When it comes to Mongolian movies, the first thing that comes to mind is the Douban high-scoring documentary "Mongolian Steppe, Sunny Weather".
Japanese director Kazuya Yamada uses rough and simple images to tell the story of the Pujie family, a grassland elf girl, who is silent and moving, tenacious but also fragile, and has touched countless people.
Recently, a film directed and acted by a Mongolian director made people feel the steppe and the people on the steppe one step further-
"When the Autumn Moon is Full"
Just seeing the title of this film, I feel that there is a picture in my mind: autumn night, people who have finished their work are sitting and talking and laughing on the grassland, a bright moon above their heads sheds a gentle light, and parting is close at hand.
This feeling is like what Xiucai said on the roof in "Wulin Gaiden": "Life is very short, like a white horse passing through a gap, fleeting." But this mood is very long, like mountains and rivers, endless. ”
01
The story of "When the Autumn Full Moon" is about Fatherhood, that is, the identity of a father.
The life of the male protagonist Tulga in the city is not satisfactory, not because of economic problems, after all, he can work as a chef in a five-star hotel, and his income must be considerable.
Tulga's sad thing is that his girlfriend, who originally wanted to propose, suddenly sent a voice saying that she actually had a son, and if he could accept it, then everyone would be happy, and if he couldn't, he parted ways.
At the same time, a phone call rang from the steppe, and the young man on the other end said in a loud voice that Tulga's father was seriously ill and wanted him to return quickly.
The camera pans to the prairie: the man on the phone is standing on horseback and shouting at a mobile phone, and if he can't hold on, he will fall.
Unlike cities where life is convenient, the signal on the grassland is not good, and making a phone call requires a lot of effort.
Even though the call was not easy to come by, even if he heard that his father was seriously ill, Tulga did not seem to be in a hurry, but said that he was very busy.
Tulga was not unfilial, and as a victim of a typical East Asian father-son relationship, Tulga was raised with a stick by his father. The son who grew up like this will inevitably usher in a defection.
Although he said that he did not have time, Turga returned to the grassland, cooked for his father, who was holding on to see him, and wiped his body.
The father's attitude gradually softened, and at the end of his life he began to confess to his son, asking for his forgiveness.
Hearing this, Tulga finally couldn't help crying outside the tent.
The father was actually Tulga's adoptive father, and the father and son who were not related by blood were no different from other fathers and sons in the world.
Love and hate, guilt and forgiveness, reconciliation and loss, the most intimate relationship is also the most awkward relationship.
At this point, we understand why Tulga was so distressed when he heard his girlfriend's confession. This is not only the impact of being a father, but he also realizes that he wants to re-walk his father's path.
One thing that children have nothing to do is that the good and bad in their parents will always be reflected on themselves, and there is no way to avoid them.
There was no crying, and my father's funeral was silent. The story of a father who raised his son alone and a son who decided to leave is familiar to us, and life is destined to have a defection to his parents.
02
Before the pain of losing his father was relieved, Tulga met another protagonist - Thuntouré, a 10-year-old child.
His flock ate Tulga's grass, and the two quarreled with Maimang, and the boy took advantage of the situation to pick up a stone and hit Turga on the head before riding away.
The reconciliation also came very quickly: the little brother came handsomely and carried a jug of water for Tulga, who was mowing the lawn.
The little brother is indeed very mature, and at an age when he can't reach the stirrups, he rides a horse and gallops across the grassland, managing a large flock of sheep. He could not only make herbs to bandage Tuga's sickle-worn hands, but also skillfully roll cigarettes for his grandfather day after day.
He has no father, and his mother works outside the home all the year round and lives with his grandparents. The old couple is old, but their temperament is still like a wild horse on the grassland, and they fight each other from time to time.
In such a situation, the child brother must pretend to be an old man and take on the heavy responsibility of the family.
At this point in the film, the director's creative purpose is also exposed: through the relationship between Tulga and the little brother, on the one hand, Tulga can complete the role transformation from a son to a father, and on the other hand, let the little brother take off his disguise and return from an adult to a boy.
The little brother longs for a father, and Turga responds to that desire.
The two played together, fished, and went to a children's wrestling tournament.
At the meeting, the children's brother showed his might and won the first battle. Halfway through, Tulga asked the child if he wanted toys, and the child brother spoke domineeringly, "The child only plays with this garbage." As a result, the camera turned, and the child brother was holding a toy water gun in one hand and ice cream in the other, laughing in front of the puppet show.
Of course, Brother Kid also has troubles and tempers, for example, when Tulga took him to dinner and asked him to order, he accidentally found out that Brother Kid was illiterate. The crowd of onlookers laughed, and the child brother was annoyed and angry, tears came out of his eyes, turned over and galloped home, and a flock of migratory birds flew on the way.
The unhappiness at first sight was resolved by the little brother, and this time the conflict ended with Tulga erecting a wooden tower to make it easier for people to make phone calls. But when the child's brother happily dialed his mother's phone, the other party's tone was rusty and impatient.
03
This Mongolian film has its own templated side: themes of tradition and modernity, departure and return are basically woven throughout the story. But it's also a necessary aspect of our time.
With the rapid development of science and technology, no matter what kind of environment or occupation, it is inevitable that it will be swept up by the torrent of the times, and Mongolia is no exception.
But the focus of "When the Autumn Moon is Full" is not about telephone signals, but on how we examine and accept those encounters and separations, gains and losses in life.
Blood relationship is a kind of fate, and the encounter of non-blood relationship is also a kind of fate, no matter how unwilling we are, the relationship itself has to go through changes.
The little brother cried a little when Tulga left, and Tulga had to continue to return to his established life track, and both of them had to face the lingering loneliness in their lives. If separation is unavoidable, then cherishing the present is the best option.
The completion of "When the Autumn Full Moon" is very high, whether it is the iron-clad and tender Tulga, or the little kid brother, both of them give flesh and blood to the characters with quite daily performances.
The director also integrated this kind of daily life into the film to the greatest extent.
On the one hand, the film itself retains enough emotional attributes and realistic texture, and on the other hand, the restrained narrative rhythm also keeps the film from entering a pretentious and embarrassing situation.
In terms of photographic style, the characters are often placed in panoramic or medium grounds, allowing nature to participate in the narrative and emotional expression. This treatment avoids the suspicion that the film is reduced to a natural scenery film. All the shots are also just right to serve the plot itself.
Of course, the most touching thing is the delicate forbearance in the story of the film, which is plain and simple, beautiful and long, healing people's hearts, and is very suitable for winter viewing.
Pillow clouds