"Big brother and sister-in-law have a good New Year, you are my grandfather, I am your son."
Chinese cinema for a hundred years for the "Devil is Coming" movie once had this evaluation:
A few years later, when people look back at the domestic films of this period, they can be lucky to breathe a sigh of relief -
There is always a movie that carries its glory.
01，
21 years ago, Jiang Wen used 480,000 rolls of film film to shoot a "Devil Is Coming".
To this end, he also imported a special camera from the United States, and the result was that the investment was 30% more than the original budget.
The film won the Cannes Jury Prize in 2000 and still has a ceiling rating of 9.3 points on Douban.
Even France's "New Observer" gave a high degree of affirmation and evaluation to this film: this is a work that does not have the slightest similarity with Chinese films, and it is a film that faces difficulties.
After watching this movie, the audience who likes this movie will shout "good film" and try to find ways to give it to the people around them;
Audiences who don't like the movie will scoff at it, but the same thing is that they will recommend it to those around them.
Although the film is a good film, its value orientation is contrary to the main theme of the film, even if it wins the award, it can only exist in the audience's hard disk, and it is blocked quite thoroughly.
Acting and directing, after "Sunny Day", Jiang Wen used such a movie to establish his special position in the film world.
Unfortunately, for more than 20 years, we have only produced one Jiang Wen.
The story is based on You Fengwei's novel Survival.
At the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, a small village near Shanhaiguan in Hebei Province, called Hangjiatai, changed the fate of everyone here because of the arrival of a person.
The protagonist of the story is Ma Dasan, a villager played by Jiang Wen, and one night, a man pointed a gun at him and sent him two "sacks".
This person told Ma Dasan to let him take good care of it, and he would come to "pick up the goods" in eight days.
Ma Dasan hesitated, and he opened the two sacks, but found that there were two people inside.
One was a Japanese soldier named Kozaburō Hanaya, and the other was a translator.
Ma Dasan was not lightly frightened, and hurriedly summoned several villagers who were highly respected in the village to discuss what to do.
The villagers agreed to put the two men to death to avoid further harm and trouble.
The two captives, Hanaya decided to die martyrdom, wanting to further provoke Ma Dasan and them, so he asked the interpreter to teach him a few curse words.
But the translator was desperate to survive, but taught him a few words of confession and forgiveness.
That is, those two sentences: "Happy New Year for the eldest brother and sister-in-law, you are my grandfather, I am your son."
When Ma Dasan and his wife appeared, the Japanese soldier shouted a word at the couple in anger.
This is the biggest laugh in the movie, I believe that those who have seen this movie can't stop laughing at this time.
This is also the strength of Jiang Wen, who can always be surprised.
Through the humorous atmosphere to reflect the tragic ending.
Therefore, Ma Dasan explained to this Japanese soldier that if "I am your grandfather", then you should also be my grandson, how can you become my son?
This also exposed the villagers led by Ma Dasan's idea of "repaying virtue with virtue."
Seeing that the Japanese soldiers were "soft", they also wanted to take good care of these two people.
They found white noodles that they were reluctant to eat, wrapped dumplings for them, and fed him.
After enthusiastic hospitality and accommodation for half a year, the Japanese soldiers decided to repay Ma Dasan for their life-saving grace.
He offered to give themselves to the gendarmerie, who gave them two carts of food in return.
Thus, the simple and kind villagers believed what the Japanese soldiers said, and they rejoiced, even proud of the "good deeds" they had done, without knowing that this was "luring the wolf into the house."
02，
After arriving at the gendarmerie, Captain Sakuzuka felt that this was an insult to their Bushido spirit, and he was upset, but he still agreed to give them food and doubled it.
The villagers were so happy that they and the Japanese soldiers celebrated with wine, performed a show, and celebrated together.
At this time, the tragedy began, and the whole village became a slaughterhouse.
His act of kindness did not return the favor, but waited for the disaster.
The audience may sigh, Ma Dasan, are they kind or stupid?
Chinese since ancient times, we have paid attention to etiquette and reciprocation, and repaid virtue with virtue, which is our number of etiquette for thousands of years.
Ma Dasan thought that he would treat them with kindness, and they would repay the favor in the same way.
What they don't know is that in the eyes of the devil, there is no grace, only nobility and inferiority, they are just "lambs" to be slaughtered.
Such a thought is not only the idea of Ma Dasanyi, he represents thousands of people.
This is a problem shared by all mankind.
Even Akira Kurosawa, a Japanese director who was born into a samurai background, once described the current situation of Japanese peasants in his movie "Seven Samurai".
The protagonist, Kikuchiyo, is a farmer posing as a samurai who complains to a samurai who wants to kill the villagers:
"A serious face, a vigorous bowed head, but a net lie!" Wherever there was a war, they immediately made bamboo guns and prepared to stab the samurai who had lost the battle. ”
03，
Jiang Wen's black humor is everywhere.
The audience laughed almost from beginning to end during the movie-watching session.
However, at the last moment, when all the tragedies appear, the audience suddenly realized that all comedies are paving the way for the tragedies that follow.
Ma Dasan was executed, and it was The flower house that raised the bayonet that he was bent on rescuing and feeding him food.
This bayonet was not only slashed at Ma Dasan's head, but also stabbed in the hearts of the audience.
It's worth mentioning that from beginning to end, the film is black and white, and the last touch is red.
Very eye-catching red.
In Jiang Wen's view, just for the last touch of red, it is worth using black and white throughout the film.
In 2000, domestic films would not be stretched for the sake of funds for filming and had to use black and white films, and it is clear that Jiang Wen had the intention to do so.
The black and white tone of the whole film can not only bring a sense of psychological oppression to the audience, but also reflect the era at that time.
In the era of war, where is the color of the whole world?
Jiang Wen, who has always been very tough, talked about the original intention of shooting this movie.
He said that he just wanted to tell everyone through this movie:
"In the face of evil people, we can't repay kindness for no reason," but also to tell japanese audiences, "You have to face the real history, don't think about denying this."
Still as domineering and sharp as ever.
Jiang Wen is a director with special significance, and with the blessing of countless international awards, his transformation from actor to director also represents an era.
In The Last Queen, he played a supporting role as the protagonist.
In "Guan Yunchang", he played the domineering Cao Cao, but stole the protagonist's play.
In "Red Sorghum", in order to better portray the role of "my grandfather", he and Zhang Yimou quarreled from morning to night, without compromise.
It is this strength, this pursuit and reverence for the ultimate professionalism, that makes him wantonly exert himself on his own stage and completely disregard the views of the outside world.
If he is strong and self-sufficient, then I hope that all filmmakers can be so self-sufficient and more authentic.
Fortunately, domestic movies have produced ghost directors like Jiang Wen.
Unfortunately, I can't find a second Jiang Wen now.