I searched for " Hidden into the Dust " after seeing the online reviews. The online reviews are very divided, some are moved to a mess, and some suspect that the screenwriter and director have ulterior motives. Some say it's realism, others say it's pseudo-realism. There are also people who feel that it "reverses word-of-mouth", which means that its word-of-mouth was not very good for a while, and somehow it "suddenly became popular". It was these comments that made me want to take a look, wanted to read a positive meaning from 's work.
I started thinking about the title of "Hidden in the Dust". It probably means that there are always people in society like Ma Youtie and Cao Guiying, who are almost sadly hidden in the dust when they are alive. It seems to be asking: what is the meaning of human life? It seems to be questioning: How can there be such a thing? It seems to be interpreting: life is from dust to dust. It also seems to be appealing: let Ma Youtie and Cao Guiying live normally. The story of
takes place in rural Gansu in the northwest of China. The film mentions poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. That is to say, the story happened in the past few years before and after 's poverty alleviation attack on . The screenwriter or director of
set Ma Youtie's character as "kind and honest", and Cao Guiying's character as "disability (urinary incontinence, infertility)". All of them were first exploited or abused by their sister-in-law. Ma Youtie was used by his brother-in-law as a free labor force for many years like his precious donkey, and Cao Guiying was kept in a shack by his brother-in-law and not seen by others. Since his brother and sister-in-law are like this, they are naturally disliked by the villagers. The villagers in
's film hardly have a shot facing the audience, their images are blurred, their faces are blurred, and they exist like shadows. The film gives the impression that not only the people in the whole village are indifferent to Ma Youtie and Cao Guiying, but the whole village seems to be soaked in indifference.
All the warmth, romance and love only happen between Ma Youtie and Cao Guiying, They support each other in the sky of each other's life, each other is the only source of their courage and strength. So when Cao Guiying drowned, Ma Youtie's sky collapsed, and her heart drowned.
is like a ball of ice wrapped in two sparks that shine on each other, their fate is destined to be hidden in the dust.
After watching this film, people will naturally ask: Why is the village in which the story takes place is indifferent like an ice cave? Are they only indifferent to Ma Youtie and Cao Guiying? Or are they just as indifferent to each other?
In addition to being indifferent, the villagers seem to have nothing to do with Ma Youtie, but to extract his labor force and his "panda blood", but only dislike Cao Guiying, and she has no value in being extracted. The villagers told Ma Youtie very calmly that Cao Guiying fell into the canal and drowned. It was as calm as telling a story from a long time ago. There was no meaning to call for help. save. Ma Youtie is dead. In the camera, only the bulldozer can be seen pushing away the dust and smoke from the house that Ma Youtie and his wife built with their own hands. Yiyi". In the eyes of the villagers, Ma Youtie and Cao Guiying lived very humble lives. With the roar of the bulldozers over, there will probably be no more talk of the humble pair in the village.
However, judging from Ma Youtie's performance after leaving the third brother's house, he is honest but not incompetent. Not only is he not incompetent, but he can also be said to be ingenious. From the time he borrowed eggs to hatch chickens to eat eggs, from ploughing the fields to harrowing the fields to harvesting grain, from the time he took the soil to make bricks to living in a new house, it took him only one year to go from nothing to food and housing after he got married. scene. He is considerate to his daughter-in-law, good at observing her physical and psychological needs and responding in a timely manner. He used wheat to press petals on Guiying's skin to express his need, understanding and feeling for beauty. He looked forward to taking Cao Guiying to find a good doctor after the food was exchanged for money, and to see the world in the city. These episodes all show that he is full of hope in life.
Although he only builds adobe houses, he can meet all skills such as brickwork, carpentry, brickwork, and straw weaving. Looking at the harvest of the crops, the horses are also good at iron crops. In the era when going out to work has become a trend, Ma Youtie is smart and capable. If he goes out to work, it is unknown if he will make a name for himself. Besides, there are so many "successful" role models in the same village who went out to work and came back to deal with the demolition of their own houses. Ma Youtie didn't know there was such a thing as part-time work? Or do you know that you are not at all tempted? Or did the brother and sister-in-law cast some magic to trap him?
So, why is he willing to live like donkey in his third brother's house for so many decades? Even if he doesn't have a family, he can live alone, with his ability, earn a family business, and find a daughter-in-law to start a family is not difficult! The psychological change before and after this is just because of love? Obviously things are not so simple. In the setting of characters, this is a contradiction that is difficult to justify. This contradiction shows the deliberateness of the screenwriter and director - does not set the plot based on the logic of life but from the needs of personal subjective performance.
In the current Chinese society, no matter how ruthless his third brother is, there is no reason or ability to let his brother stand on his own, unless Ma Youtie is willing. So why did he volunteer? Unless the third brother is still good to him, he may be embarrassed to split up at first, but he will get used to it after a long time. But the situation shown in the film shows that his third brother and three sisters-in-law did not treat him as a human being, scolding him at will, not helping him solve his personal problems for a long time, and thinking of kicking him out after his son got married. Matching him with a disabled woman regardless of his personal feelings, wouldn't it be like treating an animal? Cao Guiying lost the ability to resist due to her disability, and was locked in a shack by her brother and sister-in-law and could not leave. This plot design makes sense logically. But horses have iron without these physical defects! It's just a mental disorder. What caused him to have such a psychological barrier that he was so comfortable with his situation and resigned to his brother and sister-in-law's exploitation? The film does not explain, it seems that he has this character. This is so illogical! When the
horse has an iron building, although he will use a technique similar to pulleys to pull the mud, it is almost impossible for them to put all the beams on the beam. In the countryside, to serve such a large field of crops and to build such a large house, Ma Youtie and his disabled daughter-in-law are alone. Without the help of the villagers, not only some things are difficult to complete, but this is not in line with the customs of ordinary rural areas. Besides, Ma Youtie's popularity isn't so bad. Is it because his brother and sister-in-law forbid others to help Ma Youtie? Or is his brother and sister-in-law so fierce that others dare not come to help? This is even more illogical. No matter how bad his brother and sister-in-law treat him, they won't have any grudges! Isn't this all over? Why cut his life off?
I noticed that the film is generally intended to set off Gui Ying's physical disability and inability to carry the wheat straw onto the donkey cart. It is also designed with only two people doing the same job, which means that even in the busy farming season or building houses in this village. There is no habit of helping each other in major events, which means that "indifference" is not only aimed at Ma Youtie and Cao Guiying, but is a normal state of relations between villagers. The story of
designed a background plot, that is, there is a contractor who has contracted almost all the land in the village. The contractor said that he couldn't sell a grain of grain, so he couldn't pay the contract money to the villagers. However, the contractor is ill and requires regular blood transfusions. This blood is extremely rare, it is the so-called "Panda (HR negative) blood", and only the blood type of Ma Youtie matches in the whole village. That is to say, the contractor needs the blood of Ma Youtie to continue his life, otherwise the contract money of the villagers will be wasted when the contractor dies. At this time, Ma Youtie was not only the savior of the contractor but also the savior of the villagers. According to normal logic, Ma Youtie should be a baby bump in the eyes of the villagers. However, both the contractor and the villagers were convinced of Ma Youtie's "weakness", so they held a village meeting and collectively "decided" that Ma Youtie would supply blood to the contractor. This design has made a final assessment of the "indifference" and "ruthlessness" of the whole village, and there is nothing to dispute.
Ma Youtie was not numb. He knew what he was donating blood for, so he used the opportunity to donate blood to ask the contractor for the contract money for the villagers. What he thought was that as long as it could protect the interests of the villagers and save a life, it would be worth donating this blood. Therefore, he did not show reluctance during the blood donation process. The director meant to show that Ma Youtie was submissive and would not refuse, just as he did not refuse his third brother asking him to help his nephew pull furniture. Therefore, he did not follow Cao Guiying's advice and obstacles. In fact, it cannot be explained that Ma is honest, doesn't know how to make deals, and won't refuse, but he insists on his consistent principle of being a human being - it doesn't matter if others blame me, and I will never blame others. It is his catchphrase "one yard is one yard" that shows that he has the principle of life. He didn't owe anyone anything, and he had to deduct the money the contractor's son bought for Cao Guiying's coat from the grain sales. Before he died, he had to pay off all the debts, including the ten eggs that Cao Guiying borrowed to hatch the chicks.
According to the design of the film, Ma Youtie's death and Cao Guiying's death have different meanings. Cao Guiying died in an accident.She fell into a canal due to dizziness and drowned when she had hope in life. At most, as she said, she didn't have this disease when she lived in a shack before, but she has this dizziness after getting better. She lamented that she had no luck. She didn't kill herself because she couldn't live. Does the horse have iron? It's suicide, it's voluntary death. He didn't commit suicide because his material life was too poor to survive, but his spiritual pillar collapsed.
Ma Youtie, with Cao Guiying, has a home and love, and love has become the whole meaning of his life, that is, the spiritual pillar. If his brother-in-law, villagers, and village leaders are not indifferent to him but care about him, and if Cao Guiying is not the whole but the most important part of his life, will Ma Youtie die for Cao Guiying? probably not. Even if someone comforted Ma Youtie a few words after Cao Guiying's death, he might not have gone to a dead end. In a sense, Ma Youtie died for love, and his death is called martyrdom! In another sense, Ma Youtie died of indifference, and his death is called a "dead alarm" - using his death to wake people away from indifference.
So far, the logic of the film is very clear, Ma Youtie was forced to death by the indifference of relatives (brothers and sisters) and villagers (villagers).
Then comes the question:
first, is the indifference of the village where Ma Youtie is located a special case of rural China? Or is it some kind of generality?
Second, if it is a special case, what is the reason? If it is universal, what is the reason?
Although the director and screenwriter tried their best to deal with the film's music, color, dialogue and other plot elements as dark, low, and cold tones, Ma Youtie and Cao Guiying think that they are wrapped in discrimination, contempt, indifference, and disgust. . However, the sunshine of 's new rural construction, poverty alleviation and rural revitalization still shines through the dark clouds.
For example, all the land in the village has been contracted out, and Ma Youtie and his wife still have several acres of land to grow. If the village does not support it, it may not be possible. That is to say, Ma Youtie got married and became independent, and the village implemented the policy to divide the land for his family.
For example, in the land of Ma Youtiejia, the crops are growing very well. In addition to his husband and wife's good planting skills, there are canals around his land, and he can buy pesticides and fertilizers on credit. This shows that he enjoys the benefits of the agricultural water conservancy project , and the pesticide and fertilizer suppliers have not sold him pesticides and fertilizers because he has no money to pay temporarily.
For example, when he repaired the house, the village also implemented the policy for him: the homestead was demarcated. Judging from the film, the homestead obtained by his husband and wife is not bad, it is spacious and flat, and it is not far from his crops. Moreover, there are no other people around his house, but he has access to electricity, which would not have been possible without the support of the village infrastructure and the help of the village.
For example, the director designed a scene where the villagers return to the village in Shenzhen to receive compensation for demolition. The original intention was to highlight the poor state of Ma Youtie and his wife, who had no room to live in and could only be driven out by the demolished homeowners. But the demolition itself is part of the construction of new countryside, or rural revitalization, or poverty alleviation. Moreover, the homeowner did not trouble Ma Youtie because his husband and wife lived in their own house without the owner's consent. Some homeowners were willing to give the dismantled waste wood to Ma Youtie, who built the house. The wood used is pretty much the same.
For example, the government gave Ma Youtie's family a set of relocation houses. Although his third brother used his "credit" for donating blood to the contractor to "win" for him, and his third brother's real intention was to use Ma Youtie's identity to obtain a house, but in fact it was for Ma Youtie's third brother The son of Ma Youtie lives where the nephew of Ma Youtie lives. However, the incident reflects that the country's new rural construction, rural revitalization, or poverty alleviation policies have not forgotten the ordinary villagers in rural areas. The series of "examples"
shows that caused the tragedy of Ma Youtie and Cao Guiying's fate not because the country's policies lacked sunshine, but because dark clouds blocked the sunshine of the country's policies. What is the dark cloud obscuring the sun of national policy? It is the third buddy of Ma Youtie, the rural grassroots organization that has not been able to build it properly, the rich and unkind contractors who contracted the land, and the incredible and elusive indifference displayed by this village.
Some film critics said that they were moved by the hardships of the Ma Youtie couple and left them with many tears of sympathy. In fact, the most painful time for the Ma Youtie couple happened to be when theyThe days when the "relatives (brother and sister-in-law)" lived at home. After the two of them were arranged to be husband and wife with ulterior motives, their elder brother and sister-in-law might have thought of letting them fend for themselves, but they did not expect this to be a turning point in their lives. Ma Youtie's life after getting married should be called "hardship", not "suffering". Hardship means striving to get rid of suffering and is full of hope. Suffering means that there is nothing you can do to get rid of it, it is hopeless.
After Ma Youtie got married, he was poor in material life, but gradually became rich in spirit - with love, there was hope. Therefore, in a short period of time, they were basically lifted out of absolute poverty. According to the standard of "poverty alleviation", he and his wife should be "poverty alleviation models". The spirit of their husband and wife's pursuit of dreams in order to get rid of poverty can be an example for many people! Who are this "many"? For example, in the work of poverty alleviation, cadres at the grassroots level who carry out the task of poverty alleviation encounter such poor households. They are too lazy to work, waiting for state relief, exhausting the poverty alleviation funds given by the state, and asking poverty alleviation cadres for it. Give "poor comments" to poverty alleviation cadres and be willing to be "poverty alleviation nails". These "poverty alleviation nail households" are the "many people".
The death of horses with iron is clear attributed to , but is it common for horses to have iron? Is the village where Ma Youtie is located very common? In other words, can we summarize a "horse has iron phenomenon"? Obviously not. Ma Youtie's husband and wife and Ma Youtie Village are both artistic images. There are similar cases but not necessarily universal. If the vast majority of our rural areas are like "horse and iron villages", the Chinese rural areas have long been destroyed by the indifference described in the film, how can the great achievements of "poverty alleviation" be achieved? How can the Chinese hold the rice bowl firmly in their own hands? We pointed out earlier that the director and screenwriter deliberately conceptualized the character Ma Youtie and his village for their own cognition, so there is a logical in the design of Ma Youtie's character. inconsistency. But once written, the impression given to the audience is that "it has a general meaning". Comparing
with the "horse has iron phenomenon", the "poverty alleviation nail households" may be more universal. It is suggested that the director and screenwriter of this film should pay attention to the phenomenon of "poverty alleviation nail households" while paying attention to the "horse has iron phenomenon", and show the ups and downs of poverty alleviation cadres at the grassroots level.
However, "indifference" is indeed a relatively common phenomenon in today's society. The indifference shown in the city is more serious than that in the countryside, and there are many cases of old and dead neighbors. Indifference is just one of many phenomena in interpersonal relationships. We see that the " volunteer phenomenon" has become a kind of "fashion". In major social activities or major fights against disasters, there are always a large number of people participating in it as "volunteers". This is the exact opposite of "indifference". Indifference, which has existed in human society since ancient times, has developed into a class-based indifference in capitalist society, which means that in a society dominated by the pursuit of material interests, indifference will inevitably become its "accompanying phenomenon". There is no shortage of literature that exposes the flogging "indifference". As long as people become slaves to money, indifference goes hand in hand, and the relationship to the system differs only in severity.
Theoretically speaking, in socialist society , this kind of indifference should not be so serious, its existence will not become an institutionalized state, and it will not be the mainstream of society. But as long as people regard the pursuit of material interests as everything, apathy cannot be avoided. Apathy is indeed a destructive emotional expression for society, which can erode social cohesion and common good. In this sense, the film "Hidden in the Dust" is valuable. I disagree with some of the comments that the writers and directors are interestingly attacking and slandering. He is just a warning, an appeal. In order to achieve this effect, the artistic image of Ma Youtie has been typified - , he has almost all the good qualities that people hope for, but he is swallowed by indifference.
tragic writers all understand this truth: nothing is more heartbreaking than the ruthless destruction of something beautiful, and this is where Ma Youtie's tragic fate touched many viewers. Of course, under the extremely complex struggle situation China is currently facing, such "single-pointed" films are easily used by some forces as a weapon to deny China's great achievements.should be vigilant.
Judging from the situation described in "Hidden into the Smoke and Dust", there are indeed many unsound problems in the construction of rural grassroots organizations, so that there are those "dark clouds" pointed out above. It is this "dark cloud" that makes many national policies The sun does not shine on the horses and irons, or the horses and irons cannot feel the sunshine of the national policy. The
video reminds us that no matter how good a policy is, it needs to be implemented by the most grassroots rural organizations, whether it is "new rural construction" or "rural revitalization", there is no strong grassroots organization to implement it. Iron Phenomenon" is almost impossible. The reason for the "horse with iron phenomenon" is also an important reason for the "poverty alleviation nail household phenomenon" in rural areas. Whether it is "new rural construction" or "rural revitalization", it is not difficult to achieve materially, but it is difficult to achieve spiritually. It takes hard work to make Ma Youtong and the faceless contractor for the rich and inhumane. There is no condition for a person like the Lord to exist.
Instead of cultivating or criticizing it, it is more meaningful to do some in-depth and detailed analysis of the film, interpret more valuable things, and find out ways to reduce social apathy.
For example, some film critics expressed doubts about the existence of people at the bottom of society like Ma Youtie. If the film is read as such, it is truly misread. In recent years, " elitism " has been on the rise. Some people think that they are social elites, and only social elites have the value of existence. Ordinary people are like weeds, non-existence is more valuable than existence. At present, this elite ism in Western society is sneaking into a certain mainstream ideology. The indifference of the Western countries to the millions of deaths caused by the epidemic proves that it is worthy of vigilance whether China will be affected by it.
The existence of Ma Youtie seems to be dispensable, but in fact, it is the thousands of Ma Youtie who have made the foundation of this society. The horse's iron grain exceeds his consumption needs, and he has to sell it. It is the millions of horses and iron grains entering the country's procurement system that ensure that the Chinese people firmly hold their rice bowls in their own hands. In other words, , everyone who takes up a job depends on the food of the horses and irons to survive! The "power of the people" that we often talk about, and Comrade Mao Zedong's philosophical assertion that "the people, only the people are the driving force for the creation of world history" are based on this simple truth. is like air to people, its existence determines people's existence, but people can't feel its existence, this is the sad part of human beings! Ma Youtie and Cao Guiying should not be humble, they deserve our respect, not just indifferent attention and concern.
In a society, if there are factors that make Ma Youtie unable to live, there will be some problems in this society. Indifference is one of such problems. We must find the cause of indifference to eliminate indifference.
We must understand that in order to realize the great dream of national rejuvenation in China and all Chinese people to live a good life, what is most needed is unity and passion, and eliminating apathy is an important guarantee for unity and passion!
Note: The author of this article is Mu Lin, a core member of the "Qin'an Strategic Think Tank". This is the original work of on the platform . In the new year, I wish everyone to join hands to defeat the epidemic, curb hegemony, and move towards a better future together.
