A good movie is never afraid of being late. "Autumn Rain" is a love movie released in 2005, adapted from the best-selling novel "The Devil Soldiers I Know". Watching this movie again after a lapse of more than ten years still shakes people's hearts. In the
movie, a Japanese veteran who participated in the war of aggression against China sent his granddaughter Hashimoto Gardenia to Beijing's "enemies" to learn Peking Opera, and Gardenia fell in love with the "enemies" while learning "Shiro's Visit to His Mother" He Ming, the son of the family.
The grievances of the previous generation will be dispelled by the next generation with love. Although the plot is old-fashioned, the film condenses the aesthetic love, painful reflection, and heavy history into the plot of Gardenia's Peking Opera with its unique entry point and clever conception, which is refreshing. The point of the
film is not to re-expose historical scars and inciting national sentiments, but to call people to face history and face the future, so that the film has a deeper connotation and a stronger artistic appeal.
01 The love-hate entanglement between He Ming and Gardenia
Japanese girl Gardenia, encouraged and arranged by her grandfather, came to Beijing not far away and lived in the home of teacher He Jichu to learn Peking Opera.
Teacher He sang the role of acting when he was young, and was very popular for a while, but it was a pity that he was forced to scream during "Ten Years". Teacher He’s female disciple Xu Miaochun is a famous actor in the troupe. His son also studied opera and later went to business.
The second day after Gardenia stayed in, He Ming went home. It is said that he came back to revitalize the pear garden, but it was actually because of business failure, he came back to have a meal.
was mistaken for his grandfather as a traitor and his father ruined his acting career. All He Ming hated that period of history. But he didn't hate the kind and lovely Gardenia, and even joked with Gardenia, "A Li Xiangyang scared you like this".
Love came quietly, making the distance between the two young people gradually closer. The elder sister Xu Miaochun has been secretly in love with He Ming, and the relationship between the three has become a bit complicated.
The scene of making dumplings on New Year’s Eve was particularly exciting. The He family father and son, Zhizi and senior sister made dumplings and sang "Shi Lang Visiting Mother". One Shiro (He Ming) and three Iron Mirror princesses (Gardenia, Senior Sister, and Father He) used dramas to express their emotions, with clever ideas. When the dumplings were put on the table, an email from Grandpa Gardenia messed up a good meal of dumplings on New Year’s Eve. Grandpa Gardenia said in the letter that he had always concealed his identity as a Japanese invader and had eaten a bowl of human dumplings without his knowledge.
Grandpa Gardenia’s original intention was, “If Chinese and Japanese youths are in love, they must understand the history of the two countries. Because only by understanding the past can they look forward to the future.”
He Ming ran away all night and did not return. do not. "Shiro Visiting His Mother" finally officially staged. Because grandpa was seriously ill, Gardenia came to say goodbye to Miaochun with Teacher He, but she didn't dare to meet Ming for the last time.
Before taking the stage, Miao Chun and teacher He Jichu pushed the dressed gardenia to the front desk to see "her "horse" Yang Shilang. Seeing that the "Princess Iron Mirror" in front of him turned out to be dressed as Gardenia, He Ming finally sang "Princess, my wife" in shock.
As for whether the love between He Ming and Zhizi has been released, the director did not give a clear ending. Maybe the director didn't dare, or the director didn't want to.
02 "Autumn Rain" and "Shiro's Visiting Mother"
Peking Opera "Shiro's Visiting Mother" runs through the whole movie.
Gardenia arrived in Beijing for the first time, and when she came to the theater, she saw "Shiro's Visiting Mother" starring Miao Chun. He Jichu also once made a smash hit in Beijing with "Shi Lang Visiting His Mother". He Ming and Zhizi fell in love during the rehearsal of "Shiro's Visit to His Mother".
He Ming plays Yang Silang and Gardenia plays Princess Iron Mirror. The implications are worth pondering. He Ming's grandfather was also born in Liyuan. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, he served in the army to defend the country. After being captured, he was heroic and unyielding, and was killed by Gardenia's grandfather. This is "national hatred" and also "home hatred". In "Shiro's Visit to His Mother", the two countries were originally at war, and the general of Song and the princess of Liao were like water and fire, but they had a 15-year relationship between husband and wife. He Ming's Shiro and Gardenia's Princess Iron Mirror correspond exactly to the characters in the play.
The love of the younger generation and the recognition of their love by their parents, it seems that the hatred of war has been eliminated. The relationship between Yang Silang and Princess Tiejing in "Shi Lang's Mother" and the love between He Ming and Gardenia in the movie complement each other. There are many similarities. It is that there is drama in the play and affection in love. In the
play, Yang Silang has been in Liao State for many years, but Princess Iron Mirror failed to see him.He Ming in the play didn’t know that Gardenia’s grandfather had killed his grandfather during the War of Resistance Against Japan, so they all simply loved one person.
When He Ming formally performed "Shi Lang Tan's Mother", the partner Princess Tiejing temporarily changed to Gardenia, and the word "wife" in "My Wife" was finally sung after a long hesitation. This call is not just in the play. Shiro's respect and love for Princess Iron Mirror are even more outside the stage. He Ming and Gardenia shed their suspicions, and love blocks the declaration of hatred in the past.
He Yichu turned and left for the last time, with too much emotion. He could not forgive Grandpa Zhizi for his father-slaying hatred, but he did not want to continue the hatred. The precious costume that had accompanied him for many years was given to Zhi. The son is the best proof.
The story of Shiro and Princess Tiejing also happened between He Ming and Gardenia?
History has always been the wheel. It is not that it never happened, but no one can stop it from happening again. Hate and prejudice, let it happen to the next generation is the most unwise choice, because it will stage the tragedy of the previous generation. Only if all this is calmed down in this generation, may it be the best end.
03 About salvation and reflection
Gardenia came to China from Japan to learn Peking Opera. This is Gardenia's grandfather's reflection and introspection on war. Although he participated in the war against China, Hashimoto did not obliterate humanity. In his bones, he yearned for peace and admired civilization.
On the other hand, Gardenia is as pure and lovely as her name. He believes that Gardenia can bring happiness to the family they have hurt. This is a kind of atonement and compensation.
Originally, Grandpa Gardenia was right. The exchange of culture and emotion is an effective way to dilute national hatred, bridge the scars of history, and seek harmony and civilization.
The feelings are as clear and pure as the autumn rain. Working together to learn drama, the feelings come to fruition quietly. In order to keep Gardenia living at home, He Ming deliberately pretended not to recover the stolen wallet of Gardenia; for He Ming's Peking opera career, Gardenia asked her senior sister to help He Ming perform. This feeling of
is undoubtedly enviable. However, it is undoubtedly sad. The shadow of national hatred never dissipated. He Ming said, "You are the iron mirror princess in my dream". This statement has obvious meaning.
However, after Hashimoto confessed that he participated in the war, the conflict between national hatred, family feud and personal emotion reached its peak, breaking He Ming's original balance. Later, when He Ming saw the letter between his father and Hashimoto, his anger had subsided, leaving only sadness. Standing by the father's bed, trying to raise his head, trying to withdraw the tears from his eyes.
He Jichu's reply to Hashimoto said that some mistakes will never be forgiven, and some injuries will never be repaired.
When He Jichu learned that his father was not a traitor, he took out his former costume and hugged him to sleep. At that moment, after all, in his lifetime, he knew from the enemy that his father was a real hero. He must be relieved in his heart. At the end of the
movie, with snowy nights and dim street lights, everything ends on the stage. He Jichu put on the scarf again and walked out of the theater. It seemed that he had let go of the unforgettable feelings about his acting princess for many years and the hatred of the previous generation, and he had completed a transformation of spiritual purification.
I'm going to go back to my hometown, build a grave for my father, put two sticks of incense, maybe, just say a few words in my heart.
Remembering history is not just preaching pain and hatred, but rather a rational reflection on history, which extends to the continuous improvement of reality.
Do not forget hatred, nor refuse to be friendly. The exchange of culture and emotion is extremely important at all times.
04 Only by accepting the past can we take a new step.
Standing on me personally, I will never forgive the crimes committed by Japan in that war of aggression against China. I am neutral about this exotic relationship in this film. The war was cruel and bloody, and it also brought endless pain to several generations of families like He Jichu. And those unbearable history and facts, whether you can let them go, will not change there. For us who stand behind history, how to face and solve problems is the most important thing.
and the result of the solution depends entirely on attitude. As Gardenia explained, enemies are both relatives and enemies.
Many problems in life are not black and white, they are more often about trade-offs and trade-offs, so there are so many entanglements in the world. Human nature is still good, at least dramaEveryone in is using kindness to understand and tolerate, and I believe and hope that most people in life will do the same.
