Nightcall (Kavinsky)
You're forgiven if you wondered aloud why I'm writing about this song. Nightcall (irritatingly one word) was made popular by its inclusion on the Drive soundtrack. The movie was released in 2011. If you go on the internet at all, you've seen screenshots and memes from the film. It's popular among men who have trouble expressing how they feel. "Literally me" is the most common meme related to Drive.
Ryan Gosling's character (who is simply called Driver in the credits because he is never named) is not exactly a good guy, but he does some good things. The movie has brutal moments, which is why I won't recommend watching, but it is a pretty good movie if you can find an edited version. I won't give away the movie, but it really resonated with a lot of men. A lot of guys will probably go to the Barbie movie (also starring Gosling) and yell out, "Literally me!" I hope so. Maybe I will too. See you guys there!
The song is dark, as is much of the movie. One thing worth mentioning is throughout much of the film, the driver is only that. He doesn't do any of the dirty work. He doesn't want to know anything. He just drives. He's impartial. Something happens that makes him become involved, and that's when we see he is capable of violence. And that's something Jordan Peterson talks a lot about. Men are made to fight dragons. Men should be capable of violence and know their capability. Women actually look for that in a mate, believe it or not. But they also don't want to be shown that violence. Stated another way, men should be capable of violence but not show that capability under normal circumstances. Women will sometimes provoke a man to see if he will indeed show violence, but he should keep that tendency away from her. She must be protected. That's what the violence is for. Keep her and the little ones safe. The movie plays on the archetype of the silent, impartial man coming off the sidelines and into the game, full of piss and vinegar and doing violence to protect those who can't protect themselves. It's a classic theme.
Perhaps that's why the movie resonates so well with men. It plays off of our protective instincts. Violence isn't okay. Let me assure my audience I am not a violent man. But violence under certain circumstances is not only expected but morally correct. It's imprinted on our DNA. It's why men hunt. It's why we watch sports and war movies. We thrive on conflict. It's a necessary part of being a man. We just can't bring that reflex home to our loved ones. Our violence is meant to serve them, not hurt them. And that shouldn't be a hard concept, but some men do the unthinkable, taking out their aggression on those closest to them instead of what threatens the ones they love.
The song itself has some dirty overtones. And a menacing darkness, as well. I don't claim to know much about Kavinsky other than he's French. I wouldn't know this song if it hadn't overlaid the movie so much. I watched this movie years ago and the soundtrack sticks with me even today. So, that's quite a successful merging of sound and images, if you ask me. It's a little wild. A little unhinged. And bestial. Every man has that animal inside him. It's up to him to channel his aggression in a positive way. That's just my take on this movie, this song, and Ryan's character in Drive. I'd be interested in reading others' thoughts. Feel free to comment. And, as always ...
Thank you for reading. And God bless.
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