Do civilizations and barbarism have absolute boundaries? Before watching this movie, I couldn't define civilization and barbarism.
This film is not an anti-Japanese film in our popular sense, nor is it a simple historical documentary, it does not represent any country, it is only talking about a war, a war between civilization and barbarism. (Sedek means "human" and Balai means "real", they were the early indigenous peoples of Taiwan.) ）
Historical background: In 1985, after the defeat of the Sino-Japanese War, China and Japan signed the Treaty of Maguan, ceding the island of Taiwan to Japan, and when Japan first began to take over Taiwan, the local indigenous people, the Saidek people, resisted and were subsequently suppressed by Japan.
Beginning in 1919, Japan began to carry out infrastructure construction on this land, opening shops, building houses, building railways, opening schools, etc. On the surface, it seems that Japan is constantly developing this barbaric land, but in fact it is plundering the local cheap labor and resources in disguise. The leader of Taiwan's indigenous people, Mona Rudao, has been raising obscurity in Taoguang, seeking an opportunity to fight back.
On October 27, 1930, Mona Rudao led the tribe to launch a mutiny, the Kirisha Incident, which is also based on the historical fact "Kirisha Incident", a war between only 300 indigenous People of Taiwan (Saidek) and 3,000 Japanese samurai.
When the Iron Hooves of Japan had not yet stepped into the island of Taiwan, the indigenous people here still lived a very primitive life, with the tribe as a unit, each tribe had its own hunting ground, and other tribes were not allowed to infringe on their own hunting grounds.
The male protagonist is chasing after the prey that has fallen into the water
Daily hunting
They used to use nomadic farming and hunting to maintain their lives, and then exchanged their prey and Han Chinese for other daily necessities.
They take pride in "coming out of the grass", that is, cutting off the head of the enemy, and the more "out of the grass", the more they can prove the heroism of the other party.
This life ended after the Japanese entered Taiwan. At first, the Japanese did not pay any attention to these people (the Japanese call the local residents), resulting in the first confrontation between the two, and the Japanese suffered defeat.
Judging from the topography of Taiwan at that time, the Sidek people had the advantage, with cliffs and cliffs on all sides, overgrown bushes, coupled with the long-term hunting habits of the indigenous people, they were very good at running, climbing, hiding, diving and other skills. The second Japanese offensive also failed miserably.
When attacking again, the Japanese took a two-way approach, on the one hand, they confronted the Sideks, but because the weapons could not match each other, the Sideks suffered heavy losses, and the leader at that time was killed by grenades, and when they survived to their tribe, they found that they had been controlled by the Japanese army.
What follows is Japan's so-called civilization transformation period, where equality is everywhere! Here are a few details that can be indicated:
Japanese officers treated the local population as cheap labor.
In education, the children of local residents are often beaten and scolded by teachers.
Not wanting to be a "barbarian", he tries to dress up Jiro and Dachis, who are still not recognized by Japan.
At the same time, Jiro and Dachis are not recognized by their compatriots.
The Japanese officers insulted the indigenous people and made all kinds of mistakes.
Every time I see this, I will feel a thousand emotions, a country is strong enough to keep its people away from "violence", strong enough to have the ability to stop the war.
Civilization and barbarism should not stay on the surface, civilization is not the latest technology, the most advanced ideas, the most outstanding weapons, civilization is emanating from the bones, is able to play the essence of human beings, that is, kindness, tolerance, justice, and friendliness.
Barbarism is not ignorance, the Saidek know what they need to protect, it is their pride as the Saidek, which is not replaced by any civilization.
Mona Rudao led the tribe to mutiny again, and after so many years of "indoctrination" in Japan, many indigenous people have become accustomed to it and do not want to resist again. Mona Rudao's pre-war mobilization, every word makes people's blood boil.
The Japanese are denser than the leaves of the forest, more stones than the muddy stream, but my determination to resist is stronger than that of Mount Chilai!
If your civilization has made us humble, then I will show you the pride of barbarism.
Only 300 people participated in the mutiny in the end, and the Japanese bombed by aircraft and released poison gas, which was very tragic. One of the passages is that young and old women do not want to be a burden to men, but also worry about not having enough food, and choose to commit mass suicide.
When Jiro, who became a Japanese policeman, asked Mona Rudao why he mutinied? Is such a civilized life bad? I think that Jiro himself knows that such a civilization is only a symptom, and he himself has been treated unfairly, but he has chosen to be patient, and he firmly believes in the arrival of "civilization".
Mona Rudao replied to him, "Men are forced to bend down to move wood, and women are forced to kneel with domestic servants to accompany the wine." Post offices, shops, schools, when these make the life of the people better, but let them see how poor they are! ”
The core of this film is not in the anti-Japanese resistance, it is a showdown between civilization and barbarism, the whole film is not hidden, Japan's so-called civilization is a civilization at home, a distinction between the outside world, a difference in the education of children, the status of officers.
In the same way, the named savagery of the indigenous people was peeled off little by little, and after the grass fell, everyone killed the red eyes, and the women and children did not let go.
Is there a winner in this showdown? It may or may not be, this place is blank, so that everyone has enough space to define the answer in their hearts.
The soundtrack in the play is very suitable, almost the key to rendering the atmosphere, many times, I have unconsciously placed myself in it because of the soundtrack, and the emotions are quickly filled.
I prefer to think of it as a documentary, and the realistic scenes of the film are too well grasped.
Civilization can be disguised, the invaders bring not civilization, but handcuffs and shackles disguised as civilization, barbaric naked body to you, you are not willing to open your eyes to see, under the barbarism is dignity.