Nietzsche was born when classical philosophy developed to Hegel; Schoenberg was born when classical music developed to Wagner; Picasso was born when classical painting developed to Monet; Chaplin was born when classical theater developed to Shaw. The law tells us that when the positive thinking of a certain ideological system or artistic style reaches its peak, it also breeds a rebellious revolution.
As we all know, the spirit of classical drama did not die out because of the birth of cinema. In fact, the film art directly inherited a certain classical drama expression and narrative method in the early stage of its development. Later, with the advancement of technology and aesthetic changes, the way of expression of the film gradually showed an independent and diversified development trajectory.
A conscious subversion of tradition then swept through the Western film world. If Bergman and Godard are only experimenting with more possibilities of film narrative on a niche scale, films like "Desire StreetCar" are a radical look at the general public in a Hollywood context by reverse thinking. As time went on, Hollywood's commercial films established their own golden rules, and the balance of the film kingdom began to tilt.
Notting Hill, in London's West End, famous for its mixed immigrants and carnivals, has been the birthplace of romantic love since victorian times. The mountainless area is so famous today in large part because of the classic romance of the same name starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant; for me, the name "Notting Hill" was first known as a small bar of the same name next to the university campus.
In the era of "Notting Hill", the classical belief in love has long been forgotten in the dust film. People are tired of the positive tradition of classical drama and tired of Bergmanian abstract thinking. Instead, in the larger context of the times, reverse thinking is used to reconstruct the realistic proposition of love. At this time, director Roger Michelle regained the classical belief in film art in the midst of a cacophony. "Notting Hill" still subverts the classics, but it no longer despises tradition with a mocking eye, but comes to a respectful remembrance of the latter, with a certain sadness.
People are accustomed to seeing Notting Hill as a modern love fairy tale, and when the story of Cinderella has long since become a children's book, we find it ridiculous to advertise it as classical. In fact, the film's expression is still full of drama, and traces of reverse thinking can still be seen everywhere. However, no matter how many Hollywood-style plot rules are added to the play, no matter what kind of "modernity confusion" the protagonist encounters, their ending still inevitably returns to the positive tradition of the classical spirit.
This is a beautiful story that the audience has been absent for a long time, accustomed to the struggle of human nature and the entanglement of the world, and suddenly revisiting the story of Cinderella, which can't help but feel like a spring breeze. Although for various reasons, "Notting Hill" can only achieve the remembrance of the spirit of classical drama, but can not regain the essence of positive tradition, even if its modern imitation is superficial, it is enough to make the audience ecstatic and even tearful.
It is undeniable that because of the commercial operation process in Hollywood, the linear way of thinking of classical drama has been preserved in another form, and the mysterious and innovative in the postmodern context is not popular here. But as times move forward, Hollywood's positive traditions are constantly absorbing new factors.
The value of "Notting Hill" lies in the fact that it has won the praise of the public with a relatively pure intention. Although its positive thinking is very naïve in the broad and profound classical drama, in Hollywood's love films, "Notting Hill" is undoubtedly remembered for a long time. This is an atypical triumph of classical positive thinking.
The hero and heroine of "Notting Hill" look like each other in the fairy tale world, the film ends, the audience walks out of the theater, returns to the bustling world of reality, ripples in their hearts, and then quickly snuffed out by all kinds of "modernity confusion". Perhaps, that's why people read a hint of sadness in Notting Hill.