In 1987, the film "The Visit of the Dead to the Living" directed by Huang Jianzhong was released. This film, based on a true story, uses a surrealist approach to filming, blending fantasy, reality, and historical space.
The original author, Liu Shugang, was published in the monthly magazine "Screenplay" in 1985, and it was premiered at the People's Art Theater that year, won the Third National Excellent Screenplay Award in 1986, and was adapted into a film in 1987.
As Huang Jianzhong said in an interview: I made this movie, there is no box office, and the circle does not say good, but I have always had a pursuit and belief, that is, the exploration of human nature, so this movie is very enjoyable.
As the fourth generation of Chinese directors, Huang Jianzhong has created works with a wide range of themes, spanning long periods and great controversies, and his works are between the mainstream and the margins, art and commerce, and the nation and the world, and constantly maintain a balance.
In the movie "The Visit of the Dead to the Living", it is about Ye Xiaoxiao who encounters a thief who steals his wallet on the bus, he dares to speak out and expose the thief's behavior, and his righteous behavior angers the thief, and they surround Xiao Xiao. None of the passengers on the bus helped, so they watched Xiao Xiao being killed by the gangsters and remained indifferent.
1． An act of justice draws out indifferent spectators
Xiao Xiao is an art creator, he carried his girlfriend sweet design of the nude model on the 13 bus, there are many people on the car, Xiao Xiao hugged the nude model was watched by everyone, he lowered his head, but found a thief who took away the wallet of the strong man opposite, Xiao Xiao did not think about it, he scolded loudly, saying: What are you doing? The wallet belonged to this comrade.
The thief was frightened and looked at the owner of the wallet with fierce eyes, but the strong man shook his head, indicating that the wallet was not his own. The daughter next to her said that the wallet was her own, but the man was afraid of thieves and never admitted it.
The car was overcrowded, and everyone was laughing and watching the farce. Xiao Xiao didn't think of it, why didn't this person dare to admit that the wallet was his own?
When the thief saw that Xiao Xiao was alone and helpless, he threw his anger on Xiao Xiao, and there were several strong men in their gang, and they surrounded Xiao Xiao, and the crowd did not stop them, everyone turned their heads around, each busy, not even the people who called the police to pull a fight.
The thin Xiao Xiao was surrounded by a group, and a thief also took out a knife and stabbed Xiao Xiao 7 times. In an instant, blood flowed like blood, and everyone avoided it, and no one helped Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao was injured, lay on the ground, and pleaded with the crowd: Help me. At this time, only someone was heard shouting to stop, driving the car to the police station, the car stopped, and the gang of thieves fled in a hurry.
Xiao Xiao dragged the injured body, took the model, went to his girlfriend's sweet studio, fell to the ground and never got up.
2. Xiao Xiao visits every onlooker in the dream state, seeking explanations
Xiao Xiao was sent to the morgue, his girlfriend Sweet was in pain, she heard the reason for the incident, and the police interviewed the passengers in the car, including the man whose wallet was stolen. But the man refused to admit it, but instead framed Xiao Xiao for being in the same gang as the thief.
Other passengers also said that they did not see clearly what the scene was like, no one was willing to prove that Xiao Xiao was just, and even the leaders of the unit reacted with the police, Xiao Xiao's life style was not good, he lived with his girlfriend, his usual work was not serious, and his moral style was very problematic.
Under the feedback of everyone like this, Xiao Xiao could not be rated as a hero, and Tiantian blamed herself, so she entrusted someone to do a marriage certificate to prove that she and Xiao Xiao were husband and wife, so that everyone should not question Xiao Xiao's character.
She also contacted Fa Xiaoliufeng, who grew up with him, who was a journalist, and asked him to help Xiao Xiao together. The 3 of them grew up together, and Liu Feng has been pursuing Sweetie, but Sweetie is obsessed with Xiao Xiao.
In fact, that day, Liu Feng was also on the No. 13 bus, just standing in the last row, he knew the whole truth, but he refused to speak for Xiao Xiao. Because he was in a love enemy relationship with Xiao Xiao, he even slandered Xiao Xiao and refused to write the truth.
Tiantian couldn't help Xiao Xiao, she ran to the morgue and saw Xiao Xiao for the last time, but she didn't expect that Xiao Xiao was actually resurrected.
He first thought of the owner of the wallet, Director Hao, so he entered his dream and asked Director Hao why he did not dare to admit it at that time. Director Hao said with embarrassment: I have a daughter who is a blind woman, if she has something to do, what will she do?
After the kind Xiao Xiao listened, he was silent, and he completely understood and tolerated Director Hao at this moment. But the blind woman accused Director Hao that if she couldn't see it, she would definitely help Xiao Xiao. The blind girl's words made Xiao Xiao very moved, so he left Director Hao's house.
He thought of a couple on the bus at the time, and found them, a newlywed couple who had just gotten married, and the husband wanted to get up to help Xiao Xiao, but was stopped by his wife.
The husband said it was for his wife, so he didn't shoot at that time. Xiao Xiao looked at the couple with very sweet feelings and understood him instantly.
So Xiao Xiao continued to find another man in the car, this man was tall, had practiced martial arts, took the bus to see his wife and daughter who had just given birth, he could have shot, but he was afraid that after he was injured, his wife and daughter would not be taken care of, so he did not move in his seat, until finally, he shouted, let the bus driver drive the car to the police station.
While comparing himself with Xiao Xiao, he said that he had a heroic dream and was suffering from not having the opportunity to show himself, and when he said this, he began to ask himself: Why did he not dare to shoot at that time?
Xiao Xiao heard this and left silently, he understood that everyone had bitter feelings, but he did not regret his behavior at all, from this it can be seen that the ordinary Xiao Xiao has a kind and generous heart.
The director uses a surreal shooting method to design Xiao Xiao's soul to visit witnesses on the bus, hoping to find witnesses to prove his righteous deeds.
But what he didn't expect was that everyone had a grandiose reason, coldly laughing and watching Xiao Xiao get 7 knives in his body and fall to the ground and die.
Xiao Xiao was disappointed and met a girl with a red scarf, she was also in the car at the time, because she was young, she could not help, she said to Xiao Xiao: "You are a hero, but at that time, why were adults unwilling to help you?" ”
The little girl's words completely broke the numb and indifferent soul of some Chinese people, just like Mr. Lu Xun said, "Angry at its misfortune, mourning its numbness."
Compared with Xiao Xiao's true and kind character, the cold, selfish people on the bus are chilling.
3. The righteous act was revealed, and Xiao Xiao restored his reputation
Xiao Xiao visited multiple witnesses and was disappointed. But I didn't expect that because of the report of a girl with a red scarf, the murderer of Xiao Xiao was caught, and only then was Xiao Xiao's righteous act known to the world.
Originally, he had always been unfavorable to Xiao Xiao's leadership, completely changed his tone, and vigorously publicized that Xiao Xiao was a good young man, and Fa Xiao also found out in his conscience that he had justified Xiao Xiao's name.
Tiantian even took out all her savings of 50,000 yuan to make a bronze statue for Xiao Xiao, and ran for Xiao Xiao as a wife to restore his reputation.
All this, Xiao Xiao saw in his eyes, he was grateful for the sweet effort, and he knew that he should leave. So he waved goodbye to sweetness and made a final goodbye.
Finally, in the light of the fire, Xiao Xiao said with tears in his eyes, when he bid farewell to countless living beings affectionately, he said: People, I will always be with you.
In the end, Director Hao was fired, the gangsters who hurt Xiao Xiao were brought to justice, and the righteous act would eventually have a good result.
summary:
The visit of the dead to the living, this absurd plot, on the surface seems to have nothing to do with reality, but in fact it is a reflection of reality.
As Wang Meng said: This absurd imagination is also a supplement to realism, and sometimes a variant of realism.
In the film, director Huang Jianzhong uses black dark tones to visually give people a strong sense of oppression, indicating that this is a tragic film intended to reflect people's true human nature.
In the face of reality, the people on the bus choose to turn a blind eye and listen to Xiao Xiao, refuse to help Xiao Xiao, after Xiao Xiao's death, they will feel guilty, but they always dare not bravely stand up for him, all behavior is derived from the selfishness and self-interest of human nature.
As Shaw shouts in the movie: "I can tolerate the truth, even if it is so cruel, but I can't stand the deception." In this film, what is real is the selfishness and indifference of human nature, and deception is also the expression of self-interest in human nature.
Throughout the film, the storyline is not complicated, and metaphors are used in many places, such as director Hao's blind girl, whose name is :"Bright". Although her eyes could not see, her heart was bright, while other normal people, the eyes could see, but the soul was dark.
If everyone in the car could stand up bravely at that time, would the result be different?
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