Big Gray. Zi Yue Accompany you to the movie "The Last Emperor"
I wanted to hear the soundtrack of Ryuichi Sakamoto in the movie, so I came to see it again. The uncut version is 3 hours and 38 minutes long, the soundtrack in the play is indeed very colorful; the costume set is also very sophisticated; the editing process transitions naturally, along with the life of Puyi in the play, after three and a half hours, there is still a feeling of unfinished life.
What is surprising is that such an authentic Chinese environment, Chinese texts, Chinese objects, Chinese connotations, Chinese stories of the film, turned out to be an Italian director Bernardo. The hand of Bertolucci, he is also one of two foreign screenwriters. After watching the film, you will be amazed at how they have such a subtle observation and understanding of which era of China. The choice of actors is also very in place, with the aristocratic temperament of the dragon; bold, out of line but also incomparably beautiful and oriental charm of Chen Chong, of course, and Wu Junmei, several male and female protagonists of the wonderful performance, integrated with the story, complement each other. The supporting roles and group performances in it, as well as excellent performances, there are almost no places for people to play in the whole process, except for a few characters, I personally feel a bit of a face.
Please be patient not to skip the opening of the film, in the rhythmic drum beat, a sudden gentle melody, into the main film.
At the beginning of the film, a simple green-skinned train, carrying prisoners and Puyi, stopped in Manchuria on the Sino-Soviet border in the 1950s. Along the way, Puyi and all the people and things around him seemed out of place, and with a panicked heart and a evasive look, he quietly hid in the bathroom, wanting to end his life.
The film is mainly strung together by Puyi's memories, through interrogation in prison, naturally cutting into the past; although frequent switching and jumping out, but not at all abrupt, but with the progress of interrogation, the story is also advancing little by little. It all started slowly from an early age.
Young Puyi
The memories begin with the first parting of Puyi's life, when the young Puyi was forcibly taken from his parents to the palace in the middle of the night by a will of Cixi.
At the palace gate, three people with shackles appeared, why three? Instead of two or one? I wonder if it mirrors the fate of Puyi, Wanrong, and Wenxiu, just like these three conjoined shackled prisoners, the fate of the three unfree people is bound together by an invisible shackle.
Before cixi died, he passed the throne to the young Puyi. A child's concern at this time is not about the throne, but about walking up to a guard and saying, "Can we go home?" He would not have known that for a long time to come, not only would the door of his house not be opened to him again, but even the gate of the Forbidden City in front of him would not be opened for him.
At the enthronement ceremony, Puyi followed the call of the grasshopper and found a minister in front of him. The minister took out the grasshoppers around him and presented them to Puyi. This grasshopper statue does not look like Puyi, and this grasshopper cage does not look like the Forbidden City under its feet? The life of creation, the life of separation, the life of seeking liberation again and again, the life of praying to open the door, is thus opened.
Young Puyi
At this time, the honorable Puyi, enjoying the meticulous care of the attendants, also began to feel the weight of the power in his hands and began to know what the Son of Heaven was in the teasing of the next person. Until one day, the companion told him that you are no longer the emperor, and now you have a new president. In order to prove the authenticity, Puyi climbed up the wall and really saw Yuan Shikai sitting in a car and driving into the Forbidden City. Sad Puyi, running away with tears in his eyes. He walked quietly through the people who had been cajoling him all day, and he was going to find his nursing mother, and perhaps in the whole Forbidden City, only the nursing mother would not deceive him. But when I went back, I found that the nursing mother had been ruthlessly taken away. He said she wasn't a wet nurse, she was a butterfly, and now the butterfly flew away.
Young Puyi
Johnston, Puyi's new teacher. The first meeting between the two brought only a little lightness and humor to this film. Since he did not introduce himself when he came in; he was signaled to go out and re-walk through the motions, and then a smile appeared on his cold face, and he held Johnston's hand tightly for a long time. Maybe he hadn't been in contact with people for too long, and he longed to be close to people, and now was the right time. The dialogue between the two, in the seemingly bland question and answer, contains their own attacks and temptations, as well as a vague tacit understanding.
When he saw that the mouse next to Puyi wanted to run out of his pocket, Johnston said, "I think your rat wants to escape, Emperor." Puyi quickly tightened the mouth of the bag. Say to Johnston, "Please don't tell anyone. At this time, Puyi already had some fortitude in his eyes, and began to long for understanding the outside world, and began to long for physical touch and spiritual communication.
When Puyi heard the news of the death of the Imperial Lady, he did not show sad emotions, at this time Puyi had too much depression in his heart for too long, he urgently needed an exit for release, rode on the bicycle given to him by Johnston, and like the lonely Don Quixote, wanted to go out of the palace door to visit his dead relatives.
The camera gives this long road again. Last time, I ran to chase after the departing nursing mother, but did not catch up; this time I rode to see the dead Mother, farther than the last time I walked, to the palace gate, only a door away from the outside world, but the door was still unable to open. After the last unsuccessful request to open the door, he threw the mouse in his arms at the city gate. Just as a guinea pig can't escape, Puyi can't escape either.
marriage
Under the persuasion of Johnston, Puyi chose Wanrong, who was two years older. In the cave room, the two exchanged goodnights and agreed to be a modern couple. Puyi had already begun to accept this woman who was not familiar with her before, and when he left, he promised to take her with him to Oxford.
Life after marriage brought fresh vitality to Puyi. Started playing the violin, started dancing, and seemed to have rekindled hope for life.
But when he cut off the whip and decided to abandon the past, starting with a thorough investigation of the theft of cultural relics in the warehouse, he fought against fate with his own strength. But he had to stop abruptly in the face of a fire.
Subsequently, Yuan Shikai stepped down and was driven away, along with Puyi in the Forbidden City, puyi who was playing tennis, and was asked to leave within an hour. He had to leave again when he had just begun to embrace his new life and accept the home whose doors were closed forever.
The soundtrack here is very contagious, intercept the clips and enjoy them together.
Video: Leaving the Forbidden City
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Days of flight
Puyi, who was caught between warlords, Japanese and Russian forces, was still involuntary. The attempt is to escape reality through pleasure and constant consumption. This time, someone wants to leave Puyi's life, and Puyi will continue to lose. On the way home after a dance, Wen Xiu proposed a divorce, thinking that she was a mistress of Puyi. On a rainy day, Wen Xiu refused the umbrella sent by the servant, as if to say goodbye to the past life and bondage.
The wonderful soundtrack is playing again.
Video: Wen Xiu leaves
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Leaving Wen Xiu, Puyi also wants to bid farewell to his teacher, his best friend Johnston. Here are the most romantic sections of the film.
Puyi on the car sent a fan to Johnston, did not know what was written on the fan, Johnston was very touched after reading it. During the interrogation of Puyi earlier, it was also mentioned that Johnston wrote a book", "The Forbidden City at Dusk", which was written for Puyi. It can also be regarded as a return gift from Johnston.
"How can I say goodbye?" Puyi in the car said.
Johnston: "It's like saying hello when we meet. ”
Looking at Johnston's back, Puyi in the car had tears in his eyes, and a group of folk bands outside the car played friendship for a long time, following them to the station door; outside the station door, a person waved his hand and kept shouting "Goodbye, Mr. Johnston, we will never forget you." "Pure friendship can still be touching and tearful.
Puppet emperor of Manchuria
Japan wanted to bring Puyi to power and administer Manchuria. Puyi also wants to use Japan's power to realize his ambitions. However, such a move caused serious dissatisfaction among the people around him, who thought that it was a betrayal of the country.
But the enthronement ceremony was still held as scheduled, and the windswept field was backed by dilapidated buildings, and faint cannon fire could be heard in the distance, a dirt bag, and a few empty chairs. The audience was like a group of spectators watching the play, and on the stage was Puyi, who knew it, was helpless, and unwilling.
At Puyi's coronation banquet, he sat alone in a corner with a little bit of charm, breaking off the flowers in his hand with a petal and eating himself with tears. Thinking that he was once like this white and beautiful flower, but now he has become what he is now, without Puyi's love, he can only rely on drug addiction and the perverted feelings of a Japanese female spy to fill the emptiness and hopeless life.
Wanrong hopes to have a child of her own with Puyi, but is coldly avoided by Puyi. The disappointed Wanrong picked up the wine glass and shouted loudly, "Long live the Emperor!" In the fluttering streamers, in the crowd of celebrations, leave alone. Puyi on the stage showed a hint of embarrassment and uneasiness, but had to squeeze out an imperceptible smile to whitewash and cope.
Time comes to Manchuria in 1935.
Puyi returned to his official residence and found that the guards who greeted him at the door were all unarmed. Opening the car door, the camera sweeps over the carpet that spreads on the floor and is printed with symbols of imperial power, but it is covered with scorched and messy fallen leaves. Before entering the door, at the cold door, a Japanese person told him that a new ambassador from pseudo-Manchuria had arrived. Puyi was thus arbitrarily announced to be replaced.
In the parliament, in the face of the nomination of the new prime minister, in the face of the Japanese people who are staring at the tigers in the audience, Puyi firmly and bravely said: "No." Then he stood up and said that the relations between the two countries should be based on mutual respect and equality, talked about the status of Manchukuo, and hoped to maintain national unity; watching the people present leave the table one by one, Puyi began to show a hint of panic, but still trying to speak. The final shot is fixed on the closed parliamentary gate, which is still a closed door, this time separating Puyi and his political ideals.
The performance of this speech is very rich. From the beginning of the confident no; to the slightly passionate attempt to convince the people in the audience; to see everyone leave the table, began to show their helplessness and vulnerability; to the low voice after realizing that nothing helped; until finally sat alone and quietly, only to hear the footsteps in the stairs. The rhythm and emotion of the lines are just right, and with the feedback from the outside world, the facial expressions at different stages are displayed, just two minutes, a twist and turn, all of which are flawlessly matched, extremely tense, and empathetic.
Video: Speech
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After experiencing the parliamentary events, WanRong derailed, and the disheartened Puyi became a real puppet. But being a pawn in the Japanese didn't change anything. Life was as strong as ever for him. The child died at birth, and Wanrong was forcibly taken away, not knowing what the meaning of the doctor's injection shot was. Later, Wanrong became a mentally ill person, whether it was deliberately done by the Japanese, or because of the pain of losing her son, it is unknown.
Looking out the window just after giving birth, the weak and weak wife looked at herself, Puyi rushed out of the building, this time saw that it was still the back of the car far away, chased out a long road, like the long Yongdao in the palace, walked to the door, the guards closed the door, and it was a closed door, and even the color of the door did not change. This time it was his wife who left, and Puyi lost another relative. Facing the gate, Puyi said again in an extremely sad tone: "Open door"
Japan was defeated and surrendered, and Russia was about to conquer Manchuria.
Puyi, who was preparing to evacuate, once again met Wanrong. At this time, Wanrong was old, hunched over, with excessively aged teeth, dressed in black, and the bright and moving Wanrong before, judging two people. The moved Puyi went to recognize him, but the delirious Wanrong no longer remembered him, and looked at him numbly, and immediately closed the door. Fate is teasing Puyi again, perhaps more painful than pain, not to leave or lose, but to lose and regain, but no longer as it was.
Prison life
Puyi and his two retinues in prison were divided into a room, and he was still used to taking care of everything in life as if he were in the palace. Slowly, looking at the emperor who was now downcast, the hearts of the followers also began to sprout strange seeds, disdainful eyes, and tooth powder that they deliberately forgot to put when preparing to wash.
All this was seen by the prison director, who decided to change Puyi to another room alone.
Entering the new cell and looking at the strange roommate, Puyi said: "I have never been separated from my family." But now he had to be separated from his "own family" attendants. The gates of the Forbidden City, which used to separate him from his mother, now the gates of prison, separated him from his loyal retinue.
On the playground outside the prison, playing tai chi, Puyi, who lives independently, the buttons of his clothes are crooked, the prison director can't look at him, and he can't look at him; what can't be seen, there are also the former attendants, kind and loyal servants, looking at the emperor who is so nestled in front of him, he can't help rushing forward, crying, while helping to sort out his clothes, constantly saying, "This is the last time, the last time." ”
Someone else is leaving, this time a loyal servant. Before leaving, the servant said to Puyi, This is my wife, we have three children, but you know nothing about me.
Puyi squeezed out a smile in embarrassment and guilt.
Founded new China
A new life is opened, and after being released from prison, Puyi is at ease to be a florist and live the life of an ordinary person.
In the following scene, people who understand it should smile. The enterprise door of which era will be piled up at the gate early before the end of work, waiting for the bell to ring after work, and at the moment when the door is opened, the flow of people will spew out.
Buy your own tickets to your own home. The Forbidden City is still the Forbidden City, but the ignorant children who were young have become old people.
At the end of the film, a child asks Puyi to prove to him that he is the original emperor; Puyi happily feels the cage containing the grasshopper from under the dragon chair and gives it to the child. Echoing the scene at the beginning of the film, Puyi had everything when he ascended the throne, but only the grasshopper in his eyes; after experiencing a life of ups and downs, he was alone, and it was only this grasshopper that could be used to prove himself. When he carefully wiped the grasshopper cage, the smile on his face was as innocent as a child. When the child opens the grasshopper cage, he looks at the grasshopper crawling out. Looking back, he found that the old man who gave him the grasshopper had disappeared without a trace, and perhaps he, like the grasshopper, had finally found his freedom and walked out of the door that had closed him for a lifetime.