"The Blind Girl and the Fox" is a 1982 work by Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio, with a Douban score of 7.7 points. The animated short follows Shangmei's usual ink painting style, but the story takes place in the forests of southwest China.
In the hazy picture of water mist, the original ecological vegetation with "green, black and gray" as the main colors is static, while people and animals walk in between. All the lines are flexible and smooth, as if an ink painting scroll is slowly unfolding, with a unique artistic charm.
A blind girl dressed in ethnic minority costume stumbles into a strange forest. There is a beautiful local legend that a little fox can cure blindness by licking her eyes, so she wants to try her luck. However, papa fox is very wary of the arrival of humans, and the little fox brothers listen to daddy's words and deliberately tease and deceive the blind girl.
Fortunately, the blind woman touched them with her sincerity, and the two sides broke the barrier and became friends. The little fox licked away the blind woman's tears, letting her get the light, and the animals around her cheered for the warmth.
Although this is a simple story, the director and screenwriter use classic ink elements to amplify the beauty of nature, use a variety of details and multiple reversals to emphasize the beauty of human nature, and within 20 minutes, explore the topic of "harmonious coexistence between man and nature", which is both aesthetic enjoyment and educational significance.
Domestic scholars once summed up the role of "ink elements" in film creation:
In traditional Chinese culture, people often advocate "borrowing things to metaphorically people" and "relying on things to speak of zhi", so the animal images they create are always full of "spirituality", or "human nature".
"The Blind Girl and the Fox" is an animated short film that is unique in terms of artistic techniques, narrative skills and cultural connotations, highlighting the moral concept of "human nature is inherently good" and the pursuit of the realm of "the unity of nature and man".
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="01" > artistic technique: subverting traditional character modeling, adding aura to the story of human beings and nature, and immersing the audience in the humanistic atmosphere of "truth, goodness and beauty"</h1>
Although "The Blind Girl and the Fox" is a work from the 1980s, its plot setting and character development are very different from the audience's inherent impressions.
Whether it is in the customs of the country or in the fables of foreign countries, the fox is generally inseparable from the words "cunning and sinister", showing a negative image. Blind women, on the other hand, are crippled and weak, can only use other senses to grope forward, and are often treated as vulnerable groups.
However, the animation breaks the mold and gives the characters two types of characters distinctive personalities and behavioural traits. This kind of subversive traditional creativity makes the whole story not fall behind, and also better reflects the theme of the film - there is no absolute good and bad, strong and weak in the world, only to eliminate prejudice and equal respect, is the way to get along for a long time.
Little Fox: Like a blank piece of paper, kind and innocent, with compassion
At first, the animals in the forest were curious and close to the blind girl's attitude. The little rabbit treated her as a hot stone, and after the little fox knew that she was blind, he also took the initiative to help her heal her eyes.
"At the beginning of man, nature is good", before learning how to calculate the gains and losses of profit, everyone is willing to look at others with initial goodwill, rather than speculating with malice.
"Mencius Gongsun Ugly" mentions the "four ends" of man, the first of which is "the heart of compassion, the end of benevolence". Everyone has a heart of intolerance, and when they see their young son fall into a well, they naturally feel fear and sympathy. The starting point of this mood is neither to win fame nor to seek the grace of life, but only the "compassion" and "benevolence" created by nature.
In the forest, the naïve little fox brothers represent the "benevolent end". They found that the blind woman was crying sadly because she was blind, so they developed sympathy and hoped to help within the scope of their ability. Such a pure and lovely fox is very different from the evil image in the past works of art, which makes people's eyes shine.
In fact, the fox father later instilled in his children the idea that "human beings must be bad", which is a prejudice. And we often think that "foxes must be bad", which is not a prejudice?
The director borrowed a word from Father Fox, which triggered the audience's reflection. Driven by prejudice, the little fox brothers bullied the blind girl, stretched out their legs to trip her, and led her into the bushes of thorns.
However, as the contact between the two sides gradually deepened, they were impressed by the blind woman, recognized her beautiful qualities, and finally reached a reconciliation, broke the prejudice, and regained the "heart of benevolence".
Blind Girl: Using flowers as a clue, it reflects the virtues of girls in pursuing their own value and bravely facing difficulties
In this animated short film, there are details everywhere. The director designed the clue of "flower", layer by layer, so that the image of the blind woman is more vivid and vivid.
When the blind girl first came to the forest, she picked the first flower, which represented her principle of "pursuing her own value".
"My mother likes me, but I can't do anything." If only I could help my mother do things. ”
"There are wild chrysanthemums here, and I'll pick one for Grandma."
The blind woman couldn't see, so she desperately wanted to find the fox to heal her eyes and do things for her family. When she came across a fragrant flower, she hurriedly knelt on the ground and used her sense of smell to look for the flower. Even after walking to the thorny bushes and falling into the blue lake, she clung to the flower, which is the embodiment of her "own value".
Although her body is crippled, the blind woman's heart is very strong, and she is actively a useful person, not confused by the road ahead.
The second flower was picked after the blind woman bravely appeared to protect the little fox and drive the tiger away. At this time, she was pleased with the peace of the little fox, and at the same time she was happy that her ability had been proved.
Unlike traditional impressions, blind women are no longer synonymous with "weakness", but are full of wisdom and courage. The first flower reflects her desire to repay her family, and the second reflects her affirmation of her own intellect. British writer Alain De Botton, in his book The Anxiety of Identity, emphasizes the importance of "self-awareness":
The blind woman in the story is a person who "clarifies her own demands". She is blind, but she does not feel inferior because of her disability. Her inferiority stems from "potential uselessness to society", so she actively seeks solutions. In the ending, she is cured of her eyes by the little fox, and not only has two flowers in her hands, but also wears a garland on her head, which symbolizes her successful "transcendence of herself".
The little fox is not bad, but very innocent. Blind women are not weak, but very strong. The animated short film portrays two types of flesh-and-blood characters, narrating the interdependence of human beings and nature, and conveying profound humanistic care. The audience was touched by the "truth, goodness and beauty" expressed in the film, and was delighted from body to heart.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="02" > narrative technique: the emotional changes between the two main characters before and after have undergone "up-down-up", and the twists and turns of the story unfold gradually in a warm picture</h1>
A good film must not only have a beautiful picture and an excellent soundtrack, but more importantly, tell a good story, and through the advancement of the plot, make the emotional changes before and after the characters reasonable.
Although "The Blind Girl and the Fox" is only 20 minutes, it uses a plain and warm tone to set up a dramatic conflict for the little fox and the blind girl, making the whole story twist and turn. While lamenting the mountains and rivers where the ink lines converge, we will be touched by the wonderful twists and mindstrings, and we are looking forward to the follow-up development.
Little Fox: Goodwill – malice – goodwill
The little fox changed from initial goodwill to malice because of his father's warning and discouragement: "Afraid of anything, she can't see anything, she is blind." Man is the worst, and if any of you dare to lick her eyes, I will bite him to death!" ”
In the eyes of Papa Fox, "rejecting humans" and "bullying the weak" are the attitudes that animals should have. Therefore, the little fox listened to his father's words, and began to learn the thinking mode of adults, and began to make it difficult for blind women.
First, the little fox deceives the blind girl, telling her that she is the red panda "fox fox" and "tanuki". Then, they deliberately misled the blind woman and fabricated the legend of the blue star, pretending that the water of the blue pond was the cure for the eyes. In the process, the little fox tripped the blind girl from time to time, walked into the bush of thorns, and even caused her to fall, and hid to laugh.
However, when seeing the blind woman sacrifice herself to protect them, seeing the blind woman being pierced with thorns and blood but moving forward, and seeing the blind woman's failure to cure her eyes with blue water and grief-
The educationalist Malitian summed up the meaning of "kindness" in the educational process:
In the story of The Blind Girl and the Fox, the fox father teaches the child to be "vigilant", but no fox mother teaches them "love". The blind woman plays the role of "mother" in it, she gently picks up the little fox, gives "love", and fills the gap in their growth path.
Blind Woman: Hope - despair - hope
The film's picture color and theme music are in the service of the change of the blind woman's mental state.
When she knew that blue water could cure her eyes, she gleefully followed the sound of the water, singing all the way "eyes, eyes, bright eyes, you are like stars in the sky", and the song was full of hope.
The composer of this animation is Mr. Wu Yingju, the former head of the composition team of Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio, who is also a veteran soundtrack master in the Chinese art film industry. The melodious orchestral music and moving singing voice vividly interpret the blind woman's appearance of yearning for the light.
Soon, the blind woman found that blue water could not cure her eyes at all, and her eyes were still dark, and the soundtrack at this time also changed its style. The sharp sound of the violin was as if the tip of a blind woman's heart had been sawn. She lay on the ground and cried, as if she had fallen from heaven to hell.
It wasn't until the little fox realized his mistake, climbed on the blind woman to comfort her, and helped her heal her eyes, that the music turned back to the previous high-pitched tact.
In addition, the "green, black, gray" grass and trees in the forest also have other colors at the last moment. In the eyes of the blind woman, a hundred flowers bloomed, and colorful blue birds, white foxes, and gray rabbits appeared in her field of vision.
The film designs many small details in terms of visual and auditory aspects, so that the emotional transition of the characters and the step-by-step advancement of the plot are orderly, and the whole story is simple and extraordinary. From humans to animals, the personality characteristics of each group are very distinct, and the changes in thought and behavior are not abrupt, showing the director's superb narrative skills.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="03" > cultural connotations: classic animation should have rich educational significance in addition to conveying aesthetic enjoyment, and this short film tells adults and children about the theme of "prejudice, influence, love"</h1>
Ms. Han Dongmei mentioned the educational value of animation in her paper "The Value of Animation in Early Childhood Education and Its Market Development":
And this "Blind Girl and the Fox" is not only a fairy tale for children to see, but also a lot of warnings for adults. This fairy tale for all ages leads people to think about the theme of "prejudice, indoctrination, and love".
The little rabbit and the little fox originally had no prejudice against humans, and as soon as the rabbit mother and the fox father saw the blind girl, they immediately made up their minds based on their own experience, and did not even give her a chance to explain. It is the misleading of adults that makes the child learn from her, misunderstands the blind girl, and ignores her true character.
In "The Demon Boy of Nezha Descends", the villain Shen Gongbao said a famous line: "The prejudice in people's hearts is like a big mountain, no matter how hard you try, you can't move." "Whether it is in the art work or in real life, we can always see some people who "close their eyes and judge" have labeled others without evidence and without knowing the truth.
The advantage of the animation "Blind Girl and the Fox" is that it not only raises questions, but also provides two possible solutions: one is to practice it yourself, and the other is to use love to influence it.
The little fox personally touched the blind girl and gradually learned the shining point of the other party. The blind girl is gentle, strong, and optimistic, unlike the "bad guy" in her father's mouth. Since then, the little foxes have a yardstick for judging human beings, and it is the result of their own practice with their eyes and hearts.
After the blind woman was deceived by the little fox, she did not blame them, and always treated these "little friends" with an inclusive attitude. Although she was blind in her eyes, her heart was not blind. Everyone has a time to make mistakes, "know the mistakes can be changed, good is not good", she did not think about her previous falls and deception, but with sincerity and love to impress the small animals in the forest.
Prejudice is not terrible, what is terrible is not to act in the face of prejudice. The blind girl and the little fox are both positive characters, they practice it themselves, touch it with love, and finally usher in a beautiful reunion ending. The wonderful conception and cultural connotation of the story elevate the intention of the entire animation, and also allow adults and children watching the animation to learn and progress together.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="04" > conclusion</h1>
In the last century, Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio produced many classic animations, such as "Little Tadpole Finds Mother", "Little Carp Jumping Dragon Gate", "Deer Bell", "Mr. Nanguo" and so on, which have become the childhood memories of a generation.
"The Blind Girl and the Fox" is not the most famous masterpiece of Shangmei, but the picture, soundtrack, plot and characters of the whole design are full of sincerity, and everyone can see the "ingenuity" of the main creative team in the production process.
In today's rapid development of science and technology and the acceleration of the pace of life, it is indeed necessary for us to slow down, patiently review the traditional national feng shui ink animation, and gain understanding and lessons about "truth, goodness and beauty".
Here is Dongfeng Wanqing, a lover of travel, literature and history and music, may you and I all look at the world gently.