Very few directors shoot the emotional world of re-education through labor. However, "Morning Clouds and Twilight Rain" bravely touched this little-known territory.
The story of the film is derived from the novel "The Murderous Girl in a Wedding Dress" based on true events. The heroine in the original book, who is only 16 years old, dares to wield a knife to kill, and her ruthlessness and determination are staggering. She not only has a strong rebellious spirit, but also has a self-destructive impulse, once swallowed 36 needles at once in despair, and used her body language to declare her despair and struggle to the world.
And the actor Lao Fan, he spent almost the first half of his life in prison. From the age of 20, he began to taste the bitterness of his life behind bars. The two suspended death sentences were like two heavy shackles, firmly binding him to the shadow of crime. Before his release, his life seemed to be about to turn a new page, but the cruelty of reality was far beyond his imagination.
He originally wanted to live a solid life after being released from prison, but he unexpectedly became a millionaire, and after learning that his family's house was demolished, the government subsidized him with 1.5 million. Homeless, even the photos of his parents were abandoned, in order to find a new direction in life, Lao Fan walked into the marriage agency, but fate did not seem to favor him. When he encountered the immortal jump, he gradually realized the rejection and disdain of normal people for him.
So, he made an unexpected decision - to marry outside the women's prison.
On that special day, Lao Fan held a sign and waited alone outside the door of the women's prison. As time passed, the women were picked up by their relatives one after another, and his hopes were dashed little by little. Just when he was about to give up, a young figure broke into his sight - Chang Juan, but at this moment he looked so helpless and confused.
Chang Juan's appearance surprised Lao Fan. He was originally looking for middle-aged women, but Chang Juan's persistence and direct touched him. She put forward a proposal for a trial marriage, and even expressed her willingness to give birth to a child for Lao Fan, which made Lao Fan's heart surge with a warm current. Although Chang Juan's past is full of gloom and danger, there is a glimmer of longing to return to life in her eyes.
After the two got married, Lao Fan's life changed dramatically. Chang Juan's demands are constant, from a two-bedroom apartment in a high-end community to various daily necessities, Lao Fan has done almost everything to satisfy her. His savings dwindled rapidly, but he didn't complain. Because he knows that this is a new beginning for him and Chang Juan, and it is also his expectation for his future life.
The reason why Chang Juan chose to enter the palace of marriage with Lao Fan was not driven by simple interests, but a series of complex and deep reasons hidden.
Not long after the two met, Chang Juan showed consumption habits that were different from ordinary people. On the second day of living together, her online shopping account was less than 10,000 yuan, and she bought seven pairs of brand-name shoes, as if filling a gap in her heart. In the following month, her expenses were as high as 35,000 yuan, which made Lao Fan, who was not financially well-off, begin to feel dissatisfied.
But what Lao Fan didn't know was that behind Chang Juan's consumption behavior, it was actually her temptation of Lao Fan. She wanted to see if this man, who had been in prison for most of his life, was really worthy of her life. When Lao Fan had a cold war with her, Chang Juan chose to take the initiative to show goodwill, she hoped to use this way to let Lao Fan understand that she was willing to pay for this relationship.
After the relationship between the two eased, Chang Juan submitted a request to obtain a certificate. At the moment of receiving the certificate, Lao Fan seemed to have found a long-lost sense of belonging and began to plan his future life. Chang Juan wants a wedding dress worth 60,000 yuan, three gold medals worth 20,000 yuan and a diamond ring of 18,000 yuan, as well as a bride price of 184,400 yuan, which may be a lot of expenses in Lao Fan's opinion, but Chang Juan feels that this is her test of Lao Fan, but the reality is not the case, Chang Juan's actions are to cheat marriage and money.
However, just after the two took wedding photos and received their marriage certificate, Chang Juan suddenly disappeared. Old Fan anxiously searched for her, but there was no news. It wasn't until he received a phone call from Chang Juan that he learned the truth.
It turned out that Chang Juan has been carrying a heavy past, her parents were killed in a car accident, and she was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a wrong act of revenge, and she also had a civil judgment, Chang Juan had to pay 184,400 yuan to the victim's family. Her grandmother died shortly after she was imprisoned, and these experiences filled Chang Juan with hatred for the world. After that, Chang Juan took the 184,400 dowry money given by Lao Fan and paid the victim's family.
In that dark cell, a cunning cellmate taught Chang Juan a "marriage cheating technique", and she quietly instigated: "Remember, only wait for the certificate to act, then it is not a fraud." These words were like poison, quietly corroding Chang Juan's heart.
After receiving the certificate, Chang Juan, with a desire for happiness and hatred for the past, chose an extreme way to end her life. She jumped from the top floor of the hotel in her wedding dress, and although she saved her life, she was partially paralyzed and in a vegetative state. At that moment, she may have completely despaired of the world and just wanted to end her pain in this way.
However, fate is always full of drama. After the police investigated Chang Juan's jumping incident, they unexpectedly involved Lao Fan. That dusty file, like a key, opened the door to Lao Fan's life.
After Lao Fan learned all this, he had mixed feelings in his heart. He felt sorry for Chang Juan's experience, but also puzzled by her choice.
Lao Fan, a man who has spent half his life in prison, seems to be mercilessly imprisoned within four high walls. However, when he learned what happened to Chang Juan, he took her to his side without hesitation, and used his meager strength to try his best to warm and take care of this woman who had gone astray.
Although Lao Fan is used to life in prison, his heart has always longed for freedom. However, the shackles of fate do not seem to have loosened because of his kindness and mercy. He is still trapped in the invisible cage of life, from which he cannot escape.
Lao Fan always felt an indescribable sadness in his heart. He knew that his life might be destined to be spent in prison and life. But even so, he still chooses to face Chang Juan with love and kindness, and to warm those who are also tormented by fate.
And Chang Juan gradually found the meaning of life in Lao Fan's care. Perhaps, this is a test of fate for them, and it is also a kind of redemption for them.
The movie "Morning Clouds and Twilight Rain" shows the bumpy experience of this special couple with vivid brushstrokes. Their stories may not be perfect, but they are full of truth and emotion. They have found support and warmth in each other, and they have gradually grown and strengthened in the grinding of life.