Japanese writer Mitsuyo Kakuda is the same disciple of Haruki Murakami, known as one of the three famous female writers in the contemporary Japanese literary world, she has a book called "The Cicada of the Eighth Day", which was adapted into a film of the same name by director Narima in 2011, and once it was released, it attracted much attention for its profound moral thinking and delicate emotional portrayal, and won five awards at the 35th Japan Academy Film Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Screenplay.
The film tells the story of a woman growing up, Akiyama Shohiro is a middle school teacher, he has a happy family, and a lover Nono Miya Kazuko, Hiwako became pregnant and was tricked by Akiyama to have an abortion, but thus unable to have children. One day, Akiyama and his wife are out, and the disheveled Heiko accidentally breaks into Akiyama's home and sees their six-month-old child, Huili, who feels joy and forgiveness from the child's innocent smile, so she takes her to escape from the home and begins a four-year wandering life. Four years later, Yoshikazuko was arrested, the child was sent back to the Akiyama family, and Yoshiko was sentenced to 16 years in prison, but Huili could not integrate into the original family.
01, maternal brilliance: love is the hope and confidence to survive
The harm Akiyama caused to Akiyama to Hitoko is immeasurable, in the patriarchal society, men are often irresponsible, lack of basic respect and love for women, Akiwako took away The Benefits has a great accidental factor, but it is the desire for children that makes up for her inner trauma, so that she finds hope and confidence to live.
When she was arrested by the police, the only thing she thought of was "This child has not eaten dinner yet, can you give this dinner to her?" "The great mother's love is expressed through such a simple sentence, which includes selfless care and love for the child.
For four years, Heiko gave all her love to Huilicai, and although she should be morally condemned, almost every audience member hopes that Huilicai will continue to receive such pure love. Hiroko deprives Akiyama of the right to nurture the family, but at the same time she is a victim, because of the loss of life choices that lead to her own harm. In the face of harm, she does not want revenge, but from the bottom of her heart, she wants to be good to her children and selflessly provide her love.
In court, Hiroko did not defend herself, on the contrary, she was grateful for the beauty of these four years, and if she had not lost her child, she might have been greeted with a different look.
02, find yourself: let go of hatred to get born again
It took a long time after Huili returned to the family to understand who her real parents were. In this relationship, Huilicai is the biggest victim, the adoptive mother is in prison, the biological parents are like strangers, Huilicai's mother has always wanted to replace Xihezi's position in the child's heart, but it has brought her greater harm again and again.
Every time, Huilicai would say "I'm sorry" to her mother, and this heart became fragile and sensitive, and Huilicai attributed all the faults to Xihezi, and in the process of growing up, she tried to erase all the memories of her childhood. But when she grew up, she was pregnant with the child of a married man, and the process was the same as that of Xi Hezi, which was really a time rotation and a creation.
When faced with the same choice, Huili cai chose to give birth to the child, and experienced the difficult choice of Hui Li Cai, from "the most vicious woman in the world" to "the woman who loves you in the world", Hui Li Cai constantly searched for self and past memories. When she let go of those hatreds, she finally found her true self.
All men are born sinful, and everyone deserves salvation. Xiwako's four-year upbringing is the process of self-redemption, she uses love to resist the cruelty of the world, Andiko at the end of parting, with her hand, gives Huili some air, although invisible, but there is love, these invisible forces are a hope, but also an understanding.
03. Women's Fable: Interpreting the meaning of life with the cicadas of the eighth day
A cicada that has lived in the soil for many years can only live for 7 days after it is broken, and if a cicada can live to the 8th day, will it be lonely? There is a saying in the film that explains this: "If one of them survives to the eighth day, his friends are dead, leaving himself, which is even more tragic." ”
The cicada on the eighth day is actually a female fable, very similar to the Japanese cherry blossom culture, which is as short as the surprise but is warm and colorful. In the film, Both Heiko and Huili are cicadas on the eighth day. When Huili Cai wanted to beat the child, he accidentally saw the appearance of the child in the instrument, suddenly his eyes lit up, he felt the joy of the beautiful things in the world, and ignited the spiritual rebirth after the disillusionment of the love bubble.
Willing to trade everything she has for the chance to be with Huili, She cuts off her own hair while holding her swaddled baby, meaning "born again." In the film, both Akiyama and Huili's lover, Kishida, are the initiators of female victimization, and this kind of incident occurs repeatedly all over the world.
The same situation makes the hearts of the two mothers and daughters close together again, and the power of maternal love saves the desperate women. When your buddies die, how do you live better? The film has already given the answer: find the power of love, and firmly let go of obsession, bravely make a challenge, life will get better and better.
epilogue:
Love is an eternal force and a driving force for rebirth, as long as there is a trace of love in the heart, life will not feel lonely. The cicada will be reborn on the eighth day, which is the theme of this film, Huili cai will gain hope and love at the end, and the child in her womb will become a new hope in life, which is the temperature of life.