"I have loved the barren land for which you died."
In 1987, the film "Girlfriend of the Same Age" was produced by Guangxi Film Studio, starring Wu Haiyan, Zheng Zhenyao, Kou Zhenhai, Jiang Dawei and so on. The film is based on Hu Xin's novel Four Forty-Year-Old Women, written by Dai Zong'an and Kang Rong, and directed by Dai Zong'an and Deng Ruzhuo. The film reflects the joys and sorrows of their lives through the bits and pieces of the four girlfriends in the 60s when they reunite after 20 years. Particularly commendable is the film's reflection on the status of women and its attention to the spiritual world.
In the 1980s, there were many "classmate" movies at home and abroad. For example, in 1984, The Shanghai Film Studio produced Shi Xiaohua's "Meet Again in Twenty Years" (starring Qian Yongfu, Zhu Lin, Gao Fei, liu Zifeng), and Lawrence Cassdan's "The Big Chill" in 1983, nominated for the 56th Oscar for Best Film and Best Supporting Actress, starring Oscar winner William Hutt and Glen Cross.
This kind of theme film has a common feature, that is, through the different life encounters and career trajectories of multiple characters or groups of characters, they reflect the imprint of the times and the general psychology of their contemporaries. Alumni association movies are usually about stories of universal significance such as social development and personnel changes, which are said to resonate deeply with the audience. However, such films are usually too dull due to too many characters and loose plots, which are difficult to impress the audience. (Although there are only 4 main characters in "Meet Again in Twenty Years", they are not portrayed intensively, while there are as many as 8 main characters in "Big Cold", and even Glen Cross, who was finally nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, is difficult to impress.) ）
"Girlfriends of the Same Age" is adapted from "Four Forty-Year-Old Women", and as the name suggests, the protagonists are these four people. The life experiences and path choices of the four heroines in this film are also very worth thinking about, they are cultural young women who once sang "Goodbye, Mom" together in Russian, but the paths of life are very different. Some of them are content with blandness, and some are continuing to fight against life.
Cai Shuhua, played by Guo Qi, is an officer of the District Women's Federation, she is enthusiastic and rigorous in her work, and has made great achievements in her career, but it is rare for her husband and son to understand. Due to the particularity of her work, she had to invest a lot of energy in other people's affairs, and her husband began to dislike him for being generous to himself, and her son thought that she did not care enough.
Qian Yeyun, played by Wu Haiyan, is one of the key characters portrayed in this film. She was an actress who concentrated on her career and only wanted to act well, but she experienced three marriages, two of which ended in failure.
Xiao Sun, played by Kou Zhenhai, is one of them, seemingly like-minded, but he did not expect that the other party was an out-and-out "ma bao man", and Qian Yeyun after marriage became a machine for giving birth to a child, and because he could not give birth to a boy, he was blinded by his mother-in-law. The second marriage is a macho domestic violence man, who tries to divorce unsuccessfully and is denigrated by the other party.
Wei Lingling, played by Dai Zong'an, was the most avant-garde among several people, and she held the intention of "never marrying for life", but eventually showed her avatar. She was quickly ostracized, and in desperation, she married the overseas singer Mo Wei (Jiang Dawei) and became a housewife.
Mo Wei is a well-known singer, and his masterpiece "In that Season of Osmanthus Flowers" even three-year-old children will hum a few words (so art comes from life). Wei Lingling's ideal of career eventually ended in the form of a housewife.
Liu Qing, played by Zheng Zhenyao, is the female number one portrayed in detail in this film, she has been teaching in the countryside for more than ten years, and she has worked hard but is unknown. Her beloved Dr. Wang died tragically, and she was alone dragging her sick body and still working continuously.
The four women in this film all have ideas and pursuits in their careers, but they have to compromise due to reality.
Cai Shuhua's husband and son, forced by traditional ideas, asked her about family responsibilities. Wei Lingling (Dai Zong'an) had to make green leaves because her husband was too dazzling, and fortunately she got her husband's consideration and understanding.
The tragedy of Qian Yeyun (Wu Haiyan) is the most representative, on the one hand, her husband uses the issue of "reputation" to attack oppression, on the one hand, because women are in a position of scrutiny in traditional patriarchal society, and on the other hand, even in the inherent concept of women after women's liberation, she is still an undisputed "singing".
Liu Qing (Zheng Zhenyao) let us see hope, she constantly burned herself to gain everyone's respect and recognition. Her love for Dr. Wang also comes from mutual understanding and mutual respect. Although the unexpected death of Dr. Wang in the movie makes Liu Qing's future less bright, her efforts still win her dignity.
In portraying the youth and ideals of a generation, the film may be intended to call for people's respect and care for women. Whether then or now, this point of the film is invaluable.
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