Like me, I have long passed the year of confusion, and I am advancing towards the 50 mark. The yin and yang of nature, the joys and sorrows in life, the cold and warm feelings in society, I have seen too much. I thought that I had already practiced to the realm of an iron heart, and it was difficult to have big emotional fluctuations for what and why people, let alone for a movie.
But "Request in the Rain" did it! For two hours, I didn't take a break to read it, and I was crying a lot! Tears from TV series or movies seem to have not happened in nearly two decades.
This time I was really touched by this film, for Ethan's unfortunate encounter, for his optimism, for his strength, for the unusual love in the world. But the bigger impact of the film on me was that dying with dignity was sometimes much harder than surviving.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="01" > Ethan's euthanasia request</h1>
Ethan Omascale is a very talented magician. With continuous efforts and study, he finally became the world's number one magician.
Standing on a luxurious and dreamy stage, he shocked the world again and again with his superb skills and wonderful performances. At that time, he had his beloved magic show career, beautiful girlfriend, achievements, flowers, applause, and wealth. At that time, he was the proud son of heaven.
However, because of the jealousy and frame-up of his peers and friends, in a magic show, Ethan had an accident and seriously injured his spine, and had to face the tragic fate of lifelong paralysis.
But such a fatal blow did not bring down the optimistic and strong Ethan. He did not sink and be passive because of this. For fourteen years, he has actively cooperated with treatment, rehabilitation, and optimistically waited for the miracle to appear.
With only his head at his disposal, he published a book with the help of nurse Sophia to inspire the people to face the difficult situation bravely. He hosts radio programs, ignites the warmth of the world with witty and humorous language, and helps those who have been frustrated and battered to regain their faith.
Although he lost his beloved magic career, he was still loved and respected by everyone, and Ethan became an idol, a role model and a spiritual pillar in the minds of many people.
But suddenly, one day, Ethan, through his friend and lawyer Devyani, submitted a petition to the local court to allow euthanasia. As soon as the news came out, it immediately caused an uproar in the society!
Listeners, who were once saved by Ethan from the brink of death: You have saved me because you have made me have a happy life again. You are a fighter, a brave fighter! It is a source of happiness and hope for many people! You can't just give up!
Doctor: My profession is to save lives, and I can't tolerate my patients giving up their lives voluntarily!
Principal of a special teaching school: We use your book as a textbook to encourage those children to cheer up, and your irresponsible abandonment of life will have a negative impact on the children!
Quadriplegic patients like Ethan: We understand your pain and empathize with it, but you're an amazing person, your spiritual backbone, how can you just give up your life?
Priest: Life is given to us by the Lord, and we have no right to play with it. God asks us to fight, not to give up.
TV Announcer: Maybe he was a hypocrite who was just running away from the problems he was facing!
Judges and prosecutors: Will it have a negative impact on some of the same people in society? Will it become a special case after many people follow suit? Could it be a blasphemy?
Almost all people consider this matter from their own, religious or legal point of view and deny it. There were even people who insulted and insulted Ethan with ugly words.
In fact, except for the people around him, no one knows what kind of life Ethan, who has always been optimistic, is facing every day and about to face.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="02" what is the truest feeling > a person who is paralyzed? </h1>
At the beginning of the film, the film uses a beautiful oil painting to show Ethan's life for a day.
In a palace-like house, Ethan awoke from his sleep. The beautiful and dignified nurse Sophia walked in with a smile, pulled open the veil, helped Ethan take off the clothes that had been soiled by feces and urine at night, and calmly helped him wash his hair and body with the help of seemingly advanced equipment.
After a while, Ethan, who looked clean and refreshed, was placed in a high-end wheelchair that could be controlled by just blowing air and began to move around the room. Take a look at the cartoons and see the photos of the performances of yesteryear and the honorary certificates that have been awarded on the walls. By the window with white floor-to-ceiling curtains, Sophia, who had finished cleaning up the room, read the newspaper and told him interesting stories.
In the room with the bright sun, Ethan talks and laughs with a headset, patiently answering calls from the audience and sharing their happiness and happiness.
Mansions, gentle and responsible beautiful nurses, high-tech facilities, and a popular radio show within their reach seem to be the best care and living conditions a quadriplegic person can get. But the arrival of a little fly shattered all the beauty and poetry.
A fly landed on the tip of Ethan's nose. Because his hands and feet are not controlled by his brain, Ethan can only drive away flies by shaking his head. Flies fly up and down again. Ethan had to shake his head continuously to drive the fly away, but in the end, he could only watch in vain as the fly landed on his nose and looked at him. Ethan had no choice but to give up, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
This smile contains mockery of oneself, helplessness, and desolation. Now he can even bully a fly at will, and his nose is itchy and even can only let others scratch him. For 14 years, he has long been accustomed to the helplessness of life. He had long been able to accept these unchangeable facts and could only smile.
Seeing this, I really admire the director, who uses such a short clip of a few seconds to condense all the helplessness and desolation encountered in Ethan's life. With itching and scratching this kind of problem that everyone will encounter in life, a very common small detail, so that the audience can feel empathy at once and understand the pain of paralyzed patients. And this kind of life, Ethan, who once lived in the clouds and had a blossoming future, has passed a full 14 years.
If this little clip still has a little bit of black humor and doesn't make others agree with his pain, then ethan's magic at the hearing is a more direct impact!
Faced with the prosecutor's difficult steps, Ethan, who was in his turn to speak, asked the judge to perform a magic trick and invited the prosecutor to assist.
He asked his apprentice to push in a small wooden box and asked the prosecutor to go inside the box for 60 seconds. Within 30 seconds, prosecutors began shouting inside, gradually becoming hysterical. 60 seconds had finally arrived, and as soon as the box was opened, the prosecutor suddenly got up from the inside, and his rapid breathing and panicked expression showed his fear. He yelled incoherently: Can't breathe, the box is too small to move, Ethan wants to kill him!
60 seconds, just a short 60 seconds, he couldn't bear the pain! This feeling of the body locked in a suffocating space, unable to communicate effectively with the brain, is exactly what Ethan experiences every day. Clear-headed, clear-minded, but can only sit motionless, can only bear silently but helpless, this kind of mental suffering, without a strong heart, I am afraid it is impossible to do even a day, and Ethan has been a full 14 years! Such a strong, optimistic, and strong hearted person has even been scolded by some people as a coward and a coward!
The only things Ethan had at his disposal were his dreams, memories, and imagination. In the film, the director intersperses several magic performances, either in his dreams, or in his imagination or memories.
In the dream, Ethan's body was as light as a feather, dancing with the transparent bubble ball.
In the memory, he performed with his beloved girl, a deep look, a kiss that made Ethan's face unfold a smile, which was his attachment to beautiful love.
On the seashore, the sea kissed his unconscious feet. Ethan, who was in a wheelchair, fantasized that he stood up and stepped into the cold water step by step with his own feet.
He hadn't been out of the house for more than a dozen years, greedily looking at the scenery along the way like a baby with a new look, asking Sophia to take off her hat just to feel the kiss of the wind.
The sun, the blue sky, the white clouds, the coconut trees, the woman who plucks the chickens, these are very ordinary scenes that many healthy people have long been accustomed to, turning a blind eye to, or even ignoring, but they are all great enjoyment for Ethan.
But when his eyes swept over the scarecrow standing in the field, his eyes couldn't help but darken. How similar is the scarecrow who can only stand against the wind but cannot move on his own.
He once possessed magic that no one could see flaws in, and was once named the greatest magician, but at this moment he could not be his own master, could not control his own life, and could not choose his own death. These plots are all shown in cheerful music and bright tones, but I don't know when my tears have already flowed.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="03" > would you rather live like this if you were full of tubes? </h1>
Compared with 14 years of imprisonment and suffering, the biggest reason why Ethan was more determined to want euthanasia was that his body, which seemed to have no change, had already been torn and was even deteriorating step by step.
Ethan's conversation with the doctor gives us a glimpse of this harsh truth, which is hidden under humor, smiles, and strength.
In my lifetime, will technology advance enough to allow me to walk freely?
Can I move my hands, my fingers, my toes?
My kidneys are failing, can you cure my lungs?
In the face of this series of questions, the doctor's answer is always: NO!
So Ethan said:
I conquered my life, I lived proudly for 14 years, but now I, choose not to be at the mercy of these machines!
Ethan has been battling fate for 14 years! He fights because he doesn't believe that God will really abandon Him; he fights because there is still hope.
However, for 14 years, God's mercy and miracle of life have not come! What is about to be faced is a more terrible future, a more cruel reality. Ethan was really tired and no longer had the courage to live...
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="04" > seemingly luxurious and carefree life, but it has already been stretched! </h1>
In the film, Ethan's residence is shown— a luxurious villa with fountains, sculptures, and flowers in the garden; advanced instruments in the house that can alleviate Ethan's pain and make him live with dignity; two lively maids, skillfully tending the living environment, preparing delicious dinners for Ethan; a dedicated doctor friend, always paying attention to his physical changes, always making the best medical solutions for him; a dutiful beautiful nurse, who has been caring for him for twelve years. Her giving transcends all love and devotion.
It seems that no matter how bad the situation ethan will face in the future, he will have no worries about food and clothing, and he will have the best care and treatment. But in fact, Ethan's financial situation is already very embarrassing.
At night, with strong winds, lightning and thunder, and heavy rain outside, Ethan seems to be hiding in a luxurious, sturdy villa, safe and comfortable. But several water buckets appear in the camera discordantly. It turned out that this seemingly tall, majestic, indestructible, luxurious and comfortable house had already been torn apart.
Here, I really think the director's handling of details is really fantastic. He was using architecture as a metaphor for Ethan's seemingly innocuous body, but in fact it was already in tatters.
Ethan lay stiffly on the bed, the droplets of water leaking from the roof hitting him straight on the forehead, and he couldn't even avoid it. At first, he could laugh and play a game of left and right with raindrops. But in the end he was tired and could only choose to give up, lying on the cold and damp pillow and bed, alone through a long period of despair and loneliness.
In fact, this paragraph is also a metaphor for Ethan's 14 years of psychological changes. From the initial rebellion, laughter, self-amusement, to the final silent enduring, disappointed, numb, and abandoned, isn't this exactly like Ethan's mental journey in the past 14 years?
The house has been broken to the point of leaking rain, so why not repair it? I'm sure many people will have this question when they see this.
At the hearing, when prosecutors slandered Sophia for caring for Ethan in order to get a huge inheritance after his death, attorney Devyani filed a copy of Ethan's property in court.
It turned out that Ethan's finances were so dire that he was unable to repay the villa's loan, and the money left on the books was not even enough to pay Sophia's salary for two months.
If the wealth accumulated before can still make Ethan look more dignified, then in the next few days, he may even lose this dignity.
The bard Leonard Cohen once said:
I don't think I'm a pessimist at all, a pessimist is one of those guys who are always waiting for it to rain, and I'm already soaking wet.
Ethan is actually a person who is already soaking wet! For 14 years, he can accept the huge contrast of falling from the clouds to the quagmire, live positively, try to help others, in fact, he is also a very good optimist, can be called a "brave fighter"!
But the cripple and numbness of the body, the deteriorating body, the embarrassing financial situation, this kind of cruel situation, cannot be defeated by optimism alone! Ethan chose euthanasia. But what he never expected was that his death would have to wait for someone else's vote!
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="05" > a blessing in disguise, someone is truly in love with Ethan</h1>
Ethan was unfortunate, and his total paralysis left him mentally and physically devastated. But he was lucky because he was surrounded by a group of family and friends who really loved him.
It is because of their care, love and care that Ethan lives with dignity. They truly love Ethan, feel empathy for his pain and helplessness, and although they will be sad and sad because of his departure, they are more willing to respect his choice.
Lawyer friend Devyani
How Devyani cherished Ethan's friendship with them, and how much he longed for time with him. Every time she came to see Ethan, she had never sat in a chair, and had just gone straight to bed and lay down beside him, enjoying every minute and every second of being with him.
She was also the first supporter of Ethan's euthanasia. She traveled tirelessly between the courthouse and Ethan's residence, just to fulfill Ethan's wishes. Because she loves this friend and hopes to help him fulfill his wish and walk with dignity.
Mother
Although the acting skills of India's first beauty and India's first handsome man are indeed extraordinary, Ethan's mother is the role that impressed me the most in the whole film.
The mother raised Ethan alone, and the two depended on each other. On Christmas Eve, she went to the restaurant to sing and earn money just to buy her son a Christmas present. When she was thrown off the stage, she still had to endure her grief and laughed at her son's childish magic performance. She influenced Ethan with her strength and optimism, which is why Ethan can be so optimistic and positive after the injury, precisely because of the influence of her mother.
But such a person who gave Ethan spiritual strength, after he was injured, obeyed his son's words and left him. It wasn't that she didn't want to guard him and take care of him, but she respected Ethan's choice. Since the son did not want her to be sad to see her wounded self every day, she obeyed his wishes.
Although not with her son, her mother kept silent attention to him. When Ethan's request was blocked in court, she appeared at her son's side at the right time to give him the greatest spiritual comfort and encouragement.
When the prosecutor refuted the words of the apprentice and Sofia one after another, the mother's position became so crucial.
Faced with a slightly provocative question from the prosecutor, the great mother said without hesitation:
I believe my son has the right to take control of his life! I am willing to respect his decision! After all, whose life is this? It's mine? Because I gave birth to him? Is it the doctor's? Just because he saved him? Is it Sofia's? Just because she nursed him? Is it a lawyer's? Just because she defended him? Is it the prosecutor's? Because you questioned him! Or yours, Lord Judge, because you are in control of his future!
This rhetorical question made everyone present dumbfounded! Yes, life is your own, not someone else's, why are so many people interfering and obstructing?
When the prosecutor asked, "If your son asks, would you be willing to personally help him end his life?" Such a sharp question is like a sharp knife inserted into the heart of the mother who gave birth to him and raised him!
The actor who plays the mother handles this complex, tangled emotion very well! Hearing this, her pupils suddenly dilated at first, obviously shocked by this problem! Immediately, her cheeks trembled slightly, and the throat knot slid up and down, which showed her intense inner activity. But soon, she replied firmly and clearly: "Yes! ”
How cruel it would be to end the life of your own child with your own hands! But this great mother, while deeply in love with her son, shed resolute tears - I am willing to support my son's euthanasia. Sometimes, cruel fulfillment is more difficult to do than unconditional giving and caring!
Seeing this, I wonder if in the end the court does not pass Ethan's euthanasia request, perhaps this great mother will really help her son fulfill his long-cherished wish. But as soon as I had this thought, I realized that it was too cruel for a mother!
The director should have thought of this too. So, on that cold rainy night when Ethan was fighting raindrops, my mother sat down in a chair and slept forever.
There is a sentence in Les Misérables:
I died while he was asleep, and both sleeps could be neighbors.
As Ethan and his mother lay side by side, the words popped into my head. Unfortunately, people will remember the dead who died normally, but they will not agree, and someone will take the initiative to terminate their lives!
At his mother's funeral, Ethan couldn't even stand up and give her one last ride, but to remember her by singing her mother's favorite song , "What a wonderful world, over and over again.
And in that beautiful song, I was once again in tears...
Perhaps, this is the best arrangement. Do not allow the life-giving mother to end the child's life, otherwise life will be really cruel. Let loving mothers take the lead, believing that they will soon be together in heaven and be together forever and happily.
Nurse Sofia
Having carefully cared for Ethan for 12 years, all year round, even giving up childbearing and giving up marriage, Sofia undoubtedly loves Ethan.
Gently washing his head, peeking at Ethan's handsome face while his eyes were closed, the tenderness in Sofia's eyes could not be concealed. When ethan gets a petition from the newspaper to submit a petition for euthanasia, but does not tell her in advance, to Ethan can become flustered and nervous just by pretending to be in pain, isn't this a little awkwardness and tolerance between lovers?
But as the lawyer puts it, Sofia has done much more than take care of Ethan's life, and what she has done for Ethan has "gone beyond the nurse, beyond the lover, beyond the wife"!
After 12 years of getting along, she had already seen all the joys and sorrows of this man. As a result, she quickly changed from initial shock to unconditional support.
On the way to the courtroom, Sofia, who had always strictly followed the doctor's instructions, took the initiative to light a cigarette for Ethan and put it to his mouth. Then he pretended to be cool and smoked himself, but he didn't expect to be choked up and coughed, causing Ethan to laugh.
In the cold gray courtroom, she put aside her previous calm and self-controlled image, brave and sharp like a fighter, and won ethan a chance to hold a hearing.
Coming out of the courthouse, in the face of Ethan's chattering complaints, Sofia took it upon herself to take him to the restaurant and ordered a song for him. She suddenly stood up, beat the rhythm happily, and then stepped onto the stage and began to dance. At this time, Sofia let go of herself, and she smiled and led the whole audience to dance together, in this way making Ethan forget his previous frustration and frustration!
This film was originally cheerful and beautiful, but I don't know why, but I can't stop the tears...
When she was beaten by her husband, she did not forget to comfort Ethan that she could solve it herself so that he did not have to worry. When she finally got free, she didn't even want to waste time to treat the wound and tidy up her appearance, but rushed to Ethan's side as soon as possible and told him the good news.
What really makes Sofia happy is that now that she is free of the shackles of marriage, she can finally help Ethan fulfill his wish - to help him euthanize! In Indian law, the consequence of this is that she will face 2-10 years in prison. But Sofia cried and said, "How can this time be compared to your life imprisonment?" ”
What is the greatest love? Compared with the love of Ethan and Sofia, you and I have become impatient and worthless! Fulfillment, fulfilling your wishes at all costs, is the greatest love in their hearts!
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="06" > Ethan's last days</h1>
Ethan's last days were blissful, surrounded by loved ones. Friends gathered to host an unusual farewell party for Ethan.
In affectionate and witty language, Ethan thanked every friend who had helped him and gave his most valuable fortune at the moment, his last name, to his beloved Sofia.
At the end of the film, when his lover and all his friends run to the bed and hug him, Ethan laughs happily.
It's a happy smile, it's a smile of relief, it's a bittersweet smile, it's Ethan's short but wonderful life!
A netizen described this scene in precise language:
I am so happy to die because yesterday will be the last day of my suffering!
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="07" > die with dignity, far more difficult than living in pain</h1>
Ethan's desire to end his long, painful life was hampered by a lot of obstacles from the outside world. In the end, he got what he wanted, but at the cost of Sofia's years in prison.
Remember Li Xiangshan in "Very Do Not Disturb 2"? He was terminally ill and had no cure for him, so he waited day by day for the arrival of the god of death. Li Xiangshan, who had been strong and competitive all his life, was not willing to die like this, and after holding a unique life memorial service for himself, with the help of Qin Fen, taking advantage of the fact that he still had the ability to move, he chose to throw himself into the arms of the sea and finally ended his life on his own.
Thomas More once made this statement in Utopia:
If the disease cannot be cured, living is only a torture, and dying is only an end to suffering, not to ruin happiness.
Once upon a time, society was particularly repulsive to euthanasia, believing that all life should be respected. But is it respect to live in pain and suffering, or is it respect to die without pain and dignity?
On this subject, hawking, the great physicist Hawking, who suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at the age of 21 and has been confined to a wheelchair for half a century, has also had entanglements and fierce ideological struggles.
In 2006, hawking said this when it comes to euthanasia:
If it is voluntary, people suffering from illness should have the right to end their lives. But I think it's going to be a serious mistake, and even though life may seem bad, you'll always find something to do and be as successful as everyone else. Where there is life, there is hope.
But by 2013, Hawking's thinking began to shift, saying in an interview:
I tried to commit suicide 30 years ago, we can't let animals suffer, why can't humans?
Qiong Yao once published an open letter to her son and daughter-in-law on Facebook, titled "Book Your Own Good Farewell", in which she wrote:
No matter what serious illness I have, the most important thing is not to undergo major surgery and let me die quickly...
No matter what the situation, you can't insert all kinds of subsistence tubes into me...
"Death with dignity" is better than nothing...
Today, society has reached a very inclusive and humane stage, but there are still great differences in the perception of euthanasia.
Many people worry that someone will use euthanasia to engage in some criminal activity. But more people are unable to accept euthanasia because of feelings, religion, morality, etc.
Currently, active euthanasia is legal only in the Netherlands and Belgium. Laws in Switzerland and the U.S. state of Oregon allow for indirect or passive euthanasia. Switzerland is the only country that can assist expats with euthanasia.
But regardless of the country's euthanasia laws, the patient application process is quite complex and must be rigorously vetted and approved by the family before it can be finally implemented.
Not only that, but the cost of euthanasia is also quite expensive, and the cost of euthanasia in Switzerland is about 3 million yuan. I believe that this cost is still an astronomical amount for most Chinese. In this way, it really responds to that sentence: if you want to die, it is not so easy!
Dying with dignity is sometimes a thousand times harder than living in pain! This has to be said to be a sadness for human beings.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="08" > conclusion</h1>
At the end of the film, my husband just pushed the door in, saw me crying like a child, was startled, and quickly asked: "What's wrong?" ”
I laughed sheepishly and wiped my tears, laughing to myself: "Perhaps, my menopause is ahead of schedule!" ”
I remember a popular saying on the Internet: "You never know, tomorrow or accident, which one will come first?" ”
No one can predict how life will end. If you can sleep directly in your sleep, it is a kind of happiness.
In fact, for many people, death is not terrible, what is terrible is the long and painful process of waiting for death.
If given the choice, I think all of them would be like the slogan shouted by Ethan's supporters in the film:
Give him dignity! Give him dignity!
Living with dignity, and then dying with dignity, this is the greatest consummation of life!
The German philosopher Martin Heidegger once put forward a view in his famous book "Existence and Time": "To live to death". Since we can't decide our own life and death, then cherish every day's happiness, happiness, and live well.
As long as we have loved, hated, cried, laughed, been happy, suffered, worked hard, struggled, wonderful, and persevered, then we have no regrets in this life!