Ｊａｍｅｓ?。校幔欤恚澹?/p>

編者按:對(duì)很多西方人來(lái)說(shuō),東方是一片神秘的土地,中國(guó)更是其中的代表。然而,在世界電影,這個(gè)歷史并非久遠(yuǎn)的獨(dú)特文化格局中,東方電影一直處于弱勢(shì)地位。面對(duì)西方資本和媒體高度結(jié)合的文化藝術(shù)沖擊,中國(guó)的電影在近年來(lái)反而呈現(xiàn)出一派盎然生機(jī)。樊和平教授在東南大學(xué)“人文大講座”的演講中曾經(jīng)說(shuō)到“中國(guó)文化形成的是一個(gè)儒釋道三位一體的精神結(jié)構(gòu),這個(gè)精神結(jié)構(gòu)的特征是自給自足,中國(guó)文化的主題就是在入世當(dāng)中達(dá)到一種出世的境界……得意的時(shí)候是個(gè)儒家,失意的時(shí)候是個(gè)道家,到了絕望的時(shí)候就是個(gè)佛家。無(wú)論如何都能找到一個(gè)安身立命的基地……而這種安身立命,需要一種良好的人文素質(zhì)和文化涵養(yǎng)……”正因如此,在不斷對(duì)自我的探索和發(fā)掘定位的過(guò)程中,將東方傳統(tǒng)的理性之光與西方張揚(yáng)的奢欲之情不斷融合,我們才能欣喜地看到一部部暈染著濃厚東方情懷的電影在世界影壇大放異彩。

1895年12月28日法國(guó)奧古斯特?盧米埃爾和路易?盧米埃爾兄弟在巴黎卡普辛路14號(hào)大咖啡館的地下室,第一次播放了自己拍攝的《火車到站》、《水澆園丁》、《工廠的大門》等十余部短片,從此,這天就成為電影的誕生日。而現(xiàn)在,電影已經(jīng)成為人們生活中的一部分,滿足精神和文化上的雙重享受。丹尼爾?貝爾曾經(jīng)說(shuō)過(guò)“我堅(jiān)信,當(dāng)代文化正逐漸成為視覺文化……這是人們從19世紀(jì)中葉開始經(jīng)歷的那種地理和社會(huì)的流動(dòng)以及應(yīng)運(yùn)而產(chǎn)生的一種新美學(xué)?！睆谋酒陂_始,《電影傳奇》就帶你一起在浮光掠影中感受電影文化的魅力。

We?ve done directors and actors in previous installments of this series – now we turn to the movies themselves! Plenty of wonderful movies have been left out – alas, we just don?t have the space. One strange thing stands out here: China has never produced a great animated movie in recent years. Let?s hope that changes in the next few years!

在上幾期欄目中我們分別介紹了西方電影界中的著名中國(guó)導(dǎo)演以及演員,那么本期我就把眼光投向電影本身。因?yàn)轫?yè)面有限,其中很多精彩的電影都被遺漏了。但有一個(gè)奇怪的現(xiàn)象,近些年來(lái)中國(guó)從未制作出一部?jī)?yōu)秀的動(dòng)畫電影,希望這種情況在未來(lái)能夠有所改變。

片名:《小城之春》

類型:家庭/劇情

出品年份:1948年

導(dǎo)演:費(fèi)穆

編劇:李天濟(jì)

攝影:李生偉

剪輯:韋純葆

主演:石羽、崔超明、韋偉、張鴻眉、李緯

片名:《小城之春》

類型:家庭/劇情

出品年份:2002年

導(dǎo)演:田壯壯

改編/藝術(shù)顧問(wèn):阿城

制片:李少紅

攝影:李屏賓

人物造型/服裝設(shè)計(jì):葉錦添

主演:胡靖釩、吳軍、辛柏青

Springtime in a Small Town

《小城之春》

This is one of the few Chinese movies to have been remade, and both versions are classics. The original Spring in A Small Town, made by the great Shanghai director Fei Mu in 1948, is a beautiful film, but got caught up in the tides of history – a quiet, reflective film, it was deemed ?unrevolutionary? by the new government, and received almost no showing. It enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s, and was remade by Tian Zhuangzhuang in 2002, both as an exercise in craftsmanship and to introduce the film to a new generation. The plots of both versions are almost identical, dealing as they do with the return of Zhang Zuyuan, a city doctor, to his old friend Dai Liyun?s house just after the end of the war against the Japanese. The invalid Dai lives with his wife in a sexless, but affectionate, marriage, but Zhang and Dai?s wife, Yuwen, had a passionate affair ten years ago, and their feelings for each other rekindle.

這是中國(guó)少數(shù)被翻拍的電影中新舊版本都被奉為經(jīng)典的影片。原版《小城之春》是由上海著名導(dǎo)演費(fèi)穆于1948年拍攝,畫面優(yōu)美,卻牽涉到歷史——電影本身平靜、發(fā)人深省,卻被新政府認(rèn)為是反革命,幾乎全面禁播。直到上個(gè)世紀(jì)八十年代才得到復(fù)興,并在2002年被田壯壯導(dǎo)演翻拍,二者都熟練運(yùn)用技巧,將影片介紹給了新一代。新舊版本的情節(jié)大致相同,抗日戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)剛剛結(jié)束,醫(yī)生章志忱來(lái)到老朋友戴禮言的家中,導(dǎo)演們著重刻畫一家人如何面對(duì)他的歸來(lái)。久纏病榻的戴禮言和妻子的婚姻生活平淡無(wú)奇,但又對(duì)彼此存在感情,而章志忱和戴禮言的妻子玉紋在十年前曾是一對(duì)戀人,再見時(shí)兩人心中又泛起了漣漪。

One interesting point about the film, in both versions, is its lack of evil. The closest thing to a villainous character is the husband, Dai Liyun, and even he is a decent and honorable man – the audience feels nothing but sympathy for him most of the time, especially as he becomes increasingly sidelined in his own house. At one point he wanders off from a drinkinggame, and nobody even notices that he?s gone. The cinematography is gorgeous – modern film quality makes the recent version look better, although it?s filmed in the same crisp black and white as the original, and the Chinese countryside has rarely looked better.

有趣的是兩個(gè)版本的電影中都沒有壞人。最接近惡人角色的就是丈夫戴禮言了,即使是他,也是一位得體的鄉(xiāng)村紳士——大多時(shí)間觀眾對(duì)他都是報(bào)以深深的同情,尤其當(dāng)他在自己家中日益被忽視。其中一個(gè)場(chǎng)景是戴禮言從酒席上離開,卻沒有人注意到。電影實(shí)在是太奇妙了——盡管兩個(gè)版本都使用了同樣冷清的黑白單色,現(xiàn)代電影技術(shù)使得新版看起來(lái)效果更好,中國(guó)的鄉(xiāng)村看起來(lái)也沒有發(fā)生太大的變化。

The mood of the movie is melancholy, full of regret for lost loves and lost opportunities, but with moments of great humour and joy. Its also intensely erotically charged while having almost no actual sexual content; there are scenes between the lovers where they?re fully clothed and barely touching that are more crackling with sexual energy than any nude scene in a Hollywood blockbuster. A warning, though, this film is slow. Very, very slow, and very little ?action? happens – it?s all about the beauty of the shots and the subtle development of the characters, so it isn?t for everyone. If you find you like this style, however, you might want to check out the British forties classic Brief Encounter, about two married lovers longing for each other, but restrained by both society and their own sense of marital fidelity, or the quiet grace of the Danish classic Babette?s Feast.

電影的基調(diào)無(wú)疑是悲涼的,滿是痛失所愛的悔恨和造化弄人的惋惜,但也有片刻的歡愉。而且,盡管影片中沒有涉及任何真正的情色畫面卻顯得情欲十足;很多場(chǎng)景中相愛的人們衣著整潔,幾乎沒有肢體接觸,這種暗涌的情愫比好萊塢那些赤裸裸的畫面要更具震撼力。影片寓意深遠(yuǎn),節(jié)奏緩慢,鮮少有動(dòng)作場(chǎng)景——所有一切都圍繞著鏡頭呈現(xiàn)的美和角色的微妙變化慢慢展開,所以這部電影不適合所有人。如果你覺得自己喜歡這種類型的影片,那么你可以去找找英國(guó)上世紀(jì)四十年代的電影《相見恨晚》,講的是一對(duì)各自心有所屬的已婚夫妻,但卻受制于社會(huì)以及對(duì)婚姻的責(zé)任感,或者是優(yōu)雅安靜的丹麥電影《芭比的盛宴》。

網(wǎng)友點(diǎn)評(píng):費(fèi)穆在一個(gè)社會(huì)矛盾異常激烈的年代執(zhí)導(dǎo)了影片《小城之春》。這部偏安于精神一隅的作品顯得那么不合時(shí)宜。然而大約半個(gè)世紀(jì)之后,當(dāng)我們?cè)俣刃蕾p到這部蒙塵的佳作時(shí),驚嘆之聲不絕于耳。第五代導(dǎo)演的代表人物田壯壯更是重拍了這部經(jīng)典,向電影大師費(fèi)穆致敬。有人說(shuō)費(fèi)穆的《小城之春》是一部消極避世的作品,正如當(dāng)時(shí)主流電影界對(duì)它的評(píng)價(jià),說(shuō)它充斥著“沒落階級(jí)頹廢感情的渲染”。實(shí)際上正好相反,《小城之春》是“電影文人”最具中國(guó)文化底蘊(yùn)的一種自我表達(dá)手法。全片不著時(shí)政,卻暗傳了當(dāng)時(shí)知識(shí)分子的苦悶心境,具有時(shí)代意味。這種藝術(shù)手法在中國(guó)古代的詩(shī)詞歌賦中很常見,古人在做詩(shī)時(shí),明寫男女之事,實(shí)寫政治情懷。含蓄至極,不落半點(diǎn)痕跡。有些東西我們避無(wú)可避。可是,穿過(guò)這一段流光,我們卻明明白白地看見兩代電影人的深刻藝術(shù)情懷。

片名:《集結(jié)號(hào)》

類型:劇情/戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)

出品年份:2007年

導(dǎo)演:馮小剛

編劇:劉恒

制作人:陳國(guó)富、莊澄、馮小剛、王中軍、王中磊

攝影:呂樂(lè)

視覺特效:菲爾瓊斯

主演:張涵予、廖凡、胡軍、鄧超、王寶強(qiáng)

Assembly

《集結(jié)號(hào)》

Outside of the worst reaches of American straight-to-DVD-movies, war is very rarely glorified in Western cinema anymore. Even the most hackneyed of military films has to touch upon the blood, betrayal, and pointless waste of real war - although for many young men, the gore, horror, and violence depicted in films like Full Metal Jacket or Apocalypse Now are attractive in themselves!Chinese war movies, in contrast, have often been propagandistic affairs, glorifying battle and sacrifice.

除了最差勁的美國(guó)數(shù)字大片外,西方電影中戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)很少是歌功頌德的。即使是最濫的軍事題材影片也會(huì)涉及到殺戮血腥、背叛以及真實(shí)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)所造成的毫無(wú)意義的浪費(fèi)——盡管對(duì)很多年輕人來(lái)說(shuō),像在《全金屬外殼》和《現(xiàn)代啟示錄》這種影片中所描述的殺戮血腥、恐懼以及暴力本身就很具吸引力。相反,中國(guó)的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)題材電影常常是用來(lái)宣揚(yáng)重大事件、表彰戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)勝利以及歌頌奉獻(xiàn)犧牲。

Assembly, directed by Feng Xiaogang, was the first modern Chinese movie to take a more realistic approach to war and its aftermath. Its battle scenes are particularly notable – filmed with alternating close and long shots, both showing the emotions of the characters and the grim face of the battlefield. In some ways it imitates Spielberg?s seminal war movie, Saving Private Ryan, including using Spielberg?s technique of faded out, dark colours for the battle scenes, making them look all the grimmer.

馮小剛導(dǎo)演的《集結(jié)號(hào)》是中國(guó)首部真實(shí)反映戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)以及其后果的現(xiàn)代影片。它的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)場(chǎng)景異常宏大——交互特寫以及遠(yuǎn)程拍攝的手法都表現(xiàn)了角色的情感波動(dòng)以及戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)的丑惡嘴臉。在某些方面也模仿了斯皮爾伯格的經(jīng)典戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)片《拯救大兵瑞恩》,包括斯皮爾伯格慣用的漸褪技巧、戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)背景下的黑云,這一切都突出了戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的無(wú)情和殘酷。

What makes the movie particularly interesting, though, is its exploration of the bureaucracy and politics around war – it takes place over the course of the end of the Chinese Civil War and the beginning of the Korean War – and the nature of heroism and memory. This leads to a greater emphasis on interpersonal scenes (played out amongst beautifuly rendered ruined landscapes) than most war movies, although the exploration of the nature of wartime brotherhood – explored here through the relationship between the men of a unit ruthlessly sacrificed by their commanders – is a common theme. It?s worth watching back to back with Saving Private Ryan, and perhaps also with the Japanese/American masterpiece Letters from Iwo Jima, directed by Clint Eastwood.

這部電影最有趣的地方是它探討了戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中的官僚主義和政治——它發(fā)生在內(nèi)戰(zhàn)結(jié)束到朝鮮戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)開始之際——以及英雄主義的天性和回憶。這使得影片更多地渲染人際關(guān)系場(chǎng)景(多在飽受戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)摧殘的鄉(xiāng)村)而不是戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)畫面,盡管戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中的兄弟情(本片是通過(guò)描述被指揮官無(wú)情犧牲的一個(gè)連的士兵們之間的關(guān)系來(lái)探討)是大主題。你可以將這部電影和《拯救大兵瑞恩》一起反復(fù)欣賞,還有克林特?伊斯特伍德執(zhí)導(dǎo)的美日經(jīng)典影片《硫磺島來(lái)信》。

網(wǎng)友點(diǎn)評(píng):靠《甲方乙方》、《沒完沒了》等喜劇片樹立自己在中國(guó)內(nèi)地一線商業(yè)導(dǎo)演地位的馮小剛憑借《集結(jié)號(hào)》證明了自己在內(nèi)地商業(yè)片導(dǎo)演中的實(shí)力,當(dāng)然,你要無(wú)視《夜宴》那種所謂的大片。一個(gè)國(guó)家的電影比任何其他藝術(shù)媒體都更為直接地反映出這個(gè)民族的心態(tài),在戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)片方面更是如此。戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)電影及與戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)相關(guān)的電影一般都耗資巨大,因此它會(huì)比任何類型的電影都更加鮮明地表達(dá)出各種流行社會(huì)意識(shí)形態(tài)。在正常的表達(dá)下,戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)電影的主題基本都是在努力升華和質(zhì)詢一個(gè)民族如何看待某一具體沖突以及這一沖突如何隨時(shí)間的推移對(duì)集體夢(mèng)魘、習(xí)俗或欲望所產(chǎn)生的沉淀作用。如果從這一高度來(lái)要求《集結(jié)號(hào)》,雖然本片后半部分非常感人,但還是在深度挖掘上留下了一些遺憾,但對(duì)于當(dāng)下的中國(guó)電影來(lái)說(shuō),能夠有《集結(jié)號(hào)》這樣的影片產(chǎn)生,就已經(jīng)預(yù)示著中國(guó)電影未來(lái)的可能。

片名:《霸王別姬》

影片類型:愛情/劇情/音樂(lè)

出品年份:1993年

導(dǎo)演:陳凱歌

編劇:李碧華、蘆葦

攝影:顧長(zhǎng)衛(wèi)

音樂(lè):趙季平

主演:張國(guó)榮、張豐毅、鞏俐、英達(dá)、葛優(yōu)

Farewell, My Concubine

《霸王別姬》

This beautiful and disturbing movie is considered by many to be the greatest Chinese film of all time, and it?s easy to see why. From the stupendous opening, where two beautifully made-up figures confront each other on a grand stage, to the scenes of misery and poverty in pre-war China, the film is visually ravishing. The plot is about a Peking Opera troupe who recruit a young boy, ?Douzi,? who is trained to play female roles alongside his counterpart, ?Shitou.? They end up appearing before the great men of four governments; the old imperial order, the Nationalists, the Japanese, and the Communists, while going through their own personal sufferings and loves.Douzi becomes the adult Cheng Dieyi (played by Leslie Cheung), and Shitou Duan Xiaolou (played by Zhang Fengyi), both famous actors, but their conflicted love for each other alternately pulls them together and drives them apart. Alongside the main plot, the action of the Peking opera also called Farewell My Concubine parallels and illuminates the characters? feelings for each other.

這部賞心悅目令人百轉(zhuǎn)千回的影片被很多人奉為中國(guó)電影的經(jīng)典,原因顯而易見。電影一開場(chǎng)就很驚人,從兩個(gè)漂亮的人偶在華麗的舞臺(tái)上相對(duì),再轉(zhuǎn)到戰(zhàn)前痛苦、貧窮的晚清,視覺效果異常華麗。影片講述了京城的一個(gè)戲班收留了一名叫豆子的小孩,并將他訓(xùn)練成旦角和師兄石頭搭戲。最后他們一起經(jīng)歷了四個(gè)不同的政府領(lǐng)導(dǎo):舊封建王朝、國(guó)民政府、日本偽軍和共產(chǎn)黨,其中也貫穿了他們的個(gè)人經(jīng)歷以及情感波折。豆子和石頭分別就是后來(lái)的程蝶衣(張國(guó)榮扮演)與段曉樓(張豐毅扮演),兩人都成了名角,而他們之間復(fù)雜的情感糾葛將彼此不斷拉近又推遠(yuǎn)。和主要?jiǎng)∏槠叫邪l(fā)展的還有不斷上演的著名京劇片段《霸王別姬》,這也暗示著主角對(duì)彼此的情感。

Fantastically visually lush and beautifully acted – Leslie Cheung?s own sexual orientation and eventual suicide lend an extra tragedy to the film – the film has many themes. One key one is identity, particularly sexual identity – Douzi?s homosexuality seems to be shaped in part by his training and abuse, while all the characters find themselves absorbed in the roles they play on stage. The theme of sexual abuse also permeates the film, both literally and symbolically – Douzi, as a young boy, is abused by a eunuch, while his acceptance of his ?role? as a girl comes after Shitou orally assaults him with a very phallic pipe. The gruesome opening, where his extra finger is cut off by his mother so the troupe will take him, is also hideously remiscent of castration – a horror we remember later that his eunuch abuser also suffered. The relationship between politics and art, particularly as the troupe suffers during the Cultural Revolution, comes to the fore at various points, particularly in the dealings between the troupe?s master and the various government authorities he has to work around. A marvellously rich, detailed, multi-layered film, worth watching again and again. The melodramatic Amadeus deals with similar themes of music and passion, but perhaps the closest Western equivalent would be the fantastic movie Cabaret, about sexual ambiguities and gorgeous dancer routines in a Berlin cabaret during the end of the Weimar era, as the Nazis come to power.

視覺華麗,表演精湛——張國(guó)榮自己的性取向以及最后自殺的結(jié)局都給影片抹上了濃重的悲劇色彩——電影有眾多主題。其中關(guān)鍵的一個(gè)就是身份認(rèn)同,尤其是同志身份——豆子的同性傾向很大部分是由于戲班的訓(xùn)練以及后來(lái)遭受的欺辱所造成,所有的角色在舞臺(tái)上都沉浸在角色中不能自拔。性侵犯的主題也貫穿全劇,無(wú)論是真實(shí)地還是抽象地——在石頭將一個(gè)煙管(片中隱喻男性器官,與后來(lái)豆子的經(jīng)歷相呼應(yīng))插進(jìn)豆子嘴里后,他就接受了自己的“女孩”身份,之后還慘遭宦官的侵犯。而且電影一開始的場(chǎng)景也很駭人,豆子的母親為了讓戲班收留豆子將他多余的一根手指砍掉,這也隱喻了某種身份的閹割——也是我們后來(lái)在影片中看到的豆子的侵犯者老宦官曾經(jīng)遭受的痛苦。如同戲班在文化大革命中所遭受的一切,政治和藝術(shù)的關(guān)系無(wú)論在什么時(shí)候都成為關(guān)注的焦點(diǎn),尤其是在處理戲班班主與不同的政府權(quán)貴周旋時(shí)。這部電影主旨豐富、情節(jié)詳盡、寓意深刻,值得反復(fù)欣賞。電影《莫扎特傳》也是關(guān)于音樂(lè)以及對(duì)音樂(lè)的執(zhí)著的相似主題,但西方最接近的電影恐怕是優(yōu)秀影片《歌廳》,它描述了魏瑪時(shí)代末期、納粹剛剛興起的柏林,在那里關(guān)于性別模糊以及華麗歌舞的故事。

網(wǎng)友點(diǎn)評(píng):“力拔山兮氣蓋世,時(shí)不利兮騅不逝;騅不逝兮可奈何,虞兮虞兮奈若何?！碑?dāng)年在駭下此曲既罷,虞姬自刎而死,最后的訣別,就這么成了傳唱千古的凄美絕響?？梢哉f(shuō)電影《霸王別姬》的成功來(lái)自故事,來(lái)自人物,來(lái)自導(dǎo)演,來(lái)自音樂(lè),來(lái)自戲里戲外不能分割的愛恨糾纏。電影原作者李碧華是香港文壇大名鼎鼎的才女,被稱為“天下言情第一人”,這跟瓊瑤哭天喊地的言情完全不是一回事,她的其他作品《青蛇》、《胭脂扣》、《生死橋》 、《秦俑》、《餃子》、《潘金蓮之前世今生》、《誘僧》等無(wú)一不是精品。而《霸王別姬》讓大家認(rèn)識(shí)了不一樣的張國(guó)榮。很難說(shuō)是程蝶衣成就了張國(guó)榮,還是張國(guó)榮成就了程蝶衣,直到現(xiàn)在大家還在深深地懷念哥哥。他自己的人生也如一場(chǎng)戲,也許正應(yīng)驗(yàn)了那句“不許美人遲暮,只留英雄白頭”。一路情闖蕩到臺(tái)下,沒有了名正言順的眉眼,世俗的眼睛里容不得。至于導(dǎo)演陳凱歌,在面對(duì)最新差強(qiáng)人意的電影《梅蘭芳》,回過(guò)頭看看曾經(jīng)的絕唱《霸王別姬》,恐怕只能感嘆“往事不要再提”。

片名:《喋血街頭》

類型:動(dòng)作/驚悚/劇情/犯罪

出品年份:1990年

導(dǎo)演:吳宇森

編劇:泰小珍、梁柏堅(jiān)、吳宇森

制作人:梁柏堅(jiān)、吳宇森、萬(wàn)艾倫

原創(chuàng)音樂(lè):戴樂(lè)民、黃沾

攝影:林國(guó)華、黃永恒

剪輯:吳宇森、胡大為

藝術(shù)指導(dǎo):梁華生

主演:梁朝偉、張學(xué)友、李子雄、任達(dá)華、袁潔瑩

Bullet in the Head

《喋血街頭》

Bullet in the Head is John Woo?s masterpiece, a complex, tough movie with fantastic action scenes – and one that sadly flopped on its original Hong Kong release. Ah well, it happens to all the best movies. Not that we?ve got anything against his other early movies – The Killer is a melodramatic masterpiece, and Hard-Boiled a great action thriller – but this is the pinnacle. It opens with a marvellous sequence, set to a cover of the Monkees? I?m a Believer, which cuts between a Hong Kong dance hall in the late 60s, where three young men are grooving away with their girlfriends, and those same loveable youngsters involved in brutal gang violence. A lovely, disturbing sequence, it immediately sets up the theme of the movie; youthful innocence corrupted by violence and war. After accidentally killing a prominent gangster, the three protagonists flee Hong Kong, looking to make their fortunes in wartime Saigon. There they become caught up in the rescue of a beautiful singer indentured to a cruel boss (a common trope in Woo?s work, one taken from the melodramas of the 1930s) but, after freeing her and escaping with suitcases full of money, find themselves captured by the Vietcong and subjected to a cruel imprisonment which, even after their release, takes a terrible psychological toll.

《喋血街頭》是吳宇森的經(jīng)典之作,情節(jié)復(fù)雜、暴力,充滿了激烈的打斗場(chǎng)景——一開始在香港首映票房慘淡。但好像幾乎所有好電影都出現(xiàn)過(guò)這種情況。不是說(shuō)他的其它早期電影不好——《喋血雙雄》是劇情片典范,《辣手神探》則是經(jīng)典的動(dòng)作驚悚片——而這部則是他的巔峰之作。電影一開場(chǎng)是一系列絕妙的圖片,伴隨著門基樂(lè)隊(duì)的歌曲《I?m a Believer》畫面突然切換到上個(gè)世紀(jì)六十年代末期的香港舞廳,三個(gè)年輕人和各自的女友正在一起跳舞嬉戲,隨后他們就卷入了一場(chǎng)殘忍的黑幫暴力事件。動(dòng)人卻揪心的故事情節(jié)發(fā)展,但這很快就確立了電影的主題;年輕無(wú)辜的人被暴力和斗爭(zhēng)所腐蝕。在無(wú)意錯(cuò)殺了一個(gè)黑社會(huì)老大后,三個(gè)年輕人逃離香港,準(zhǔn)備前往處于戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中的越南西貢市(已改名胡志明市Ho Chi Minh City)尋找未來(lái)。在那里他們?cè)噲D營(yíng)救一個(gè)陷入殘忍老板之手的美麗歌女(吳宇森慣用的手法,借鑒于上世紀(jì)三十年代的劇集),但在成功解救她并帶著一箱子錢跑路時(shí)卻被越共抓住,并遭受了非人的監(jiān)禁,即使出獄后依舊擺脫不了心理陰影。

Woo is clearly working within the framework of the Western ?Vietnam movie? – in particular, aspects of the plot closely follow The Deer Hunter, a 1978 classic about three young Americans taken prisoner in Vietnam, and the effects it has on them. Woo, however, brings a uniquely Chinese perspective to the story; his heroes are there by tragic personal circumstance, rather than the draft, and their motivations are more financial than warlike. The movie brilliantly shifts gears two-thirds of the way through; the first part is really a wartime gangster epic, while the last third returns to the regular grimness of the Vietnam movie. As you?d expect from Woo, the action sequences are beautifully choreographed – perhaps too beautifully, when it comes to the outdoor war pieces, which look rather too much like gangster movie shootouts to be convincing. Yet the movie finds its own stylised reality, creating a world that?s both over-the-top and emotionally convincing. Watch it alongside The Deer Hunter and Platoon to contrast takes on the Vietnam story.

吳宇森無(wú)疑一直將作品局限在西方的“越戰(zhàn)電影”框架中——情節(jié)很接近《獵鹿人》,拍攝于1978年描述三個(gè)美國(guó)人被越共抓住以及對(duì)他們的影響的經(jīng)典影片,但吳宇森給故事賦予了獨(dú)特的中國(guó)視角;他的主角多是由于個(gè)人的悲劇環(huán)境而被迫前往,并非應(yīng)征入伍,動(dòng)機(jī)也大多和金錢有關(guān),而并非戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)。影片在發(fā)展到三分之二的時(shí)候發(fā)生急劇變化;第一部分完全講述黑幫糾紛,后三分之一又回到了主流的越共電影情節(jié)。正如你對(duì)吳宇森的期盼一樣,他的動(dòng)作影片武打設(shè)計(jì)很華麗——可以用驚人來(lái)形容,尤其當(dāng)提到露天戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)片段時(shí),說(shuō)是黑幫電影中的交火更可信。顯然電影已經(jīng)找到了自己的固定寫實(shí)風(fēng)格,營(yíng)造了一個(gè)超越現(xiàn)實(shí)但又能產(chǎn)生情感共鳴的世界。你可以將這部電影跟《獵鹿人》、《野戰(zhàn)排》這些展現(xiàn)越南故事的影片一起對(duì)比觀看。

網(wǎng)友點(diǎn)評(píng):有人曾經(jīng)懷疑,吳宇森講述的究竟是城市童話,還是人間的幻境?很顯然,他是個(gè)宏大的理想主義者,用自己的風(fēng)格詮釋著江湖,為我們描寫了一個(gè)光明與黑暗不斷摩擦沖撞的世界,雖然身處無(wú)邊的黑暗,卻同時(shí)也有感人的光明。吳宇森的江湖是血腥的、暴力的,但也是唯美的,有一點(diǎn)血性、一點(diǎn)情誼。武俠過(guò)于龐雜的思想制約了美感的抒發(fā),而吳宇森創(chuàng)造出的簡(jiǎn)單世界則展現(xiàn)了驚心動(dòng)魄的美麗。除去慣常的元素,他還給影片加入了時(shí)代背景。殘酷卻充滿誘惑的動(dòng)亂年代,能成就人也能毀滅人。漫長(zhǎng)的時(shí)代變遷,為友情的變化、親密、分離、決裂提供了充分的支持。觀眾也能感覺到滄海桑田,這樣的影片最能打動(dòng)人心?，F(xiàn)在電影最大的弊病就是“它不會(huì)讓我們感動(dòng)”,只會(huì)形而上地宏大或唯美,迷戀于頹靡的、扭曲的情節(jié),編造著難以自圓其說(shuō)、無(wú)病呻吟的故事。

Notes

1. in installments

意為“分期地”。也可以說(shuō)by installments。

例句:The equipment will be paid in installments with the commodities produced by our factory.

設(shè)備以我們工廠生產(chǎn)的產(chǎn)品分期償還。

I can't afford to pay that much right now. May I pay by installments?

我現(xiàn)在一時(shí)付不起那么多錢,我可以分期付款嗎?

2. catch up in

意為“沉湎于、沉浸于”。

例句:We were so caught up in the movie that we forgot what time it was.

我們被那電影深深吸引,簡(jiǎn)直忘了時(shí)間。

3. wander off

意為“迷失、離開正途、漫步”。

例句:Don't wander off too far, Tom.

湯姆,不要跑開得太遠(yuǎn)。

The child wandered off and got lost.

那個(gè)小孩走失了。

4. outside of

意為“在……的外面、除了……以外”。

5. come to the fore

意為“走到前面來(lái)、惹人注意、突出、挺身而出、脫穎而出”。

例句:We encourage top-notch talents with innovative ideas to come to the fore.

我們鼓勵(lì)拔尖的創(chuàng)新人才成長(zhǎng)。

The labour question must come to the fore next session.

勞工問(wèn)題必將成為下屆會(huì)議的熱門話題。

6. shift gears

意為“變數(shù)、變換檔位”。

例句:Going up the steep hill, the lorry shifted gears.

卡車在爬陡峭的山坡時(shí)換檔變速。