Looking for Buddhist-related films, it is natural to avoid Dzongsar Gyal yang Khyentse Rinpoche.
Today I want to talk about a film he directed through crowdfunding in 2016, "Hey Ma Hey Ma Hey Ma". At the beginning, because there were two major film emperors, Liang Chaowei and Zhou Xun, who participated in the film with zero remuneration, attracted a lot of attention, but after the release, "can't understand" has become the most evaluation.
Even Dzongsar Yang Khyentse Rinpoche himself said in an interview:
"Sometimes you should watch movies you don't understand, so why do you always have to watch some movies that you can understand?"
Because of its religious genes, many mainstream media have made a large interpretation of the film, and I have watched it, including: the lust of human nature, the hypocrisy of society, and the violence of the Internet.
However, it can be said that all of them have gone astray, and the film is far more in-depth than these.
Hey Ma, hey Ma
"Hey~Ma~Hey Ma!" Bhutanese speak the opening words of legends and language stories, similar to the meaning of "once upon a time". But the story of the film takes place in modern times, and taking such a timely name is very Buddhist reincarnation: past and present, there is no difference.
The storyline of the movie is simple and weird, so let's go through it in the order in which it happened. Don't worry about spoilers, after reading my interpretation, it will be more interesting to watch the movie.
Once upon a time there was a mountain.
A mysterious assembly is held every twelve years in the mountains.
The leader was a bald, bearded old man. For the sake of narrative, the term elder is used.
There are also a number of guards, who use bows and arrows as weapons.
The participants all came voluntarily, but only with the permission of the elders could they enter the realm of the assembly.
Before entering, change into uniform clothing and wear various masks.
These are all left outside by the elders, but after entering, you can pick your favorite change in the mask room.
The place where you live is a makeshift tent, some large and some small, some living in groups and some living alone, eating a large pot of rice.
Even drinks were provided.
There is a mutually agreeable sex between a man and a woman, and it is not violated.
But you can't leave without permission, otherwise you will be hunted by the guards.
Nor can you go through other people's packages and check the identity of others, otherwise you will be taken off your mask and locked up alone until the end of the rally.
Taking off the mask yourself is the same.
Everyone was given a whistle, and when in danger it was blown, there were guards to rescue.
Above the assembly, some god-jumping ceremonies about life and death and the cycle of cause and effect are held from time to time, similar to stage performances.
Everyone has to attend.
There was also a bonfire party where everyone danced an ancient dance together.
Our male protagonist met a woman (A) at the ball. Although they all wear masks and wear the same clothes, they can know the gender from their hands.
Over the next few days, the man discovered that A was having an affair with some bow and arrow guards and attendees. But he also often seduced him.
This made him want to burn, but he seemed to hesitate and struggle internally.
That night, he decided to go and have sex with him.
The only things he knew were A's red ghost-headed mask and petite figure.
At this time, our Liang Da Electric Eye appeared, full of commotion.
This is also the only appearance of the whole film. I think at that time, the audience was scolding the street in the movie theater, rushing towards Liang Chaowei's face, but always looking at the mask.
He was one of the bow and arrow guards. But had an affair with one of the women who came to the party (B for short).
He was originally carrying a dragon mask, but on this day, he decided to change to a matchmaker mask.
B, who has an electric eye beam, originally wore a hungry ghost mask, but she changed into a red ghost head mask this day.
Exactly the same as A's.
The two of them made an appointment to meet in the grove for the evening.
Tragedy struck.
The hungry male protagonist, who mistakenly thought B was A, raped her.
He also stabbed the electric eye beam to death, and then fled.
Because they were not caught in person, the elders also did not thoroughly investigate to the end in accordance with the purpose of "not pursuing private responsibilities" stipulated by the assembly.
Twenty-four years have passed, and the male protagonist has returned to the rally again.
This time, I was wearing a double-sided mask that cried and laughed.
The rally has evolved with the times, with electronic music and dance becoming more modern. Same as a nightclub. But the rules are the same.
He went to the elder and inquired about the whereabouts of the woman she had raped.
The elder said that she died, but left a daughter, most likely the male owner.
At this time, the male protagonist is full of vicissitudes. Notice the details of his neck, a black mole birthmark, covered with hair.
It is said that the birthmark is a scar left by the past, indicating that he may have been stabbed to death in the past.
By whom? It may be Liang Wei's past life. Now the wrongs have been repaid, and one knife is still a knife.
The male protagonist found a nightclub, and the "daughter" played by Zhou Xun served as a waiter in it.
The male protagonist did not express his identity, and his daughter also treated him as an ordinary guest, flirtatiously for the sake of tipping.
The male protagonist was at a loss. The movie ends.
Left a very open ending.
Perhaps, the male protagonist will choose to get involved with this woman who may be his daughter. His life is chaotic and unclear, and even he can't see who he is, so he can do everything.
unscramble
Just looking at the plot, it is actually a very boring movie, you need to extend your imagination to make up for a lot of plots, it is difficult to figure out what exactly is being said. How to express the helplessness and hypocrisy of modern people living with masks, desire and indulgence, there can be a better way.
Obviously, none of this is the director's true intention.
In my opinion, this is a story about growing up.
Keyword (1): TWELVE
The mysterious rally in the film, held every twelve years, is crucial.
Corresponding to the age of the person, starting from the age of 1, every 12 years is a life. Whenever these nodes are reached, people's physical and mental conditions will change drastically, and they will suddenly lose their way in self-knowledge and do not know where to go.
12 years old, developmental period. Man's innate consciousness has awakened greatly from this time, and the past habits are like the river that breaks the embankment, which cannot be stopped, and collides with the environment of acquired consciousness, thus forming a contrast between rebellion and fickleness. This is the first time doubts about "the self and the world" arise;
24 years old, adulthood. It means entering the new world of society, starting a family, and taking responsibility. From the carefree of being single, to the pressure that pours in, a second doubt about "self and the world" arises;
36 years old, prime age. To face the triple anxiety of marriage, children, career;
48 years old, middle age. The body is deteriorating, the spirit is also difficult to sustain, and there is a weakness in many things;
60 years old, old age. I have experienced most of my life, tasted everything, understood the truth of the impermanence of the world, and faced the death that can come at any time, full of fear.
Growing up is confusing and full of dilemmas. Whenever you reach a critical juncture, you just want to escape for a while, figuring out the meaning of life and survival, and the self.
This is the reason why the male protagonist appeared on the mountain for no reason, he escaped from the world, looking for an answer.
Keyword (2) meeting place
The meeting place in the movie is equivalent to such a dream "escape place". There is no difference in status, gender, or appearance, no one is holding you accountable for good and evil, there is no social obligation, there is no family responsibility, everyone is at ease.
Just like being born again, you can completely return to yourself.
The question that remains is, what happens when one has such an escape? Sublimation or depravity? That's what the movie is all about.
Keywords (3) Elders
The role of the elder, some interpretations of the role, are considered to symbolize the role of the ruler of society. Obviously, it's a thousand miles away.
Elders represent the divine side of human nature, or it is precisely because of the call of divinity that people will find a purity in anxiety and confusion.
The film hints at this in several places:
1. First of all, everyone at the assembly went through on their own, but the elders decided who to let in. And put all kinds of masks and clothes on the mountain in advance.
2) The elders mentioned this sentence more than once in their speeches:
3) Only the elders did not wear masks from beginning to end.
Keyword (3) Guard
Guarding symbolizes precepts, or self-discipline.
The troubles that people encounter in growing up in the world are because of the lack of self-discipline. Either you want to escape (such as the person who wants to escape), or you are too interested in others (such as the person who flips through other people's packages), or you are disturbed by lust (such as the male protagonist who rapes and kills), or drinks too much (the woman A in the movie, who often steals alcohol to drink), or indulges in sexual promiscuity (such as Liang Dianyan and woman B).
Keyword (4) whistle
The elders gave everyone a whistle, and in case of danger they blew it. This whistle actually symbolizes vigilance, and if one wants to find oneself in purity, one must be vigilant against one's greed and anger and the dangers of the outside world.
The male protagonist only used it once at the beginning, which was an awakening when he doubted life, but it was never used again.
Keywords (5) Mask
In the movie, except for the elders, everyone else wears masks. It is generally interpreted as hiding the heart. In fact, on the contrary, it is revealed.
The mask is a reflection of everyone's heart. Like the bow and arrow guard played by Liang Chaowei, he wears a dragon head mask and has an affair with many women, which just shows his obscene characteristics.
After committing rape and murder, the male protagonist changed a dog's head mask, and at this time he was like a dog that lost his family.
Woman B wears a hungry ghost mask and looks melancholy and sentimental. In the movie, her personality is indeed the same, jealous of woman A, trying to please the bow and arrow guard played by Liang Chaowei, and after being violated and hit by the death of her lover, she is even more sad.
There is also a white-robed man next to the elder, who is responsible for the lyrics of the ceremony in the movie, wearing a half mask. It shows that his heart has slowly become clear.
Or more religiously, karma is eliminated by half. The design of the mask can also be understood as the karmic appearance of the past. Some people are dragons, some people are dogs, some people are hungry ghosts... They all reincarnated into this world and began to pretend again.
Keyword (6) ritual
The film has three ceremonies, or four stage plays.
First Session: Overrun.
The white-robed man sang:
Listen to me, the death you fear the most has come, don't be afraid of death, you are afraid of life, you are trapped in the bardo, there is the junction of death and life, you are alone here, if you can hear me speak, it is your heart that is doing the work, even if you are dead, your heart can still hear my call, although your six roots are away from you, you will still hear the cries of your loved ones, let them go, because they do not know how to let go of you. I don't know when and where there will be an end.
Scene 2: Judgment.
This one is talking about the process of judgment that life will go through after entering hell:
The snake jailer will use the way of throwing dice to see how much evil a person has done before he dies;
The jailers have a mirror that will see all evil things as they really are;
The goddess in white will point out a person's good deeds;
The monkey jailer uses a scale to measure the weight of a person's good and evil.
Session 3: Cause and effect.
Nothing is predestined, nothing is free will, there are no accidental coincidences in the world. Planting melons gets melons, seeds beans, sows evil deeds, and bears bitter fruits.
These three scenes are very targeted, both for the people at the assembly and for the audience. A person has troubles in the process of growing up, avoidance is not the way, the most important thing is to understand the truth of cause and effect. Whether it is the habits of past lives or the good and evil of this life, they are all in cause and effect. To do evil is to be troubled continuously, and to be good is to purify one's heart.
Unfortunately, neither the people in the rally nor the audience listened. At this gathering where they could have discovered themselves, everyone's heart was undercurrent, and it was difficult to control themselves, creating another "earthly world".
This may be where the confusion and attachment of sentient beings lies.
Keyword (7) daughter
Zhou Xun plays the daughter born to woman B, she may be the male protagonist, or she may be the bow and arrow guard, the identity is unknown.
It's a character with neither a father nor a mom. How do you survive in such a world?
Here's my problem. Life didn't give her many choices, and in order to make a living, she had to sell her hue and become a bartender.
At the beginning of the movie, it was a personal show of Zhou Xun. Looking at what she was wearing, it was obvious that some effort had been made. Underneath the pure and lovely dress are seductive mesh socks; in occasions where femininity is needed, it is a neutral short haircut.
Apparently she didn't like the job and had to go to please the drinkers, while keeping the best distance.
Taking advantage of the gap at work, I ran to the bathroom to count how many tips I had earned, and I was just a little happy, but when I saw myself in the mirror, although there was no place unfamiliar, I was like a stranger, and I felt confused and lonely.
This year, she was exactly 24 years old.
postscript
This is a movie in the form of a "stream of consciousness". It is not a criticism of reality, but a manifestation of the struggle between "greed" and "renunciation", "filth" and "purity", "indulgence" and "self-discipline" on the inner level of each person; it shows the confusion and attachment of sentient beings.
From this point of view, it is very interesting and more in line with the height of the director.
Speaking of cinematic art alone, it is indeed very weak, and Dzongsar Jiang Yang Khyentse Rinpoche is not from a koban after all, and the script writing is incomplete. For example, when these people come to a rally, the elders only tell them what they can't do, but they don't say what they should do. Appears too indulgent.
In fact, people can find problems, that is, they do not know how to deal with problems. This doesn't resonate with the audience. After all, the film is facing the public, and the public can only get understanding from it if it is accepted.
Full Interpretation of Buddhist Movies (Public Account: Brahmacharya):
A movie about monks and females, this one is the best (part 1)
A movie about monks and female colors, this best 丨 "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring" is fully interpreted
Fan Ying 丨The full interpretation of the 2002 religious taboo movie "Color Ring" (Part 1)
Fan Ying 丨The full interpretation of the 2002 religious taboo movie "Color Ring" (Part 2)
The Indian anti-religious film "O God of Even Drops" is fully interpreted
The Indian anti-religious film "Even Drop God" is fully interpreted 丨 the second part