The recent movie hits have been left to "Dune" and "First Incense", but the "Lyceum Theatre" released a while ago is really a very good movie, especially the unique directorial style, narrative shots, and shooting techniques.
The story is set in the turbulent Shanghai of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and the time node is a week before the Pearl Harbor incident, when the famous actor Yu Yan (Gong Li) suddenly returned to Shanghai, and her return was to star in the drama "Saturday Novel" directed by her old love Tan Na (Zhao Youting). Or rescue her ex-husband Ni Zeren (Zhang Songwen), who was imprisoned by the Japanese? Or work for his adoptive father (Pascal Gregory) to gather intelligence for the Allies?
Surrounding her were all forces, all trying to find out the true purpose of her trip. A woman's fate is tightly pulled by the times, the enemy outside the play is inseparable, and she ushered in a choice to change the world under the undercurrent.
Despite the addition of a lot of commercial film elements, the film's viewing threshold is still very high, if the audience is with the purpose of watching a Shanghai beach feature film, it is estimated to be a little disappointed, which is probably the main reason why the film is still not hot at the box office although it is "famous".
The director of this film, Lou Ye, as the leader of the sixth generation of directors, has always had his own distinct directing style. Such as handheld photography, the picture shakes and zooms; black and white images, the tone is cold and deep; the lens is obscure, and the close-up is looming.
And all this coincides with the film's bizarre and spy-filled story background, and seamlessly connects with the complex and changeable psychological characteristics of the characters and lonely struggles, achieving a 1+1>2 viewing effect.
Let's take a look at how the director built his maze of alternative spy films (this article has some spoilers, read carefully)
1 A large number of symbolic metaphors, strong contrast effects
In Shanghai under Lou Ye's lens, there is no ten miles of ocean fields, singing and dancing, only endless rain.
Rain is a metaphorical symbol used in Lou Ye's films, at this moment, the rain in the spy drama better sets off the damp and dark environment atmosphere, and the characters' inner repressive disguise, distrust and alienation.
Mountain cherry blossoms, spring water, sea, rain, thunder, can you think of these poetic names as the intelligence code of the Japanese army?
Their nation is waging a war of aggression, and behind every piece of intelligence is bloody and lifeless, but the secret language records the good memories of a man's journey with his beloved wife, and this contrast makes people think about war and human nature.
Yu Yan's adoptive father, Hubert, the leader of the Allied spies, white-haired and calculating, repeatedly mentioned the book "The Troubles of Young Werther" in a heavyweight conversation with his subordinates, and the individual image of the character contrasted with the content of the title, perhaps reflecting the director's unique personal romantic complex.
There is also a comb with a sharp knife found from Baiyun's clothes, such a prop on the one hand is in line with the identity of the female spy of Baiyun, on the other hand, the comb is a symbol of female beauty and gentleness, and the sharp knife at the other end is a metaphor for resistance and killing.
The meaningful poster appears many times in the film, when Mo Zhiyin told Tan Na Yu Yan to deceive him, when the adoptive father learned the last secret of the intelligence, the camera intentionally or unintentionally extended to the performance poster, in which Qiulan, played by Yu Yan, was dressed in white, simple and elegant, "Who is she?" "It's a contrasting effect again.
There is no positive representation of Yu Yan's political tendencies in the film, but through the lines in the play, a pun is linked to the plot and the direction of the fate of the characters.
For example, Tan Na said to Qiulan during rehearsal, "I saw you that day, you were in the strike line", "How did you come?" "You seem to have become another person", which is both a line and a true feeling in the hero's heart.
There is also the sentence that Bai Yunsheng said when he first met Yu Yan: "I know that you are not Yu Yan, you are Miss Qiulan", which has at least three meanings: First, I am indeed very familiar with the drama you are playing. Secondly, it seems to imply that Yu Yan, for you, I know a lot, the star Yu Wei is not your real identity.
Finally, from the perspective of the audience, it seems to reveal the character label, Qiulan is a striking progressive, and Yu Yan's action direction seems to overlap partially at the end.
2 Play within a play, there is a play outside the play, and everyone is an actor wearing a mask
Yu Yan in the film has multiple identities, female stars, female agents, ex-wives, and old lovers. And the people around her are not simple, in this political espionage war, everyone is acting, playing another identity.
Adoptive Father Hubert: Akari is the owner of a clinic, secretly the leader of the Allied spies, the leader of the Two-Sided Mirror Project, and Yu's superior.
Ex-husband Ni Zeren: Mingli did business with the Japanese to make war money, secretly a two-faced faction of the Kuomintang, and had inextricable relations with the Chongqing government.
Drama producer Mo Zhiyin: Akari is a person in the literary circle and a good friend of Tan Na, secretly a spy of the Wang puppet government, and also hooked up with the Japanese.
Let's talk about the male protagonist of the film, Tan Na, who is the lead actor and director of the play "Saturday Novel", as a senior actor, but he is the purest one in the film, whether it is in the play or outside the play, he is the same character, a man who is deeply in love with The Elegance and seems to be cowardly.
Finally, the only supporting actress in the film, Bai Yunsheng, is a cultural worker, a fan of Yu Yan, and secretly a spy of the National Government.
What kind of sparks will two women who can act, and at the same time female spies in different camps, meet?
The most wonderful opponent scene is the white jade late at night to stay that night, ambiguous breath, flesh caressing and touching, very suspicious that this is a lily play, in fact, this is a psychological game between two women to meet the opponent, the weapon is not a pistol nor a sharp knife, but a common hobby, childhood memories, the collision of loneliness and loneliness, the pity in the chaotic world, the compassion of women for women.
In fact, Bai Yuncao is not weak, as a well-trained agent, the target of the late-night visit must have come with a mission, although she was drugged by the experienced Yu Yan, her consciousness was actually half awake, on the one hand, she tried to cooperate with the acting, on the other hand, she did sink after hypnosis and then turned against her.
Not a single line or action is wasted in the whole scene, and each step hints at the inner world and plot direction of the characters.
"My original name was Bai Mei, it was my father who gave it up" Self-reported family narration, wanting to resonate with the soul, "I also miss my father" A sympathetic response to the disease, kicked off the prelude to hypnotic psychological warfare.
The seemingly intentional or unintentional dialogue is not two women bored late at night, but two female spies with great acting skills in psychological struggle.
The two talk about their father, about their childhood and past, but why they don't mention intimate lovers, this is actually a hypnotic game, because in building a sense of trust, both of them invariably hint to replace the most important position in each other's hearts.
The final result is that Yu Yan wins, and Bai Yun is willing to be her stand-in in and out of the play until she finally loses her life.
3 The last character, play the real self
The story ends somewhat similar to another "Color Ring", in which Yu Yan betrays his adoptive father and goes on a death date after completing his mission.
Many viewers are puzzled by these, political betrayals are not paved, and it is not in line with the character setting to fight for love.
In fact, in Lou Ye's films, it is always impossible to escape the most real human nature, those magnificent era backgrounds, specific and warm individual characters, showing their struggles and emotions in a specific environment.
There are two reasons that forced Yu Yan to make a final choice, one is the disgust and avoidance of the mask career, and the other is the awakening and return of the true self in the heart.
All of this is promoted and shown through two hypnotic scenes and a conflict.
Yu Yan can successfully hypnotize Bai Yun and Furutani Saburo, in addition to her being an excellent actor and an excellent agent, more importantly, the characters she needs in each other's dreams actually overlap with her real self.
She was also once bright and single, and in the chatter of White Cloud Dress, she was actually the young self who loved drama and had a life and enthusiasm.
She also needs love, a kind of pure love, and in the ear grinding with Furutani Saburo, in Miyoko's stand-in, she briefly experiences a woman's sweet memories of love.
As for the scene where many people ignore the Japanese asking for a group photo conflict, it is actually the key to the protagonist's political and emotional rebellion in the film.
When the Japanese are brutal and domineering and have to take a group photo, Yu Yan, who was still talking and laughing a little a second ago, suddenly hides behind Tan Na like a small woman, which is a necessary disguise for a well-trained agent in public, and it is also a true portrayal of the protagonist as a woman in his heart.
She finally saw and was awakened that among so many men, only Tan Na was really protecting him, and yes, in his eyes, she was nothing but a delicate woman who needed to be protected.
At this moment, a tear gently slipped from the corner of Yu Yan's eyes, and this scene could be seen as the most exposed detail of the heroine's performance, like a thousand words.
"I hope this is the last role I play," Yu Said in the final part of the Two-Sided Mirror Project and her adoptive father. But in fact, the last role she plays is her true self.
"Whatever happens, I'll be waiting for you here" Go to the dockyard bar, they once agreed that she is Qiulan in the play, and she is no longer disguised as Yu Yan.
Like the end of the film, secretly telling the impermanence and reincarnation of fate, the two people sit hugging each other in the rain of bullets, the corners of Yu Yan's mouth are relaxed, the hand forms a perfect arc, the gun slowly slides down in her hand, the music sounds, and the people around her begin to dance, as if returning to the original scene.