voluntarily?
Lou: That’s right. Yes.
Detective Frontieri: And this is being recorded and filmed?
Lou: Yes, from the camera up there. A wide angle.
Detective Frontieri: Mmm-hmm. Would you tell me how it is you were at the Chinatown Express tonight and called the 911?
Lou: Of course. It began earlier in the day. I was watering my plant. I looked out my window at my apartment, the one you visited, and I saw a dark-colored vehicle with two men inside parked across the street. I didn’t think anything of it, otherwise I would have reported it then. We began our night, my employee and myself. And around approximately 12:38, I looked in my 16)rearview mirror and I saw what looked like the same men in the same vehicle following us. I made an 17)evasive maneuver. I circled back and tailed them to the restaurant. At which point, I saw them go inside and recognized them as the same men from the home invasion.
Detective Frontieri: You told me you didn’t see the men. That you didn’t get a good look at them.
Lou: Well, it all came back to me when I saw them going in. Their shapes and their movements. And then I saw that one of the men had a gun under his shirt, and so I immediately got my phone and dialed 911.
Detective Frontieri: That’s your story?
Lou: That’s what happened. That’s why I’m sitting here
with you. I think that the men saw my 18)footage and they tracked me down.
Detective Frontieri: You wanna know what I think?
Lou: Yes, please.
Detective Frontieri: I think you 19)withheld information. I think you saw the two men in the murder house in Granada Hills and you saw the car and you sat on it to get something you could film. What do you think about that?
Lou: I think that would be a very unprofessional thing for me to do in my business.
Detective Frontieri: It would be murder.
Lou: I can understand why you’re looking into it, but I didn’t do anything like that. Nothing that could be considered wrong.
Detective Frontieri: You don’t fool me for a minute.
Lou: I’m glad.
Detective Frontieri: I think everything you’ve said is a lie.
Lou: I wish my partner was here to back up what happened.
Detective Frontieri: You left your dead partner.
Lou: No, the ambulances arrived. They’re trained professionals.
Detective Frontieri: Yeah, and you seem real broken up about that.
Lou: No, um...He died doing what he loved.
Detective Frontieri: You filmed him dying.
Lou: Yeah. That’s what I do. It’s my job. I like to say that if you’re seeing me, you’re having the worst day of your life.
弗龍蒂里警探:你明白已經(jīng)向你宣讀的你的權(quán)利,而且你是自愿來(lái)的嗎?盧:沒(méi)錯(cuò),是的。
弗龍蒂里警探:也知道這是被錄音錄像的?
盧:是的,從那個(gè)攝像頭可以看到,廣角的。
弗龍蒂里警探:嗯。能否告訴我你今晚為什么出現(xiàn)在唐人街快餐店,并且打了報(bào)警電話?
盧:當(dāng)然。事情開始于今天早些時(shí)候,我正在給植物澆水,我從我的公寓—你去過(guò)的—看向窗外,我看見(jiàn)街對(duì)面停著一輛深色車,車上有兩個(gè)男人。我當(dāng)時(shí)沒(méi)多想,否則那時(shí)就報(bào)警了。我們晚上開始上班,我和我的員工。大約12點(diǎn)38分,我從后視鏡看到有車跟蹤我們,看似同樣的車,同樣的人。我甩掉了他們,并繞到后面跟蹤他們到了餐館。這時(shí),我看到他們進(jìn)了餐館,并認(rèn)出他們就是入室作案的男子。
弗龍蒂里警探:你曾告訴我你沒(méi)看到他們,沒(méi)看清他們的樣貌。
盧:嗯,我看見(jiàn)他們進(jìn)去就全部記起來(lái)了,他們的身形和步態(tài)。然后我看見(jiàn)其中一人的襯衫下有一把槍,于是我立馬拿出手機(jī)報(bào)了警。
弗龍蒂里警探:這就是你的故事?
盧:這是事實(shí),這是我跟你坐在這里的原因。我估計(jì)這倆人看到了我的拍攝,追查到了我。
弗龍蒂里警探:你想知道我怎么想的嗎?
盧:是的,請(qǐng)講。
弗龍蒂里警探:我認(rèn)為你隱瞞了消息。我認(rèn)為你看到了在格拉納達(dá)山入室作案的兩名男子,還看見(jiàn)了那輛車,然后隱而不報(bào),為了得到你想要拍攝的素材。你對(duì)此有什么想法?盧:我認(rèn)為在我的業(yè)務(wù)里,這會(huì)是非常不專業(yè)的行為。
弗龍蒂里警探:這會(huì)是謀殺。
盧:我能理解你為何這樣想,但我沒(méi)有做那樣的事。沒(méi)做任何錯(cuò)事。
弗龍蒂里警探:你根本騙不了我。
盧:我很高興。
弗龍蒂里警探:我認(rèn)為你所說(shuō)的一切都是謊話。盧:我希望我的拍檔能在這里證實(shí)我的話就好了。
弗龍蒂里警探:你拋下了你死去的拍檔。盧:不,救護(hù)車來(lái)了,他們是訓(xùn)練有素的專業(yè)人士。
弗龍蒂里警探:是啊,你似乎對(duì)此很傷心。
盧:不,呃……他是為了他所愛(ài)的事業(yè)而死。
弗龍蒂里警探:你拍下了他死亡的過(guò)程。盧:是的,我干的就是這一行,這是我的職責(zé)。我想說(shuō)如果你是在跟我約會(huì),這會(huì)是你人生中最痛苦的日子。