Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most people have been at home much longer than in previous years; the previous Weibo hot search of "don't argue with your family before the epidemic is over" hinted at the conflicts that we may have with our families. How to avoid "looking at each other for a long time"? The theme presented in the film "Margaret's Afternoon" gives us hints. @Peng Yiman
"Margaret's Afternoon" by Jean. Directed by Baker and released in France on June 2, 2010, this film is relatively niche, but many people have been cured by the storyline, giving a high rating of 8.8 on Douban. The director brings together many elements such as the original family, psychological trauma, personal growth, etc., and more importantly, the film's picture is warm, the story content is healing, allegorical and deep.
This movie is mainly about the accident of Charman after his mother's romance with people on National Day; he did not know who his father was since he was a child, suffered from dyslexia; had bad life experiences such as teacher's insults, mother's harsh rebuke, and shame around him; his inferior and sensitive personality, and longed to be loved and recognized; under the influence of Margaret, Charman finally faced his heart, accepted himself, and found himself.
Charman's psychological journey from inner inferiority to self-embracing, director Jean. Baker adopts a superb shooting method to present in front of the audience, aside from the warmth of the film content, the film and television elements presented in the film are also the charm of this film, so this article I will interpret in depth from four angles: emotional transformation, character shaping, picture feeling, and film value.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" >1, emotional transformation: using the plot of emotional transformation, showing Charman's inner growth process</h1>
In the film and television elements, the emotional transformation of the character can reflect his inner growth process, and the director presents Charlemagne's inner growth process through the change of Charlemagne's attitude towards his mother, friends, Margaret, etc.
(1) To the mother, from tolerance to acceptance, is the perception of love
Charman came to this world, it was the accident of his mother after the national holiday romance, he had dyslexia since childhood, and was often scolded by his mother; after he became an adult, his mother's attitude towards him never improved, even his friends could not look down, and Charman said, "If I had such a mother, I would rather not be her son" Charman responded: "She is my mother, I did not choose, she did not have to choose." His attitude shows that he does not like his mother, because the relationship between mother and child cannot escape, and he is helpless to accept such a life.
On the surface, Charman had become accustomed to his mother's bad attitude; in fact, he still longed for maternal love in his heart. For example, when he was a child, he spilled his mother's milk, and the picture of his mother telling him, "How did you give birth to such a thing?", has always remained in his memory. He thinks his mother doesn't love him at all and doesn't deserve to be loved; the director's use of flashbacks shows the reason for Charman's extreme inferiority.
Until Charman's mother died, the notary of the estate gave him an iron box and found that it contained the umbilical cord from his birth; the house he lived in was not rented, but the money his mother had spent most of her life working in the brewery to buy for him. He realized that he was deeply loved by his mother. Through Charman's change of attitude toward his mother, the director expresses his perception of love and his desire for love.
I think that the love of many mothers is hidden in the details of life, and can only be discovered with care. Because of his mother's harsh rebuke, Charman ignored his mother's love, and the change in his treatment of his mother was because he was aware that he had always been in love; as Margaret said to Charman: "If a person does not get enough love when he is a child, then all the beauty for him has yet to be discovered, right?" ”
(2) To others, from self-attack to counterattack, is the awakening of the self
Charlemagne often went to bars, where he occasionally said something he had seen in books; there was an old man in the bar who always mocked him for being illiterate; friends knew he was reading and laughed back and forth. For these phenomena, Charlemagne chose to use silence to deal with these ridicules, Charman encountered a satirical attitude in the bar, in fact, he is a manifestation of his extreme inferiority, he does not have the confidence to refute, thinking that he will let others treat him like this if he has nothing to do, turning all emotions into self-attack, thus ignoring his true feelings.
From a psychological point of view, self-aggression is also a defense mechanism; it means that when an individual feels angry about himself or others, he turns his anger to himself. That is to say, the original intention to attack the other party, and finally become an attack on themselves, using self-denial to express their hatred for the world.
All of this quietly changed from the afternoon when Charlemagne met Margaret. He went to see Margaret at the nursing home, brought a bouquet of flowers, took off his clothes that he had refused to change into a harness for decades, and changed into a particularly glamorous and beautiful dress. At the bar, the old man tried to make fun of him with the dictionary, and he chose to fight back. At this moment, Charman's behavior means that he begins to care about what others think of him, from ignoring the self to facing the self, symbolizing that he will not be patient, but will fight back.
In my opinion, looking at the things that have passed since I put up with it, in the subconscious, I have long been suppressing myself. Charlemagne has been in the shadows for many years, and Margaret is like an afternoon sunshine, carrying books into Charman's life; sweeping away the haze in front of him, nourishing his soul with reading, and opening the door of his heart.
(3) For Margaret, from respect to concern, it is inner growth
Charlemagne sat on a bench in the park and counted the pigeons, and Margaret, who was sitting on a stool next to him, said softly, "Young man, there are 19 pigeons here." This kindness warmed Up Charlemagne and approached Margaret, 95. The two people talked a lot together like friends who had known each other for many years.
Margaret often read to Charman about the contents of the book, exchanging books she had read and sharing sentences that touched her heart. Margaret's gentleness and talent made Charlemagne feel equality and respect in the process of communication. Upon discovering that Margaret had been taken to a free nursing home, he drove her home. Through these plots, it can be seen that Charman's attitude towards Margaret has changed from a close friend and a close friend to a concerned relative. The audience witnessed Charlemagne's gradual change and was healed by their chat content.
The reason why Charlemagne approached Margaret was greatly related to the trauma inside; he had dyslexia since he was a child, and Margaret read the contents of the book to him; he was treated roughly by his mother from an early age, and Margaret gave him the gentleness of a mother. Here, Charlemagne's psychological wounds are gradually healed, and at the same time, he finds that he wants to be someone like Margaret, and his purpose in life becomes clear.
I think that everything a person wants to escape is exactly what needs to be faced in life; like an ostrich, hiding in the sand will only make the damage worse. And the people and things that inadvertently heal us are exactly what we don't have, and the heart longs to be what it wants to be. When a person who lives in the shadows becomes strong inside and meets what he wants to be, life will be clear.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" >2, character shaping: through dress, speech and demeanor to create a distinct image of the character, deeply trigger the audience's emotional resonance</h1>
Charlemagne and Margaret are like people from two different worlds, the director perfectly presents the personality characteristics and life attitude of these two characters through dress, speech and demeanor, so that the viewers have emotional resonance with Charlemagne, and are also moved by Margaret's elegance.
(1) Margaret lives exquisitely and treats the world indifferently
When Margaret greeted Charman, she was wearing a pink knit shirt and a floral skirt, clean and fresh, exuding the elegance of her bones. Margaret, 95, even if she comes to the park in the afternoon, is still dressed appropriately; it is not difficult to see that the old man's life is very exquisite.
When Charlemagne went to visit Margaret at the nursing home, there were many neatly arranged books in her room, and pictures of others hanging on the walls were hanging everywhere. Through these details, the director tells the viewers that the tranquility in Margaret's bones is because reading has enhanced cognition and traveled around the world to increase the pattern.
Margaret's approach to life is perfectly reflected in her chat with Charlemagne. For example, because her eyesight began to deteriorate, her nephew no longer provided for the cost of a private nursing home; Charman worried, but she said, "When I am older, I don't have much time left, and there is nothing to grieve." When Margaret said this, she looked indifferent. The director also specially used close-ups to convey this attitude to the audience.
In my opinion, Margaret is so indifferent, she has appreciated the beauty of life, indifferent to the laws of life; she has increased the thickness of life through the knowledge she has obtained in the book, and the experience of traveling the world has composed a moving music for her life. Even if she can't see it later, living in a free nursing home, those memories are already engraved in her heart, enough to accompany her to resist the rest of her life.
(2) Charlemagne is inferior and stoic, and his life is confused
In the film, Charman, 50, often wears childish suspender pants; walks to bars every day, sits on a park bench and counts pigeons; names 19 pigeons and forms them into a big family. Through these details set by the director, it can be seen that Charman is innocent and kind, his heart is like a child, he desperately desires the warmth of his family, and maintains his kindness to everything around him.
However, Charman's kindness was often exploited. For example, Charman completed 10 hours of work in 8 hours, but the boss only gave 8 hours of wages, he chose to be patient, standing on the side of the street and getting angry at the wall, and did not choose to fight for legitimate rights. These plots interpret Charman's inner inferiority, helplessness, and forbearance.
In my opinion, the confusion caused by inferiority is mostly the result of my own tolerance. Charman is like this, only thinking of making things a thing of the past, but ignoring the heavy blows he has suffered in his heart, becoming more and more vulnerable. When you choose to swallow grievances in life, you will eventually be dragged into the shadows by these grievances; only by sticking to our bottom line, we will not have the opportunity to be trampled on at will.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" >3, picture feeling: the use of warm colors to create a warm atmosphere, so that the audience can experience love and warmth</h1>
Charman is with different people, the rhythm of the picture is also different, the director uses different rhythms of the picture to contrast, reflecting Char's different life states and inner emotions; let the audience's emotions change with the rhythm of the story.
When Charlemagne goes to the bar, he is often ridiculed by them; back at home, he never gets a good look from his mother; in these scenes, Charman's expression is either dodgy or restless, and in Charman's rapid departure, he also expresses the subtext of wanting to quickly escape from the current life.
The picture of Charlemagne and Margaret appears in warm tones of yellow. Especially on the park bench, Margaret read the contents of the book with great emotion, and Charman closed his eyes, relaxed, listened to the mood of the book, imagined himself in it, and the whole atmosphere was particularly warm and touching.
As the story progresses, margaret and Charlemagne's images become more and more numerous; Charlemagne's heart grows stronger. The director creates different feelings through the clever use of the rhythm of the picture; the audience feels empathy for the process of Charman's inner growth, and is also healed by the storyline.
In my opinion, most people will be moved by Charlemagne's changes, and what is even more touching is that Margaret's personality charm, her attitude to life, and her love of books in the picture can infect all moviegoers. Perhaps, most people will never meet their own Margaret in their lifetime, but they can make themselves Margaret, an angel who warms others.
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4. Film value: Convey the cognition of love through the story content, so that the viewer knows how to heal the psychological wounds left in the heart</h1>
The entire film revolves around The whole story after Churk to Margaret, with the process of inner growth as the main line to complete the whole story. The director presents Charlemagne's psychologically traumatized performance and Maria's wisdom and elegance in full to the audience; it arouses the audience's emotional resonance and heals the hearts of the viewers.
(1) Understand the specific manifestations of psychological trauma and face them in a timely manner
In trauma psychology, the psychological injuries experienced by a person are divided into two types, from the "acute trauma" of natural disasters and man-made disasters to the "invisible trauma" left by a bad word; these injuries are closely related to a person's growth experience.
Professor Shi Qijia, a professor of psychology, once said:
"Trauma that wasn't properly handled in the early years, even if it seems okay now, will flare up sooner or later, and suddenly one day show aggression and either hurt others or hurt yourself."
In the film, when Charlemagne's girlfriend tells him he wants a child, he always runs away; he tells his girlfriend with low self-esteem, "How can someone like me be worthy of being a father?" Without professional skills, without merit, without even recognizing the words. This plot is a manifestation of Charlemagne's self-aggression after the hidden trauma caused by his experiences from childhood to adulthood.
In my opinion, the director will be Charlemagne's performance after psychological trauma completely presented, the purpose is to let the viewer understand the invisible psychological trauma of people, what performance in life, and the bad impact on personality and life, we can only face up to the timely healing of these psychological trauma, in order to encounter various problems in life, not easily crushed.
(2) Discover the harm of verbal violence and learn to communicate
Psychologist Marshall. Luxembourg says:
"Maybe we don't think our way of talking is violent, but language does often cause pain to ourselves or others."
Such was the case with Charman's mother, who loved her children very much, and spent most of her life working in a brewery to buy a house for her son. However, her love was all overshadowed by verbal violence, and Charman had always been estranged from her during her lifetime.
Every mother has a different life experience and a different way of expressing love. In the face of all kinds of pressures in life, there is nowhere to alleviate, no one understands, and subconsciously vents negative emotions on children; therefore, many parents do not realize that the language spoken by negative qi has become an eternal scar in the child's heart.
I think that through the behavior of Charlemagne's mother, the director can let most viewers find their own shadow, thereby reducing the same tragedy as Charman; realizing that everything said to the child will form the child's cognition of the world; knowing how to accept all the children with all their hearts, so that they have the ability to love, and the heart is soft and strong.
(3) Use the power of reading to reach your own far away
Charman has had dyslexia since childhood, and it is because of this that he has been subjected to verbal violence by many people around him, so when Margaret gave him the book, he chose to refuse. However, when Margaret often read the stories in the book to him, he was nourished by the knowledge in the book, his heart gradually became stronger, and his psychological wounds were healed; after Margaret suffered from an eye disease, he overcame the dyslexia and became the person who read the stories in the book to Margaret.
Regarding reading, the poet Dickinson wrote: "There is no ship that can be like a book; nor a horse that can be like a page of poetry that jumps; that takes people far away." It was by listening to Margaret read the knowledge in the book that Charman healed himself and found the far side.
In my opinion, Through the contents of the book, Charman completed his self-knowledge and began to accept and understand the imperfect reality; the grievances that had been suppressed in his heart for a long time were alleviated, and the closed mind found an outlet again. Charman's growth is also a metaphor, we can explore the boundaries of the self when reading, and a book and a sentence that we read may find a goal and change the direction of our lives.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > summarize:</h1>
"Afternoon with Margaret" through Charlemagne and Margaret's relationship, a complete presentation of the cause of Charlemagne's psychological trauma and the process of being healed, as well as the power of reading, perhaps, we all have a life experience like Charlemagne, but through reading, have a wisdom like Margaret.
Director Jean. Through the storyline in the film, Baker gives the thinking of the way parent-child relationship gets along, and the attitude that adults should have when facing psychological trauma. This is also the theme presented in the film, which is worth everyone's deep thinking, during the epidemic, it is better to stay at home than to watch this movie with your family. Thank you for your attention @ Peng Yiman