After watching "Retrograde Life", I felt a lot of emotion.
Gao Zhilei's retrograde life made me see the helplessness and struggle of middle-aged people in the face of career changes. After becoming unemployed, he tasted the hardships of life: age discrimination, fraud by black intermediaries, and mortgage disconnection...... Every question was enough to plunge him into despair.
However, just when he was about to give up, the support and encouragement of his family brought him back on his feet. The tearful words of his wife Shauni, "This family is not yours alone", became the motivation for him to continue to move forward.
The seemingly simple profession of food delivery hides a lot of unknown bitterness. In the process of delivering takeaways, Gao Zhilei encountered many problems such as overtime, bad reviews, and embarrassment in the face of former colleagues. But he never gave up, but tried to adjust his mentality, humbly ask other riders for advice, and take the initiative to help customers solve problems. It is this perseverance that has gradually won him the respect and recognition of his customers.
In the film, the key event in Gao Zhilei's change of mentality is a suicide note written by his father on the occasion of his 70th birthday. The old man did not want to add any more burden to his family, so he chose to leave this world secretly. Although this plot is a bit abrupt, it profoundly reflects the helplessness and struggle of middle-aged people in the face of the dual pressure of family and career.
The film then completes the twist with a heartwarming scene. While bathing his father, who has difficulty moving, the son said with tears in his eyes: "No matter how bitter it is, it is not as bitter as yours, at least we still have braised pork to eat." ”
This scene made the whole family re-examine their lives and mindsets. His father began to exercise actively, his mother returned to his old business to run a commissary, and Gao Zhilei continued to work hard to improve himself in the food delivery industry. The family faced the difficulties together, supported each other, and got through this difficult time together.
The film also created a series of vivid images of delivery people: "Chasing Love Knight" Yang Dashan worked hard to run orders for love; "Single King" Da Hei works hard to make up for his mistakes; "Lao Li" dragged his injured leg and insisted on delivering food to raise money for his daughter's surgery. These images not only show the hardships and hardships of the delivery workers, but also convey a kind of perseverance and positive spiritual strength.
In the evening, a small yellow flower given to Gao Zhilei by "Lao Li" became the most moving moment in the film. The small flower that blooms in the garbage dump symbolizes the beauty and greatness of human nature, no matter how difficult life is, we must maintain our love and pursuit of life.
This moment reminded me of the lyrics in "Send You a Little Red Flower": "Although life is hard, we all have to bloom like flowers." ”
Of course, the film has also faced some criticism. Some viewers think that the film emphasizes too much on the narrative of "positive energy", and some plot arrangements are not reasonable enough. But what I want to say is that the kind of spiritual strength that the film conveys in the face of adversity is real and touching.
When Gao Zhilei said on the podium, "We all work hard, deserve to be respected and have a better life", I believe that many viewers were as deeply moved as I was.
In all fairness, "Retrograde Life" did move me, who is also middle-aged. After walking out of the theater, I couldn't help but think: why did such a movie with so many problems with details move so many middle-aged people?
I think maybe it's because of the kind of struggle and rebirth under the midlife crisis that the film presents that resonates strongly with us.
Gao Zhilei's story allows us to see the helplessness and struggle of middle-aged people in the face of career changes, as well as the loss of ground under the dual pressure of family and career. The painful process of shattering ourselves and rebuilding our dignity makes us sigh. And the positive spiritual power conveyed in the film also allows us to see hope and the future.
The seemingly bloody lines in the film: "Applause to everyone who works hard" is actually the encouragement and support that we middle-aged people need most in the face of difficulties.
Only when we really take off Kong Yiji's caftan and become an ordinary worker can we feel the strength and pride from the heart.