"Heaven's Reply" is a domestic documentary film directed by Wang Junzheng and starring veteran artist Li Ding, drama performance artist Shi Chen, and drama actress Xiao Xiong. The film was released in 1992 and has attracted much attention since its release, with a Douban score of 9.1 points, and has won awards and nominations for many international awards such as the 13th Golden Rooster Award and the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival International Youth and Children's Film and Television Center Award.
The plot of this film is simple, even simple.
Beijing in the 1990s. The little boy Chenchen's parents work abroad, and he lives with his grandfather on weekdays. Grandpa worked in the postal service all his life, and after retirement, he lived with his grandchildren. One day, the grandparents tied a letter from the recipient's deceased to the kite and flew it into the sky, and Grandpa told Chenchen that he would receive it in heaven. Soon, her mother returned from abroad, she was not accustomed to her grandfather's laissez-faire of Chenchen, so she assigned English, piano and other courses to Chenchen every day, and the original calm disappeared, and Grandpa moved back to his old residence. Morning and morning missed grandpa day and night, he hated what English piano, crying all day long, my mother saw this thoughtful. Grandpa's birthday arrived, ChenChen and good partner Linlin sent birthday greeting cards to wish, Grandpa took them out to fly kites, after a tiring day, in the laughter of the children, Grandpa actually "slept" forever...
The delicate emotions in the film describe the emotional trauma of the left-behind children of that era, and the depiction of emotional details under the simple and unpretentious plot is the key to the film's resonance with the audience and tears
In my opinion, the message that director Wang Junzheng wants to convey is that children do not need high-end snacks or imported toys, but the company of the dearest people. I believe that all the audiences who were brought up by their grandparents will be touched by this movie, and the happiness of children is very simple, as long as they can be free to be willful in the arms of adults, as long as there are adults to accompany them. Enough is enough.
The story of the film looks ordinary, but in fact, it hides a very heavy emotional description and educational significance, and the film also shows the strong feelings between relatives. "Heaven's Reply" is one of the masterpieces of emotional education in 90s films. With a simple and true tone, it depicts the family affection between children and their families, and moves the audience with true feelings.
In this article, I will deeply analyze the unique artistic charm of this film from five aspects, such as narrative style, era background, and theme style.
<h1>01, narrative style - the rhythm of two lines and parallels, so that the relationship between the characters is more three-dimensional, triggering the audience's resonance and thinking</h1>
From the overall layout of the film, the display of the character and life of the little protagonist Chen Chen is mainly to cause resonance between the film and the audience, and at the same time, the use of two-line parallel rhythm not only makes the plot more full, but also makes the audience think about it.
In my opinion, it is through this two-line parallel narrative that the director shows the child's acceptance of different educations. On the one hand, this can resonate with the audience, and on the other hand, it can also make the audience think infinitely. The former is because most people in that era basically experienced the life experience of grandparents, while the latter is a true portrayal of the audience as a parent.
Next, I will divide it into two different clues, "main line" and "secondary line", to analyze with precision.
First, the main line of the story: the relationship between Chen Chen and grandpa is not only a grandfather and grandson, but also a friend who gets along with each other as equals.
At the beginning of the movie, Grandpa took Chenchen to fly a kite in the park, because Grandpa had a heart attack, and he was old, he could not exercise for a long time, and he needed to rest for a while with Chenchen, and every time he rested, he would sit on a small tricycle. At this time, ChenChen will say as an "old friend": "Left jacket pocket, first aid kit, under the tongue to take a piece." After resting, ChenChen will ride a small tricycle and take Grandpa home, and at this time, the lonely old man in the park is always envious. And after returning home, Chenchen will also help Grandpa put through the needle, and when Grandpa washes clothes, Chenchen will stand on a stool in the kitchen and finish things. Chen Chen sat down with his grandfather and watched "A Break".
In my opinion, it is precisely because of this kind of blood relationship and the resulting friendship across ages that the relationship between Chen Chen and Grandpa is so good. At the same time, the grandparents and grandchildren of that era basically got along in this way, and now many viewers can't help but think of their grandparents when watching the movie.
In my opinion, such a narrative structure not only paves the way for the return of the mother in the later stage and the estrangement between mother and child, but also deeply stimulates the distant memories in the audience's mind, thus stimulating the audience's tears.
Second, the side line of the story, the return of the mother, the perspective of the parents, self-proclaimed to give the child the best.
The relationship between Chen Chen and his mother is a contrast with his grandfather on the surface, but it is essentially an allusion to the real society. Parents always impose what they think is good and right on their children, and think that children do not understand anything, and always ask their children to do this and that in a condescending manner. In the end, it was found that the child was becoming more and more rebellious.
After my mother returned to China, my mother felt that my grandfather was too indulgent to Chen Chen, did not like Chen Chen's "old friend" Dutch pig, and did not like to let this small animal eat on the table, and it was not right to watch Chen Chen lick the plate after eating. So he took it upon himself to throw away all of Chenchen's toys, and then because he was not careful, he caused Chenchen's old friend Dutch Pig to fall downstairs and was thrown to death. Causing Chen Chen to be very sad.
And her mother always thought she was good, gave Chenchen, let Chenchen learn piano, learn English, she never asked Chenchen what she wanted, whether Chenchen liked it. As a result, the gap between mother and child is getting bigger and bigger. Fortunately, after the Dutch pig accident, my mother seemed to realize something, not to instill knowledge in Chenchen compulsively, but to teach by example like Grandpa!
In my opinion, the reason why the director set up such a plot is actually to allude to contemporary parents, who never know what their children like and want, but just blindly want to educate their children into good children in their minds. As a result, the gap between the two generations is getting bigger and bigger, and the children are becoming more and more rebellious.
In the story, chenchen has quarreled more than once since his mother returned, in fact, such a situation is the condensation of countless real cases. The director uses such a real case, on the one hand, it alludes to reality, and on the other hand, it triggers the audience's deep thinking to a certain extent, how should we live in peace with our children?
First of all: parents need to be aware of a problem, words and deeds are greater than forced indoctrination, parents are the best teachers for children, we just need to set a good example for children, children will naturally learn. There is no need to force the creation of a good child in mind. This is perfectly reflected in the film. For example, after eating, ChenChen still has to lick the plate once, which may be too chilling in the eyes of his mother, but is this not a manifestation of saving food? And this kind of consciousness, Grandpa never taught Chenchen, but Chenchen watched Grandpa do this, and he did it.
Secondly, for parents, we must not command our children in a lofty posture, but should get along with them in the form of friends, respect each other, and tell children that we are equal. Most of the families are like the mothers who have just returned home in the film, using their past experience to teach and suppress their children, and want their children to become the children in their minds, but they always backfire, making children more and more rebellious, and the generation gap between the two is getting bigger and bigger.
The correct way to teach should be like the relationship between Grandpa and Chenchen in the film. Respect each other and get along as friends. In this way, ChenChen is also very sensible, will take care of grandpa, has love, knows to save and other excellent qualities.
Finally, in the child's communication, we must communicate with the child smoothly, and do not use strict words. In my opinion, the reason why Chenchen will reconcile with his mother in the end is on the one hand because of the death of his grandfather, and his mother has become Chenchen's only dependence. But the most important reason is because later the mother learned to respect Chenchen's choice, and at the same time, the communication between mother and Chenchen became very patient. So Chen Chen was willing to listen to his mother's words.
Grandpa said: Give the child a little time, you have to be patient, after all, the morning is still young
In my opinion, it is not that Chenchen needs patience when he is young, but that he must have patience when communicating with children, and after calming down his emotions, he must communicate well. Regardless of the age of the child, you can communicate and get the other person's true thoughts. Understanding each other is the most important thing.
<h1>02, the background of the times - under the red wall and green tiles, the memories of a generation, the simple story contains a big philosophy, so that the depth of the film has been sublimated again</h1>
"Heaven's Reply" is a work of the 90s, using the background of the 90s, when it comes to the use of the background of the times, this film is comparable to "textbook", throughout the whole text, the director's description of the times can not be described as exquisite, the early nineties; the unique taste of the old Beijing city, under the red walls and green tiles is always the alleyway that is always due south and north, the trees lined with roadsides, and the bicycles and cars on the street. Everything marked that it was an age of innocence.
The film is through such a wonderful detailed description of the times, the simple and unpretentious but tear-inducing grandfather and grandson love to the audience, presenting a perfect visual effect at the same time, triggering the resonance of the audience, so that the film becomes tear-inducing. Next, I will deeply describe the fascinating context of the times from two aspects.
The memories of the first and first generations, kites, piggy banks, smart little rest, simple descriptions have aroused the resonance of all post-80s and post-90s audiences
First of all, let's take a look at "Kite", the kite is the existence that runs through the entire plot, and the reason why the title of the play is "Heaven Reply" is:
Grandpa is an old postman, although retired, but occasionally as a postman of the post office, in a delivery of letters, found that the owner of the letter has "passed away", so Grandpa tied the letter to the kite and put it on the blue sky. Chen Chen asked, why put the letter on the kite? Grandpa replied that because the owner of the letter had gone to heaven, let the kite go to his master with the letter
Under the blue sky and white clouds, the small park, the old trees standing on the path in the park, on the open space outside the old trees, Grandpa and his grandson are flying kites. In the 1990s, such scenes took place in various parks in the old Beijing city. Such a simple description instantly hit the audience's tear glands. Such a scene seems familiar. It is this description that sets off the innocence of that era and also makes the perfect preparation for the end of the film to fly a kite in the morning to write a letter to Grandpa.
Second, piggy bank. The morning of the little adult, because Grandpa is old and unwell. Mom and Dad have been abroad for a long time, and the child once forgot what his mom and dad looked like. Ask Grandpa, Grandpa, What does Mom and Dad look like? Am I like Mom or Like Dad?
Grandpa gave the child pocket money, the child was reluctant to use, with a small piggy piggy bank, a dime of storage. During the time spent with Grandpa, Grandpa, busy, I was also busy, after helping Grandpa finish things, sat down with Grandpa and watched < Smart Little One >.
Did such a detailed description impress you? Is a child born in the nineties, or 80s, familiar with this scene? Think about it, wasn't your former self the same as Chenchen? At this moment, the audience and the film have long been inseparable from each other. Let the film and the audience have such a rhythm, the director is a peerless genius!
In my opinion, the director's exquisite description of the era, just in all aspects without dead ends to impress every audience, all the props, the description of the scene is so simple, there is no beauty of the long shot, no grand scene under the wide-angle lens, just in the ordinary writing a story, recording the innocence of that era, but it is such a simple description, is the most moving. There is no sensational language, only simple truth, touching people's hearts.
<h1>03, the theme style - a rare "death theme" in the 90s, with a relaxed atmosphere to perfectly interpret the heavy theme</h1>
Although it is not uncommon to look at the "death" theme from the current perspective, in the early 90s, the "death" theme of children's films, is extremely rare, in my opinion, the biggest highlight of this film is to use a very relaxed atmosphere, the true meaning of the "death" depicted, so that children correctly understand the meaning of "death".
Perhaps from the current point of view, the plot of this film is no longer so educational, just a tear-jerking "documentary". But in my opinion, what the director wanted to convey through the film at that time was to let the child correctly understand "death". Therefore, the director adopted three detailed descriptions to let the "child" more deeply appreciate the meaning of "death". Next I will analyze it step by step:
The first time: send a letter
Once, the post office wanted to let Grandpa help send a letter, Grandpa was not in good health, Chenchen wanted to go with Grandpa, went to the elevator and found that the elevator was out of power, and the owner of the letter was on the twelfth floor, so Chenchen and Grandpa climbed the stairs on the twelfth floor, and finally found the address of the believer, but found that it was wrong.
ChenChen comforted Grandpa and said, It's all right, Grandpa, we can definitely find the owner of the letter. After several twists and turns, it was finally found that the owner of the letter had long since passed away. So Grandpa hung the letter on the kite and flew it into the sky. Tell Chen Chen that the owner of the letter has gone to heaven, and the kite can take the letter to heaven.
This is the first depiction of "death", and Chen Chen is not deeply touched by it. In my opinion, the description of this paragraph is not only to pave the way for the end, but also to make ChenChen initially realize that people will "pass away".
The second time: in the hospital
Because Grandpa's health has not been good, especially when it is serious, it is necessary to go to the hospital for hospitalization, and every time Grandpa is hospitalized and recuperated, Chen Chen will go to the hospital with all the documents to pick up Grandpa and discharge him.
But this time Grandpa played with his heart, no matter how Chenchen called him, he did not respond, scared Chenchen hurriedly called the doctor and nurse, and cried wow. Grandpa realized that this time the game was big, so he wanted to coax the morning, and after returning home, grandpa didn't work no matter how he coaxed.
At this time, ChenChen had realized "death" and told Grandpa that he did not want Grandpa to die. Grandpa had to teach him patiently:
If people don't die, there will be more and more people, and the earth will not stand, if you think of Grandpa, write a letter, Grandpa can see.
This is the second time that the director has described "death", using the perspective of an old naughty boy, a relaxed and witty display, and the explanation behind it also makes people realize that everyone will die, and the film is shown through a relaxed narrative. The heavy subject matter is not so deep. In my opinion, this paragraph is not just for laying the groundwork for the death of my grandfather in the later period. It's also teaching children, "The True Meaning of Death."
The third time: the death of Grandpa
I have to admire the director's depiction, such a deep theme, she can describe it in such a relaxed way, originally the death of grandpa is an extremely sad story, but the director arranged it on top of grandpa's birthday. Birthday cards, next to the birthday cake made by Morning Morning, many candles are burning, everything looks so harmonious and beautiful, but it is in such a beautiful scene that Grandpa died peacefully!
In my opinion, this is not only a documentary, but also a great educational film, in addition to the correct education of parents to their children, this is an excellent film that makes people "understand life and death for the first time", there are no gorgeous lines, there is no sensational language, only a very simple description of emotions, but it is such a film, which can make children who do not understand good and evil understand parting for the first time!
To summarize:
In my opinion, although the plot of this film is very simple, it is only about the child's dependence on his grandfather because his parents have not been around for a long time. However, it sincerely describes the emotional trauma of contemporary left-behind children. And the plot through the extreme sense of substitution of the description, let each of us in the audience at the same time feel a wave of "memory killing".
Time flies, the years pass, in your life, is the person who has the greatest influence on you still there? What kind of impact has he had on your life? Cherish that precious affection. You must know that the tree wants to be quiet and the wind is not stopping, and the son wants to raise and not to be loved!
This article presents three angles through narrative style, era background and theme, from shallow to deep, showing the unique charm of this film from different angles, and deeply analyzing the value of this domestic documentary that has a high score of 9.1 points.