The first line of the narration at the beginning of the movie "Red Sorghum"
The overall impression of "Red Sorghum" is that it fully expresses the author's admiration for the primitive life force. This is a movie that brings Zhang Yimou's strong subjective idea, and should be regarded as a more typical author's movie.
In "Red Sorghum", Zhang Yimou on the primitive will to life, life force of the irresistible praise and praise, can be said to have reached the ultimate, to the point of a few into the essence of the out of the gods, which is a kind of worship of the realm of the five bodies.
First of all, the worship of the divine power of sex. In the "sedan chair" a scene, from the surface, it is more than carrying the sedan chair of the rough men in the sedan chair of a red dress, red head of the bride's playful mischief; but from the deep, it is several bare shoulders in the face of the bride's charisma of the budding of the potential joy and desire for spontaneous catharsis of sexuality, but also to the nine children facing an irrational and inhuman The combination of the sexes is not reasonable and inhumane, but it is also a spontaneous outburst of sadness and resentment that Jiu'er can't help. And only can make this singing and dancing "upside down sedan chair" disco from the apex of the madness came to an abrupt end of the power of God, not other than the sedan chair Jiuer's several choked sobs. The writer-director in this mood and rhythm of the transition point, the group of rough and strong man in the heart of human nature of the beautiful spirit of insight and candles out, is the beginning of the movie first hit the heart of the pen. The difference in mood caused by this rhythmic break establishes the truly sacred position that Jiu'er actually occupies in the hearts of the wild men, and is a clear proof of the movie's worship of the divine power of sex. In this group of sedan chair-bearers, only "my grandfather" Yu Zhanao, with his stronger willpower of life driven by the divine power of sex, dares to put his inner turmoil and longing one by one into practical action - compared to other strong men, Yu Zhanao is indeed a step ahead of the rest. Higher than the other strong man, Yu Zhanao is indeed a chip, is truly unique - by virtue of the nine children had given him a beautiful eyes look forward to, so that the ensuing kill husband, wife robbery and even sorghum fields in the intercourse wild, have become a pile is no longer violence and evil, but all the natural package of "benevolence"! "Things beautiful business. Here the "benevolence", can not be narrow law of the law as a criterion, and must be from the broader natural and primitive laws of life - the kind of benign reproduction and development, the kind of survival of the fittest to look for; and here the "beautiful The "beauty" here is naturally the artistic choice and rendering of the beauty of the movie (e.g., omitting the direct description of the "killing of the husband", etc.). When the screen to show the nine children obsessed with the poetry like hazy close-up, Yu Zhanao kneeling in that side of the fallen sorghum on the open space in red "big" shape in front of the nine children overlooking the large distant view (here is simply a religious sex worship, fertility worship solemn ceremony!) As well as backlighting in the red sorghum shadows in the sun and wind swaying dynamic aerial mirror, can be said to be the film on the worship of primitive life force in this situation and the scenario of blending the pavement painting pushed to the heights of artistic beauty - however, looking back at the film, Zhang Yimou really should be here to make the article of the concentration of the article a little bit more adequate, in order to make this The red sorghum ground of "heavenly match, ground into the beauty of" the scene of intercourse, gorgeous music like to achieve more of its sanctification of the situation!
Second is the worship of the divine power of death. In the "red sorghum", Zhang Yimou to show us the picture of life is: these eighteen miles slope people, they love women, live freely, live painfully; and for the family hatred of the shame of the country, they must also rise up to fight, avenge the shame, even if it is for this death - and death, but also want to die freely, die painfully! The two poles of life and death love and hate are opposite and consistent. Indeed, these people say die, that big head Li, the road robbers posing as "bald three gun", etc., seems to be so easy, so easy and so silent death. Naturally, we are not referring to these negative deaths. But those who have a positive meaning of death, those who fight against foreign invasion and the death of righteousness - no matter Luo Han uncle or nine children and even the "bald three guns" died under the Japanese invaders of the butcher's knife and artillery, have become the death of the sacrifice of the death of the heroic, shocking the people's death! For this reason, Zhang Yimou in the movie do not hesitate to let people accept the bloody sensory stimulation, and let the cattle slaughtered and people slaughtered into the sacrifice to strengthen the contrast. In this regard, we should not superficially regard it as an exegetical illustration of the original meaning of the word "sacrifice", but rather as a metaphor for the fact that the sacrifice of cows is not the same as the sacrifice of people. The ending of the film makes the bloodthirsty Japanese invaders realize that the cow is slaughtered in silence and becomes a sacrifice, while the human being achieves his sacrifice in an outburst of resistance and will die with the slaughterer. This performance, too, ultimately became a testament to the divine power of death.
The third is the worship of the divine power of wine. Being beautifully named "eighteen miles of red" sorghum wine, its character in the "Song of Wine Offering" was repeated twice to get the highest praise: "Drink our wine, nourishing yin and Yang mouth does not stink ...... Drink this our wine, see the The emperor does not kowtow ...... "And Yu Zhanao is precisely in a drunken party in the divine power of wine, he and Jiu Er in the sorghum field of the private love of a vomit, and in the eighteen-li slopes of the people from ancient times to the present day as a beautiful story - red sorghum wine of the divine power, is the people of the eighteen-li slopes of the The divine power of red sorghum wine is the wild and uninhibited divine power of the people of Eighteen Mile Slope; the character of red sorghum wine is the free and easy character of the people of Eighteen Mile Slope. One forty-seven, three sixty-nine: Jiu'er, the only woman of the eighteen-li slope, is not it at the moment she joined the eighteen-li slope wine shop as the shopkeeper, to the wine shop fellows for the first time to announce their own nickname is "Jiu'er" (wine child)? Wine and people, its divine power and character is the same, because both were born in the red sorghum field. Eighteen-lippo people take wine as their atmosphere, and eighteen-lippo people take wine as their support; wine pervades the crowd in eighteen-lippo, and wine becomes a catalyst for eighteen-lippo people to regulate and strengthen interpersonal emotional relationships. To put it bluntly, the movie's worship of the divine power of wine is the worship of the divine power of the people of Eighteen Mile Slope.
"Red Sorghum" worships sex, death, and the divine power of wine, and expresses the worship of the primitive desire for life and will, the essential power of life, which is the most fundamental spiritual source of human nature; it is fully displayed in the film in a devastating and wanton manner, making the film extraordinary. "It is a groundbreaking attempt and exploration of Chinese cinema today. In my opinion, the film was able to win the ****ing and unanimous applause in the international film world, precisely at this point; it is not summed up by the phrase "the more national, the more global".
Notes:
1 Borrowed from Wang Xianqian's translation of the sentence "(How will you) travel the path of remote and wanton migration?
Red Sorghum: Nineteen Years in the Land
Cutting off a century of vicissitudes, the fifth generation of Chinese directors has resolutely transformed the world we live in today. 1988, Berlin, the Golden Bear was awarded to Red Sorghum, the first time that a Red Chinese film won a prize at one of the world's four major film festivals.
There were no decent movie theaters in our mining plants that year, and the staff clubs were able to put them on, with limited space, and finally broadcast them to more than 1,000 TVs in the dormitory area with a big pot of difference stations installed on the top of the head. The broken channel can not be adjusted clearly, a moment is a snowflake a moment without sound, and ignorant teenager I can already understand the TV translation, that no end of the viewing of the movie today I think it is complete and clear.
The factory put red sorghum is the result of popular demand, because before quite a long time it has been the talk of the uncles. Said red sorghum in the county has been put, some people watched, there is no such thing as third-degree and skinning footage, there are some people retort that that was cut out, without those things how to go to foreign countries to get awards.
Tertiary said Jiang Wen snatched Gong Li to the ground, breaking a large part of the sorghum, Gong Li lying towards the sky, Jiang Wen kneeling at her feet, a time when the camera swaying, sorghum undulating, suona chirping, the remaining sun like blood - cut out of the part of the three levels must be very, it is not possible to four or five levels are there.
Peeling the skin of the TV set in time and accurate paste all over a snowflake, I heard the tearing screams and "x your grandma", the heart of the great joy, the little boy heard foul language is always very excited. Secretly I was grateful to the person who cut out the yellow part because then I didn't have to close my eyes out of fear and shyness, it's really embarrassing to be a man and not be afraid of the hows and whys.
Many years later, the good old days of "The Omen" started to spoil crops in the same way as Jiang Wen, and the British tried to play "Nine Songs" in popular theaters, and France had its own furry "fxxx me". In France, there's the hairy "fxxx me", and gory images are not uncommon all over the world. And I have never watched red sorghum again, the legendary abridged, I always believe in their existence, perhaps with this belief in old age.
Many years later, the mainland put the movie is still often cut, not only cut yellow, but also cut green, not only cut the plot, but also cut the lines, cut to not know, cut to the upside down ending. The Hong Kong filmmakers are really smart, deliberately cut into the virtues of the scolded, so that the market for them to cry foul.
Many years later, that one-shot director is still active today. Some people say that he relies on star-making red hot, he will all mass actors; some people say that he damage China's image, he will shoot the most beautiful martial arts to the world. Italian opera, Japanese car commercials, he actually conquered the self, do not care about our praise and criticism.
Many years later, someone really made a movie called "Level 5", but unfortunately, the content is not even enough. The director and the director of the old familiar, once a guide, a photographic, get out of the yellow earth, the parade. When the director himself directed the red sorghum, photography is Gu Changwei, recording is Gu Changning, these two brothers are two Golden Rooster Award.
Many years later, Gu Changwei became a director, the point of my childhood into a movie, Berlin is very give him face; Gu Changning to Jiang Wen director of the movie recording, Jiang Wen in Cannes is also very face. They, including director Shuai, are known as the sixth generation of directors. The fifth and sixth generations gathered together, each with a stern face, and a very fat old man drew a line on the table and said, "The fifth generation is responsible for making money, and the sixth generation is responsible for winning awards, and no one is allowed to bully anyone.
Many years later, after drinking our wine rolled up the loess wind, n more good voice only Tian sister still laughs, round face more and more young, open to sing "there is no free love can be downloaded", from my mother to the class of the little girl's love.
Wild hymn
Accompanied by a low male voice, a section of the land belonging to this piece of sad song slowly rose. The eighteen-mile slope is filled with sorghum, symbolizing vibrant life and the mighty and unyielding nature of the Chinese nation. Under the oblique light of the setting sun, the eighteen slopes after the war are accompanied by a touch of blood-colored residual sun. But it is also this residual sun, stained the entire slope, sorghum in the red sea of a person. They herald the rise of life, the outbreak of resistance will continue.
"Red Sorghum", by welcoming the grandmother, in exchange for a mule, great-grandfather married her to a leper. On the way to welcome the bride, a road hijacker came out, and the bearer of the sedan chair ended up hijacking the road hijacker. Later, he became a grandfather. The Japs came. In order to build the road, they forced the townspeople with knives and mutilated the righteous soldiers. There was a roar of anger from the sorghum field, and finally, Grandpa and all the fellows rushed to the Japanese army car, which blew up, and Grandma died, and so did the fellows. Only grandpa and dad are left behind. The whole movie is composed of the emotional process of grandparents, meeting, loving and supporting each other. Through their resistance to the world, and ultimately keep each other, and then finally rise up against the Japanese invasion. Expressed the author of this desolate land, this defy the world can sing the praises of love, to the kind of land belongs to the unrestrained praise of the wild, but also to express the Chinese children's perseverance, tenacity and unyielding quality of praise. The whole movie is actually the author's worship of the primitive life force, which is beyond description.
Grandma and Grandpa are the souls of the entire movie, and like sorghum, they are full of vigor and dare to resist. Grandma was sold to a leper by her money-grubbing maternal great-grandfather; she is an unyielding woman, but as a daughter, she submits to her father's repression. And in the sedan chair, she secretly hides a pair of scissors to keep the leper off her body, and on the first night of her marriage, she picks up the scissors and throws them at her sickly husband. She is also a woman who wishes to pursue happiness of her own. In the sedan chair she sneaks a look at the bearer, and her grandfather's mighty body catches her eye. This is actually a sexual innuendo that is in line with nature's most primitive law of survival of the fittest and paves the way for a wild encounter in the sorghum field. But most importantly, it is the grandmother's clear-cut righteousness. Upon seeing the miserable situation of Luo Han's elder brother, she takes her children and fellows to pay homage to him and inspires her grandfather and fellows to avenge him. This is not just a personal grudge, but a kind of resistance to the Japanese invasion. It was a much different image for rural women at the time, and her righteousness left a deep impression.
Grandpa was a man full of responsibility. When the robbers robbed Grandma, he was the first one to rush over to save her, which was his duty as a palanquin bearer to protect his bride. From there, grandma could not help but be attracted by his body, appearance, and y impressed by his heart. He was a brave man, knowing that his beloved woman was not to be snatched away by bandits, he went into the tiger's lair, skillfully approaching the bandit leader, and suddenly catching him off-guard. For the sake of his woman, he seems to be able to put his life at risk, regardless of the consequences. In the end, even the bandit leader is shocked by his manly character. What really made Grandma fall y in love and dare to break through the feudalism was Grandpa's unique wildness. After returning from the bandits, he makes a scene in the brewery, first by urinating and then by picking out all the sorghum in the steamer with great force. This all demonstrated his masculine virility, the robustness necessary for reproduction. Eventually, Grandma is overcome by him, but when he goes to hug her again, she doesn't resist, and despite what the fellows think, she goes along with him. This time, it was a soulful union that transcended desire. When after the great battle with the Japanese, saw the grandmother's passing, grandfather did not move a muscle, the setting sun will reflect him in red only under, from his eyes, can read the sadness and hatred, but more is the deep love for grandmother.
The most impressive scene in the movie is the one where the grandparents have their first wild encounter in the sorghum field, which is funny to say, but it's true. Grandma doesn't move when she sees that the masked man is Grandpa, and she seems to see something in Grandpa's calm eyes, or maybe she gives in at that point. She had already summoned up the courage to give her young body to Grandpa at that moment, regardless of whether or not yo result, she wanted to dedicate herself to her favorite man, even if it was not allowed by the world in the middle of the wild. Grandpa anxiously pulled away the sorghum and spread it on the ground. This symbolizes the beginning of the most primitive reproduction. Then the grandmother fell to the ground in a state of obsession, while shedding tears made of a mixture of emotions. Grandpa kneeling in the sorghum clearing, grandmother was red "big" shape spread, it seems to be a kind of solemn mating ceremony! Red sorghum shadows under the sun, swaying in the sun and wind, the film's worship of primitive vitality at this point reached the highest point of artistic beauty. This is no longer a simple mating scene, but the director through the euphemistic setting, the human nature in the most true and pure side, with colorful music to achieve the sanctification of the situation! Expressing the author's call to the wildness rooted in everyone's heart.
The movie has a good grasp of the details, showing the characters' hearts and combining them with the theme. When Luohan left the house, he suddenly changed his name to "Jiu'er", which is a clear indication of Luohan's unique love for his grandmother, who he used to call "Bao Bao'er". It also indicates that Lohan will really leave Grandma and devote himself to another thing. This paves the way for the following, in which Lohan joins the Red Army to actively fight against the Japanese, and is eventually captured by the enemy and dies a miserable death. When Lohan was flayed, the whole scene went silent and Grandma covered Father's eyes. A subtle action, showing the mother's unique sensitivity, but the grandmother's eyes are still staring at Brother Luohan, she wants to see the ugly face of the Japs, arousing their own blood belonging to the sorghum land, stirring up resistance to Japan's despicable acts, but also for the later grandmother to worship Brother Luohan, calling on the men to go to blow up the Japanese car, do a good job of paving the way. Through this one detail, the whole movie is strung together like pearls, highlighting the unyielding spirit of the people on the land of sorghum.
The author still retains a strong sense of personal style and subjectivity in creating the whole movie. More fixed shots are used to show the process of changing tasks. The viewer is prompted to watch it in a subdued manner. The film in the performance of the grandmother, the use of many close-up, when the father in the brewery tank scurrying around, kept shouting "mother", the grandmother revealed a happy, warm smile, and then she saw a figure in the distance, the sidelight hit him, outlining the thin figure of the brother of Luohan, in the golden light side, around him, but heralded the arrival of a violent storm. the arrival of a violent storm. Grandma rushes after him, Grandpa is full of frustrated doubt, the backlight comes from behind him and makes him look even more sad, as if he sees something, as if a crisis is approaching, as if the light is pressing down on him. Following that led to the arrival of the Japanese destruction.
The folk songs and ballads of northern Shaanxi, always present in the movie, become indispensable plot propellers. When the fellows first brewed wine in front of the grandmother, sang the "Wine God Song": September 9 brewing new wine good wine out of our hands good wine, drink our wine up and down the air does not cough, drink our wine nourishing Yin Yang mouth does not stink, drink our wine a person dare to go to the mouth of the Qingsha, drink our wine see the emperor does not kowtow, one, four, seven, three, six, nine, nine, nine, nine, one, with me, good wine, good wine, good wine, good wine. The tune is high, full of passion, there is a kind of flare, showing the mellow sorghum wine. And when the second time to sing this song, is in the sacrifice Luo Han big brother, at this time the song has become sad sadness, but also through a kind of resistance, persistence, indicating that the men will avenge him and let go of the fight. Grandpa also had two times to sing "sister you boldly go forward ......" The first time is after the intercourse, there is still a trace of the joy of victory contained in a man's conquest of a woman, a kind of recklessness. And the second time is after the grandmother was killed, grandfather expressionless singing, as if to send his beloved wife's soul to heaven. It is a kind of love to the depths of the liver.
The film's storyline is cleverly set up, interlocking, but in front of the grandparents met too much on the narrative, leading to the later Japanese invasion of the plot to join, it seems a bit sudden, top-heavy, patriotic feelings can not be fully expressed, but also can not be through the layers of padding, rendering sorghum on the ground and even the whole of the people of China, the **** there is a resilient and persistent, strong and indomitable spirit. If you can do more padding, will be able to effectively pawn chapter.
In the bloody sun, the entire sorghum land has become blood red, that is the eclipse represented by the sadness, that is the blood red sorghum, that is the grandfather, father lost his wife, mother's pain, is the author of the people on the sorghum the most noble salute. Sorghum was trampled, but there are still many sorghum in the crazy growth, that is the Chinese nation's exuberant vitality, endless civilization, is the grandfather with the wild. Grandpa's wild is primitive, beastly wild, not only is the man's life in the most true and most core features, or Chinese children, can resist aggression, rise up to the basis of the resistance. Through this movie, the author calls upon the natural nature of mankind and stimulates the pursuit of vitality.