「What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?」
「Please don't lie. It makes your forehead crinkle.」
「Anyone of us could have done it. A simple phone call, a simple wrong turn, and, suddenly, you're off the track moving relentlessly towards a destiny you could never have imagined.」
「I believe in the truth as an essential companion to a man of conscience. A beacon in this vast and dark wasteland, that is our modern world. And yet... in this case, if the truth won't set you free, then lie.」
「Racist? You dare call me racist? Well I say unto you, what does it matter the color of a man's skin if witnesses perjure themselves. If a prosecutor enlists the perjurers. When a district attorney throws a man to the mob for political gain, and men of the cloth, men of God, take the prime cuts? Is that justice? I'll tell you what justice is. Justice is the law, and the law is man's feeble attempt to set down the principles of decency. Decency! And decency is not a deal. It isn't an angle, or a contract, or a hustle! Decency... decency is what your grandmother taught you. It's in your bones! Now you go home. Go home and be decent people. Be decent.」
情节是说一个有钱的纽约经纪人，一次偶然的意外撞倒了一个黑人小孩。但是因为开车的是他的情妇，因此他力图隐瞒这件事。没想到黑人社区的各个利益集团都想插手这个小事故从中渔利。于是牧师、检察官、报社都在肆意地歪曲事实，经纪人立刻陷入了家破人亡的窘境。最后，他终于想明白了，在纽约这个地方诚实是要不得的。于是他也开始用谎言维护自己的利益。当然最大的受益者是记者，通过暗中牵针引线把这个故事搞得一波三折，最后写了一个畅销小说。
对于中国人来说这是不假思索的事情，但是美国人还是做了一番思想斗争。可见中国人的道德观念！
「Please don't lie. It makes your forehead crinkle.」
「Anyone of us could have done it. A simple phone call, a simple wrong turn, and, suddenly, you're off the track moving relentlessly towards a destiny you could never have imagined.」
「I believe in the truth as an essential companion to a man of conscience. A beacon in this vast and dark wasteland, that is our modern world. And yet... in this case, if the truth won't set you free, then lie.」
「Racist? You dare call me racist? Well I say unto you, what does it matter the color of a man's skin if witnesses perjure themselves. If a prosecutor enlists the perjurers. When a district attorney throws a man to the mob for political gain, and men of the cloth, men of God, take the prime cuts? Is that justice? I'll tell you what justice is. Justice is the law, and the law is man's feeble attempt to set down the principles of decency. Decency! And decency is not a deal. It isn't an angle, or a contract, or a hustle! Decency... decency is what your grandmother taught you. It's in your bones! Now you go home. Go home and be decent people. Be decent.」
威利斯和汉克斯在这片里没得到充分的发挥。反倒是戏份不多的老戏骨弗里曼表现的可圈可点。尤其是解释司法公正那一段。那嗓音，没得说。
我觉得这部可以和《铁面无私》以及《越战创伤》并称为德帕尔玛的主旋律三部曲，主题向上，毛病相通。这三部电影都不乏豪华阵容，颇有些主流商业片的味道。在镜头处理上，相比其他作品而言，这三部更加克制和沉稳，依然不乏的出彩长镜头和镜头调度，这样更显其技术上的成熟，运镜挥洒自如；但内容上都比较流于表面，说教意味浓，人物表现也太过脸谱和理想主义化，不够有丰富和深度，但我还是挺偏爱这三部曲，整体来看各有特色。
就这部《虚荣的篝火》来说，德帕尔玛重拾讽刺喜剧，对政客，媒体，宗教还有中产阶级都进行了一番调侃和挖苦，颇为有趣。各位主角也都是我的最爱，汤姆汉克斯演的还是有股傻劲儿，雨夜遛狗和枪轰宴会都挺不错；摩根弗里曼真是大爱，演这位正直的法官十分对味！是片中唯一一位没有明显缺点的正面角色，但他的激情演讲表演也让该片最后一点跑偏，我觉得如果法庭戏最后的镜头是摩根弗里曼在对着那位法庭上的摄像师高谈阔论会更好，将本片讽刺进行到底（其实导演镜头已经暗示的很明显了）。当然最大的惊喜还是见到了我的童年女神“玛丽简”，小时候都那么美????????