In recent years, romance films seem to be on the decline, from Hollywood to the mainland, whether it is a small cost production or a big director's blessing, people will always say a dismissive word after a long two hours.
In this increasingly inward-looking era, the choice between love and bread seems to be easier, so love that is incompatible with reality is gradually difficult to resonate with people.
Looking back at the film market in recent years, the last afterglow of romance films seems to be the "City of Philharmonic", which focuses on song and dance.
The dim lights, the cool sea breeze, the dancing lover, the romantic song on the seashore dances out all the beautiful and throbbing in love, and also makes the audience re-experience the sourness and charm of love.
Coincidentally, Ryan Gosling, the male protagonist of "Philharmonic City", also starred in a classic romance film in 2004 , "Love Notebook".
This douban-rated film with a score of 8.5 has become the love bible in the minds of countless girls since its release. The love story of the male protagonist Noah and the female protagonist Ellie spanning more than half a century is touching and even shocking even today. Love has nothing to do with life and death, but it can transcend life and death.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="9" >1, rich families fall in love with poor boys</h1>
Although the story of "Love Notebook" is romantic and touching, it is actually very cheesy to investigate its entire story line. The rich lady fell in love with the poor but handsome young man of the small town, but what separated them was the secular class gap and the opposition of the family.
With Ellie leaving the town as a demarcation, the first half of the film seems to have some Titanic shadow. "Titanic" interprets a love across classes in a specific time and space, exacerbating the contradictions and conflicts between the characters, and also making the emotional burst more intense.
The "Love Notebook" is more inclined to the language and lens expression of life. Ellie and Noah's acquaintance and love are so appropriate and natural, so their differences are more touching and resonate with the audience.
After a sweet and laid-back summer of small-town life, 17-year-old Ellie has fallen completely in love. She was angry with Noah and quarreled with Noah in order to determine each other's intentions.
The simple and enthusiastic Ellie is not willing to judge her feelings by worldly standards, but she does not know that love and life cannot be the same day. All her pride and confidence at this moment come from the good family situation, leaving her parents' money and wealth supply, 17-year-old Ellie is like a delicate flower, unable to withstand the blow of wind and rain.
Therefore, Noah's performance at that time was undoubtedly more calm and mature. He was confident enough in himself and had the courage to say love to Ellie, but he wasn't sure he could give Ellie the ideal life. Noah could not bear the consequences of the fading of passion, love with only a chicken feather left. Therefore, he hesitated, suffered, struggled, and the contradiction between the two arose.
In this sense, the difference between the two is completely logical, and it is also a truly artistic expression of reality. The film does not use disasters to highlight the grandeur of love like the love of Jack and Rose, but uses a tone to truly restore the throbbing, contradictions, confrontation and compromise with reality of 17-year-old boys and girls.
Just as Ellie's mother talks about her first love in the second half of the film, it's perfectly normal to make such a choice at this age. And true love lies in whether after experiencing so many contradictions and misunderstandings, whether there is the courage to start over, whether there is still a firm heart. Ellie's mother chose to give up, but both Ellie and Noah chose to persevere.
Therefore, the magic stroke of the film lies in the reunion after separation. Smooth love and abrupt love are difficult to depict the whole picture of love, only this kind of desire to suppress first, to grow as a cushion to cast a love story, in order to exhaustively highlight the greatness and magic of love, in order to touch people's hearts in the silent place.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="46" >2, Ellie's choice</h1>
Although after seven years of separation, Ellie and Noah still came together. But in these days, Ellie already has the object of marriage.
This object is not Ellie's perfunctory treatment of her parents, but Ellly and Hammond are equally truly in love. Before Noah reappears, Ellie and Hammond go through love at first sight and do what all men and women in love do. The two have similar family backgrounds that make Ellie temporarily forget her unforgettable first love, she begins to enjoy Hammond's considerate gentleman, and gradually gets used to this bland but happy life.
If the story ends in such a direction. It was undoubtedly the prince and princess who had lived a romantic life ever since. But this does not fit Ellie's character setting, compared to the real "princess", Ellie is more like Mulan wearing a princess dress. The rich and prosperous family environment has cultivated her brave and warm character, and she has a fire in her heart, and as long as it is lit, she is not afraid of any difficulties.
Ellie went to the hospital as a volunteer for Noah, so the encounter with Hammond can only be regarded as a beautiful "mistake". The long separation makes Ellie's feelings for Noah gradually fade, and Hammond's timely appearance awakens Ellie's yearning for love. No one could turn down the handsome gentleman Hammond, and Ellie simply made the choices that all girls might make. Because no matter from which aspect, both of them can be called male and female, a pair of beautiful people.
But things are uncertain, and Ellie and Noah are reunited. When Ellie decided to go to the house Noah had built, everything was already predestined. What she could not forget was not her first love, not Noah's handsome face, but Noah's free, pure heart.
Noah has a magic power that allows Ellie to break free from the shackles of rules and be brave to be herself, which is exactly what Hammond lacks.
On another level, Ellie's fascination with Noah is not a quest for her true self. From a young age, Ellie longed for spiritual abundance even more. With Noah, Ellie is always in the pursuit of excellence.
So, everything that happened when Ellie came to town was a natural fit. The two go from awkwardness and embarrassment to rekindling the spark of love, which is unreasonable and unexpected.
Noah's 365 letters are just an opportunity to give Ellie the courage to face her feelings, to make decisions more firmly and without hesitation, and to give back to Noah's long-awaited expectations.
Ellie was lucky enough to meet the most loved person in her life at a young enough age, and reunited and bonded with her lover at a mature enough age. Her choice of Hammond was not a betrayal of Noah, on the contrary, it was also a growth and nirvana.
After abandoning Hammond, Ellie and Noah's relationship has no regrets, they have withstood the most stringent tests, and go around, or choose the original person.
In this three-person movie, perhaps Hammond is the most innocent one, he witnessed a most sincere love, but he could only reluctantly quit. There is no doubt that Hammond also loves Ellie deeply, and it is this heartfelt love that makes him choose to respect, fulfill, and finally let go and make her happy.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="47" >3, two people's persistence</h1>
The most shocking thing about the film is not the glue-like paint of youth, not the undercurrent after the reunion, but the white sideburns, the shaking of teeth, I still love you as always.
The director uses a yellowed notebook as a clue to connect two time and space. Through the interaction between Ellie and Noah in the two time and space, the layering of love is vividly expressed.
The passage of time and the triviality of life did not consume the love between them, but made it as mellow and long as fine wine. And this is the spirit that the film wants to convey, the love that the director really wants to sing.
At the end of the story, Ellie, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, has forgotten everything, she has forgotten her lover, she has forgotten her children, she is left in the corner of time, lonely and lonely. At this time, the gap between Ellie and Noah was already an irresistible disease, and both of them could do nothing about it.
Noah converted his house into a nursing home, and even though Ellie no longer knew him, he stayed with Ellie, reading them stories over and over again, hoping to save time and make Ellie stay for a short time.
Here, many people think that in this love, Noah is more determined, whether it is waiting in his youth or accompanying him in old age, Noah has paid a lot for Ellie. But in fact, it is not, this love is a two-way rush but evenly matched. Ellie is also persevering, equally dedicated.
The notebook in Noah's hand was Ellie's diary. Ellie interprets their stories into fairy tales with a delicacy and gentleness unique to women. She left the notebook to Noah, both to accompany Noah and to redeem herself. Behind Noah's story again and again is Ellie's constant struggle with the disease, they struggle in different interfaces, only looking forward to a brief encounter.
At the last moment of her life, Ellie finally remembered Noah. She held Noah's hand tightly and asked, "Do you think our love will take us with you?" Noah replied, "Our love can help us fulfill any wish," and love is further sublimated at this moment. After experiencing the barriers of relatives, war, and disease, Ellie and Noah have fulfilled their commitment to each other with their lives, and their love has come to a successful end at this moment.
For Ellie and Noah, leaving peacefully, hand in hand, was perhaps the greatest happiness. Leaving one alone in the human world is nothing but endless suffering.
In 2020, the second season of "Can't Forget the Restaurant" starring Huang Bo began recording in Shanghai. This variety show focusing on Alzheimer's patients has brought people a lot of emotions. In the show, Grandma Kong Fanyi, who is over eighty years old, is like Ellie in "Love Notebook", who has long forgotten and a moment of lucidity.
But unlike Ellie, Kong Fanyi forgot the present, but remembered her deceased lover alone. When her memory stays in the past, her face is full of happy smiles; when she returns to the present, her eyes are lonely and vicissitudes.
In and out of the past and in reality, Grandma Kong is stubbornly fighting against diseases, but for her, she may enjoy the husband's past more, and miss the love that has been dusted.
As the film says: The best love can awaken the soul and inspire us to strive for excellence, can make our enthusiasm like fire, but also let us pursue peace, that is what you gave me, and I hope to give you all this forever. ...... I no longer suffer because I know we had true love.