Who was responsible for the murder of 6 million Jews during World War II?
It is probably not difficult for anyone with a little education to answer: Hitler's order, Himmler's organization and planning, Eichmann's specific implementation ...
But Hannah Arendt has long warned that blaming the "fundamental evil" of a few people for an unprecedented humanitarian tragedy like the Holocaust will not help – are the rest so innocent?
Biopic "Hannah Arendt" based on Eichmann's trial
It could have been worse: everyone was actively or passively involved in the massacre of Jews - churches and hospitals provided Jewish birth records, post offices sent deportation orders for Jews, companies fired Jewish workers, universities refused to admit Jewish students, pharmaceutical factories tested various poisons, the Ministry of Transport made trains to Nazi concentration camps, the Treasury confiscated all Jewish property, banks used it again to launder money ...
So, the worst thing is this system.
This is a meat grinder that not only eats people, but also eats itself. It doesn't matter if you are a flat-headed citizen or a high-ranking person, the final outcome is the same: Hitler committed suicide by drinking bullets, Goebbels poisoned the whole family, Himmler and Goering took poison ... These big men, who once dominated the fate of 60 million Germans, were ultimately unable to control their own destiny.
This terrifying meat grinder was transformed into a Nazi concentration camp simulation set in Iranian director Haman Saiyedi's annual masterpiece, World War III. Or it can be more specific - specifically referring to the red house that only "big people" are worthy of living.
In the film, the pimp Facid has a quote to Shakib: "Whoever steps into that house will be killed, including yourself." ”
And the luxurious house that came out of thin air eventually turned to ashes in the raging firelight.
Just like the Jews who were stuffed into the incinerator, the film also tells how a lonely and helpless weak woman died in the close cooperation and "normal operation" of the power department...
Even if it's just a micro-power system on the set.
The "short-clothed gang" and "long-robed people" on the set are clearly distinguished
Therefore, the main purpose of the film "World War III" is to criticize the class oppression and power struggle in the highly unequal Iranian society.
The microscopic picture of a society of power
The film presents us with the four classes of this micro-power society:
At the bottom is undoubtedly the deaf prostitute Laden.
Originally, prostitutes were almost at the bottom of any society. And what we need to understand is that Iran is a theocratic society. According to Islamic teachings, premarital sex is unacceptable, let alone sold out. Therefore, the situation of prostitutes in Iran can be imagined.
Looking back at last year's awards season darling, "Holy Spider" is the story of an urban scavenger who abuses and kills prostitutes in the name of "cleansing of evil". If it were not for the persistent questioning of the righteous reporter, those in power would have wanted to let this person go.
2022 "Holy Spider"
Director Harman Saiedi made the prostitute Laden mute, with the obvious intention: she had no voice, or even existed.
In fact, there is a more straightforward metaphor: people like Laden, who are not recognized by Iranian society, are a dog in the eyes of others (especially men).
The film begins: The male protagonist Shakib talks to Laden in a brothel about seeing a female dog killed by a female dog, and her children are still around their mother trying to drink milk...
Laden asked Shakib: So what did you do? Didn't you save her?
This made Shakib startled, and it turned out that he was just a bystander. He silently pulled out a stack of money and left sadly.
And when Shakib hid Ladin in the Red House, he was once seen by a crew member at the same table when he took away the leftovers, and the other party asked him: Did you bring the dog to eat?
Slightly taller than Ladan, but also at the bottom of society, are laborers like Shakib.
Because they have no education, they can only engage in the heaviest and cheapest manual labor, and they have no personality or dignity at all. Any staff member on the set can call them and linger on them: let you sleep wherever you sleep, let you change prison uniforms and you change prison uniforms. To put it bluntly, the crew was a group of humanoid beasts who could only work, just like the Nazi guards treated Jews in those days.
The "gas chamber" here is cold and dark, and it leaks water at night, which is not inhabitable. But the foreman's henchman had to insist that Shakib live here unnecessarily, in order to "guard your position": the chasm of class is not something you can cross if you want to; The rigidity of the hierarchy is not something that can be rewritten at will.
When Shakib was fortunate enough to be favored by the "boss" and instantly jumped from a "Jew" fish to a "Hitler", the reason why the attendants immediately made sarcastic remarks and encouraged Shakib to shave his beard and give up acting was here - this is a very typical villain mentality of "not seeing others well" in a power society.
It is the so-called middle class that acts as a bully over the vast number of low-level workers: there are both the "underworld" such as Fasid and Rahim, who make a living by exploiting prostitutes, and the "white way" that dictates the laborers - the film crew.
It is worth noting that the "black road" obviously cannot do the "white road". The "underworld" is still just relying on force and extortion; The "white way" can fight openly and hide from the sky, eliminate the manslaughter incident and threaten the "underworld" in turn.
What did Fasid, who was in the "underworld", say to Shakib? - "The investor came with the director and a well-connected guy and threatened to denounce me that Rahim and I would be executed."
Look, the crew has already killed one person, they don't care about two more deaths. Like Shakib's angry roar: "No one cares if we are dead or alive!" ”
At the top of the food chain in the miniature power society on the set is the director of this unknown film. Moreover, he is not only a film director, but also a "life director" who decides the fate of everyone:
He can "step into the sky" by letting Shakib, who has never had acting experience, replace the big-name actor as Hitler and "step to the sky" according to his own preferences, and he can ignore the debts of investors and insist on going his own way. After the murder incident was exposed, it was he who immediately commanded his subordinates to seal the scene and destroy the corpse. Just as the female assistant director asked: "Without your consent, how dare the rest of the people do this?" ”
His reaction was to threaten the assistant director on the spot - "It's my fault to give a nobodyless pawn like you a chance." ”
This director made Nazi films, and he was a Nazi. This is undoubtedly the biggest irony of the whole film.
He has a typical dictator personality: extremely self-centered and does whatever he wants. He simply treated himself as God and gave grace to everyone. His attitude towards the deputy post is exactly the same as that of the proletarians at the bottom: "It is I who give you clothes to wear and make you immortal." The implication is: "You can't live without me", and as a result, you are not only not grateful, but also dare to negotiate conditions with me without knowing the sky?
In the eyes of this director, everyone else is someone who does not know the "true meaning" of gratitude, does not understand the "true meaning" of life (becoming a "big man" who enslaves others), and needs to "build a new life" for himself - the typical "you drive a Maserati and laugh at me for not working hard enough." ”
If we talk about this uplifting and straightforward self-knowledge and sophistry logic, we should not be too familiar with it if the Iranians listen to it with empathy:
Zhu Yuanzhang thought that he had widely shown grace to the world: it was I who laid down a peaceful and prosperous era for the whole world to enjoy, but the fools did not seek progress, but "tired of living in peace and chaos" and "tired as the source of trouble" - living in a peaceful era but not cherishing it, always wanting to resist, it is really hateful!
But they all forgot one thing: the bottom resisted because you killed people...
Speaking of which, the power distribution picture presented by the film "World War III" is very clear. As the saying goes: where there is oppression, there is resistance. Class solidification and conflict to the end, the "big war" is about to break out.
The roots of the Great War are in this society
On the surface: this is a brutal tragedy caused by constant layers of accidents (Laden escapes – found by pimps – Shakib goes out to borrow money – movie sets are bombed), but its roots lie in the reality of Iranian society of great inequality between people.
Laden also suspected that Shakib looked down on him
We should not think that if Shakib had listened to Laden and eloped with 20 million – there is nothing wrong with envisioning a better future and making a desperate effort to do so.
Shakib is a man of nothing, who lost his wife and children in the earthquake and was abandoned by the world due to misunderstanding and family ostracism.
Similarly, Laden is also a poor orphan without a father or mother, and the "husband" who once raised her is forcing her to sell herself - it needs to be explained here that according to the film, Faradin and Fasid are "temporary marriages".
The so-called "temporary marriage" is a short-term marriage, which is the Shia canon language, which precedes marriage with a fixed duration of marriage (minimum 3 days, maximum one year), and automatic dissolution at the end of the marriage. As can be seen from the introduction, this historic "temporary marriage" has opened the door to the industry.
It is not surprising that two "fallen people of the same world" have sincere feelings in the flesh and skin trade, intending to huddle together to warm up and fight the darkness together. Director Sayedi has done a lot of foreshadowing for the character's history and attributed to the superb acting skills of the two actors, making this relationship seem real and believable.
But I have to say that in this era of "not believing in love", it is really courageous for the director to dare to design the plot and describe a love story between a low-level poor man and a prostitute. It has been 23 years since Stephen Chow's "The King of Comedy", and "Rouge Button" is 35 years ago... These "love myths" belonging to the last generation of the last century are very testing the acceptance of the current audience.
1940 "Blue Bridge of Broken Souls"
1957 "Kabylian Night"
1990 "Pretty Lady in the Wind and Moon"
Nowadays, such a story is afraid that it will be disgusted by women's rights: What! And the prostitute has to be saved by a man and avenge her? ——I don't know if "World War III" only won Best Picture and Best Actor in the Horizon Unit at last year's Venice Film Festival, whether it has anything to do with this "corny" expression of love.
Looking at the themes and creators of the best films of the three major film festivals in recent years, it cannot be said that my doubts are not justified. The only thing that "World War III" is inferior to "Holy Spider" is that it lacks a strong woman who challenges male power and turns things around. In the film, apart from Shakib, the only person who has expressed concern about Laden's fate is the female assistant director. But she is also the one who calls the shots on the set, and is still weak in front of men.
The assistant director, who is also a woman, also doubts about Laden's real existence
However, "World War III" is not limited to contemporary Iranian women's rights issues. It provides a figurative interpretation and miniature picture of the tragedy of human society and historical cycles. As Mark Twain famously said in the opening credits: History does not repeat itself, but it is always strikingly similar.
This is by no means profoundly far-fetched. When Hitler provoked the hatred of all Jews among the German public, he also started with class solidification and class contradictions: due to the defeat in World War I and the huge reparations of the Treaty of Versailles, the German economy was in trouble and the people lived in misery. But Jews who are good at business have hoarded a lot of wealth, and outsiders live better than natives.
Nazi rally in "Tin Drum"
Fueled by Nazi public opinion, anti-Semitism and nationalist sentiment in Germany rose rapidly, and conspiracy theories about Jews opposing Aryan and conspiring to manipulate the world were rampant... The Jews instantly became the object of hatred that "everyone gets it."
"Wang Hou Xiang, Ning Youhu" is this hatred, "the sky is dead, the yellow sky is standing" is this hatred, "the stone man has one eye, provoking the Yellow River to oppose the world" is still this hatred. This hatred "is not a dinner invitation, not a fist, it is a riot, a violent action by one class to overthrow another." ”
In the film, the director of "God" cleverly inspired his acting skills by arousing Shakib's inner hatred: "Suppose, if the person you love the most is killed by the Nazis, will you still slap the other person so softly? "- The result is a saying, the plot of the film is seamlessly combined with real life, and the director also "got his wish".
Can write a script like "World War III", I have to say that the screenwriter is really powerful, often burying foreshadowing and details similar to the grass snake gray line.
The outstanding skill of the screenwriter
For example, rat poison flashed in the opening line - you thought it was just an ordinary cutscene, but it ended up being a weapon for Shakib to truly incarnate Hitler and hunt the entire crew.
We can't do much to accuse the male protagonist Shakib of the determination and cruelty of violence and violence, and die together. First, Sayedi has laid out his "insulted and damaged" life in detail, so that we can sincerely sympathize with this person; Second, all normal ways to "seek justice from upward" have been blocked:
1. The entire crew is embarrassed and unified: Ladin did not die on the set. And Shakib's words alone are difficult to win people's trust;
2, Shakib lied first, if he quit the crew and resigned at this moment, he will pay sky-high contract liquidated damages, otherwise he will go to jail;
3. With the consistent urine nature of the Iranian police, even if the truth is found, will he do justice for a prostitute or be bought by a crew with deep pockets? - See "Holy Spiders".
He was simply cornered and had no choice.
Living is already a hardship and a half-life. The only solace and thought came from the same poor woman—the only light that shone into Shakib's heart. Now, when the glimmer of light in the heart is extinguished without reason or reason, it is no wonder that people who have nothing give back to the world in the same way.
It can only be this world. Because you can't find "specific people"! Who exactly did you say killed Laden, the director? Foreman? Pimp? Or Shakib himself? Or did all this "self-seeking" by Laden? - Should she return to that dark place and continue to sell her youth and flesh until she finally dies like an old dog? So why not die now? Then why doesn't everyone die now?!
Within this cannibalistic power system, there is no real murderer, and everyone is a murderer. Everything is done according to "contracts" and "processes". The person who signed the contract did not look carefully, the person who bombed the house did not carefully check, and as a result, a living person died so inexplicably, and after dying, he was "disappeared". Anyway, the rules of the game are like this, like an order to "undress", no one asks and no one resists. It was, and it is.
You say that Eichmann was the executioner of the Jews, but people declare in court: "I just follow the rules and procedures."
That had to break the rule of cannibalism and set off this man's cannibalistic feast.
Video details: There are 13 people at the end table except Shakib, symbolizing the "Last Supper"
If there is anything flawed in the film, it is probably that Shakib's inner transformation scene is not enough - I am not referring to the revenge scene where Shakib decides to kill after Laden's death, and the film's previous foreshadowing of their feelings (outdoor fire scene, mutual spraying Coke scene), the reversal and dramatic conflict in the second half are enough to convince the audience of this ending. By "inadequacy" I mean the lack of subtle changes in Shakib's heart in the process of playing Hitler.
Of course, I can understand director Sayedi's intention in filming this way: he wants to highlight Shakib's simplicity and long-term love. So we see that he has never been able to enter the play. Whenever there is a gap between shooting, it is always the first time to video call Laden.
However, for such a "grass people" who has been trampled on and ignored for a long time, once he tasted power, his heart will not ripple a little—even if it is only illusory power. Just like Chen Baoguo, it is said that when he was acting in "The Great Emperor of Hanwu", he often couldn't make a play and was angry at the prop master.
In fact, Sayedi also thought about this problem: illusory power is also power. When Shakib was promoted from "dead run" to starring, the foreman's attitude immediately changed: he gave up the Red House to Shakib, and threw his henchmen to the damp and leaky "gas chamber". And when Shakib asked him for help, he half-pushed and half-lent him 20 million on the spot.
The reason why the foreman "changed face" was illusory power
Even the other staff on the set would take the initiative to approach the "Fuhrer": "Pour Mr. Shakib a cup of tea!" "—and Shakib was originally the one who served tea and poured water.
But these are just the reactions of those around them, who care more about the uniform on the Fuhrer than with "respect for the Fuhrer". So several times someone always reminded: "Shakib, don't sit on the ground, you have soiled your clothes!" ”
This is quite a bit of Kurosawa's "Shadow Warrior": when the stand-in imitates Takeda Shingen sitting in front of him, the originally giggling subordinates immediately straighten their posture and awe - they are not in awe of the "impostor" in front of them, but the power behind him.
1980《Kagemusha》
In the process of playing the real body, the mentality of the shadow warrior has changed. He eventually lost himself and was martyred with the empire where "power is everything."
With such power as Hitler, where did Shakib change?
Of course, if you make a big fuss about the inner change, the theme of the movie has to be rewritten. It may not be a big problem to portray Shakib as determined and pursuing true love, unmoved by false illusions. But my suggestion is that you should give a little portrayal to the point, which can increase the richness and thickness of the character's humanity.
"Those who work hard rule people, and those who work hard rule people"
Finally, let's end this article with one of the best shots in the film:
On their way to "freedom" (the destination of freedom is the "home of the Nazis", again: the screenwriter of the film is really powerful), Laden, who is full of hope for the future, painted a house on the window of the car, and she asked Shakib: Where is the red house you are talking about?
Shakibu wiped his hand with a smile, and saw the red house that Laden had dreamed of appeared on the place of the picture.
Notice the action of "erasing": Shakib at that moment is like a magician who fulfills people's wishes. At the same time, it means that the house is so erratic, like a mirror and a castle in the air, it is a beautiful soap bubble, a poke and burst.
Whether it is the Nazi Third Reich, or those "great" empires in history, what Assyria, Persia, Babylon... It's all such a soap bubble.
Under such an empire, insisting on pursuing a "happy life" is not poking a soap bubble?
Author| Ji Yang; Public number| Watch movies and see death
Edit| Riding a rooftop teenager; Please indicate the source of reproduction