Text/Xiang Yu (Professor, Zhejiang University of Communication)
Since the 1980s, "enlightenment" has once again become the key word in Chinese intellectual circles, and the "ultra-stable" Chinese cultural structure is considered to be one of the main obstacles to China's historical development. Correspondingly, Chinese films also enthusiastically call for the modernization of film language and fiercely criticize traditional Chinese culture, the most typical manifestation of which is the image innovation and "father-killing" impulse of the fifth generation of films. Unlike this radical trend of thought that followed the May Fourth New Culture Movement, Wu Yigong's 1992 film Que Li RenJia reflects on the destruction of Confucian ethics in modern Chinese history through the intergenerational conflict of a family, and explores how an ancient civilization that is about to open up to the world should treat its own traditions.
The story told in the film takes place in "Que Li", that is, "Confucius Old Li", which tells a series of contradictions and conflicts that occurred during the Spring Festival when the old lady of the Confucius family and the eldest son who had been away from home for many years returned to his hometown to worship shou. This narrative space and character setting clearly indicate the theme of the film. The Confucius family, which has been in the same house for five generations, seems to be perfect, but in fact it is full of crises. The elder Kong ordered Tan to abandon his wife and son to join the revolution and build a new home and become a senior cadre of the state. While he "has no regrets" about it, he also admits that "the price is too high." The price is the shattering of the home: the house collapses (a symbol of the broken family), and the wife dies of longing. His biggest price is that he does not fulfill his responsibilities as a father, "loses the qualification to be a father", and cannot get the approval of his own son.
In addition to the conflict between Kong Lingtan (father) and Kong Dexian (son), another pair of contradictory father-son relationships in the film is Kong Dexian (father) and Kong Weiben (son). Kong Weiben took his grandfather as an idol, believing that "a good boy is determined to be in the four directions, and the family has gained something." The difference is that Grandpa Kong Lingtan left home because he participated in the revolution, while Kong Weiben was bent on studying abroad. Undoubtedly, a new family crisis has emerged in this new historical context. Because of the painful memories of his childhood, he followed his mother day after day at the mouth of the village to wait for his father's return, Kong Dexian strongly opposed his son to study abroad, on the grounds that the Kong family "can no longer wait for anyone".
Although the film firmly defends the value of the family, it also implicitly criticizes Kong Dexian's parental production style, pointing out that he "exerted too much force" in order to maintain the integrity of the family. He always presented himself as "being a family member" and tried to base the integrity of the family on the authority of his father (male). Ironically, this traditional patriarchal culture is also an important factor in family instability. On the one hand, he completely disregarded his son's personal will, which led to his son's fierce revolt; on the other hand, he fiercely opposed the revolutionary father, who in his view had no sense of family responsibility. Whether the family can be completely based on traditional patriarchy is a thought-provoking question raised by this film. At the same time, the film also leads us to reflect on the fate of women in this kind of family. Kong Dexian's wife, Xian Hui, and daughter-in-law filial piety are the most important forces to alleviate the contradictions and conflicts between the two fathers and sons and maintain the integrity of the family. However, this traditional female image, subordinate female status, is obviously at the expense of women's own value. Kong Dexian's accidental pushing of his wife down, causing her to hit her forehead, is a metaphor for the unconscious harm of patriarchal culture to women.
In addition to looking at family values and patriarchal ethics from the perspective of different generations and different genders, the film also expresses a re-affirmation of traditional Chinese culture from the perspective of western others. The second master of the Kong family is an intellectual who emphasizes the value of traditional culture, he wrote a good calligraphy, posted a "big character newspaper" calling for the reconstruction of the ancient temple, and the family treasured the Qing version of the "Peach Blossom Fan", and also had a deep study of the cultural relics represented by the Wordless Stele of the Song Dynasty. What Second Master Kong represents is exactly what American tourist Anne is interested in. She had never seen her father, and she was very envious of such a big Chinese family as the Kong family, and it was difficult to understand why Kong Weiben was bent on going abroad. This kind of character and plot setting, as well as the metaphorical historical inheritance of the Confucius Cemetery that appears many times in the film, is undoubtedly the director's profound reflection on the radical anti-traditional trend of thought.
Artistically, "Que Li Ren" walks out of the poetic narrative style and freehand image language established by director Wu Yigong in "Bashan Night Rain" and "Old Events in Seongnam". The scene setting and environmental set of the film are very realistic, and the plot emphasizes contradictions and conflicts, establishing a new style of melancholy and powerfulness. It is a pity that director Wu Yigong's pursuit of this new style is overshadowed by the light of the fifth and sixth generations of films that have shined on the international stage, and his impartial and steady thinking on Chinese family, ethics and culture has not attracted the attention of the theoretical community that dominates with modern and modern discourse. At the end of the film, the two generations of fathers move toward reconciliation, and this compromise and balance of treatment, although it has the legacy of traditional Confucian gentleness and generosity, is not in line with the tastes of critics, especially Western film festivals. In the view of Professor Ishikawa, a professor at the Shanghai Theater Academy and vice chairman of the Shanghai Filmmakers Association, "Que Li Ren Ren Ren" is a masterpiece that has been seriously ignored. Re-acquainting ourselves with this film will not only allow us to see a new Wu Yigong, but also help us better understand the relationship between contemporary Chinese cinema and traditional Chinese culture.