Criticizes
's much-anticipated domestic film "Broken Bridge" was recently released, and word of mouth became polarized. The film has elements of crime and suspense themes, but the story line is relatively simple, and the reversal and suspense designs are also easier to guess. The director’s documentary style is more obvious, while several actors showed outstanding acting skills as much as possible. The author of this article commented that the film “has a certain gap from an excellent crime suspense film. Relatively speaking, it is emotionally in-depth and has a deep understanding of human nature. The discussion is the essence of the film.”
"Broken Bridge": Staring at the night, singing
/ Guo Lujie
After twists and turns, the film "Broken Bridge" was finally released on August 13. It came out after a long time, and since its premiere, this hard-working movie has gained a high degree of topicality, from the main actor, the plot to the box office.
aside from these, the story itself is more worth exploring. The director of the film, , Li Yu, is a documentary photographer, and he also revealed many clear experiences in the interview. In my opinion, from the ubiquitous details, the high-frequency imagery to the meticulous characterization, the film is indeed an out-and-out social documentary.
The imagery clues behind "rain" and "fish" express that what
enveloped the film "Broken Bridge" is the gray sky and the endless rain. The gloomy sky told stories of suspicious cases, the continuous heavy rain washed away some invisible pasts, and also impacted the repressed hearts of several main characters. From the very beginning, the film has wrapped the audience in an uneasy, frightened, and depressing environment. This sense of atmosphere is paired with a cool-toned picture, which expresses strong tension and has a poetic feeling of sadness and purity coexisting.
's efficient use of shots, soundtracks and props is a highlight of the film. Every fragment and close-up object has a profound meaning, foreshadowing clues or symbolic hints, and plays an indispensable role in the evolution of the story. For example, the hometown of the story, Oriole City, has a lot of articles on its name; Haizi 's work "A Poem in the Dark Night" accompanied the hero Meng Chao on his journey of exploring self-worth and life meaning, which also symbolized his final choice; Wen Xiao Rain tracing the clues has been using his father's motorcycle, which can be seen as taking revenge with his father's will, which is touching; Zhu Fangzheng likes to quote Zeng Guofan 's words, every time he commits a crime, his hands are stained with blood for various reasons, his nature can be seen One spot.
"fish" as a clue image is also an indispensable part. Zhu Fang was shooting fish on the chopping board and murdered Gan Xiaoyang and lied that the details of the fried fish corresponded to the burial of the water tower that he had destroyed at the end. Wen Xiaoyu and the other three were cooking in the bridge pier. Blueberry suddenly brought up the topic of "dead fish", and Meng Chao's statement that goldfish "are trapped in it until they die" and the police "Have you ever caught fish?" can't escape", and the recurring metaphors hint at the final fate of the characters.
In addition, there are two soundtracks that fit the period and are full of meaning. In the wilderness shrouded in darkness, Xiaoyu and Meng Chao sang "Olive Tree" softly, as if reflecting the feeling of the two homeless people who were at a loss and helpless. Then they traced the clues and heard "Farewell" near the night market stall. In the middle of the broadcast: "Ask you when you go, when you return, don't linger when you come", with Zhu Fang's face suddenly appearing in the dark, it is a pun, showing the disintegration of the adoptive father-daughter relationship, but also early for the sad ending. declare. There are many more details. It can be said that most of the core elements of "Broken Bridge" are hidden in the original detailed design. Only by listening and watching with full attention can you truly understand the content of the film.
However, it is precisely because the structure of the whole film is too compact, coupled with the deletion of large sections, the narrative rhythm of "Broken Bridge" is too fast, the coherence and logic are lacking, and many shots and details that express the deep theme of the story are easy. be ignored. Obviously, the director wants to express a lot of things and has his own profound insights, but in the end, due to various factors, the story was not presented perfectly. The completeness is not high enough, and it stops abruptly, which is a major shortcoming of the film.
The human chips under the interweaving of dawn and night
"Broken Bridge" has elements of crime and suspense themes, but the main line of the story is relatively simple. Although there are many details, its narrative is relatively bland, and the reversal and suspense design are easier to guess, which is not far from an excellent crime suspense film.distance. Relatively speaking, I think the emotional depth and the exploration of human nature are the essence of the film, which is embodied in the contrasting characterization of the two main male characters and the behavioral design of a series of important supporting characters.
Zhu Fangzheng, the adoptive father of the protagonist Xiaoyu, contributed the most impressive scenes in the whole film. The name is "Fangzheng", but he is virtuous, greedy and ugly, not "square" nor "right". The opening eulogy at the funeral of his friend Wen Liang made many viewers suspicious. With the development of the story, its vicious hypocrisy and the complicated relationship behind it are constantly refreshing the lower limit of the audience. He is a heinous and hateful person, and he is also a pitiful person with a heavy burden. From the moment he was driven by interests and killed his friend Wen Liang, he went to a point of no return. From the "concern" about the authenticity of Xiaoyu and the coexistence of polite words and appeasement in the early stage, to the explosive on Gan Xiaoyang's car, the suspicion thrown at Xiaoyu when the police questioned him, and the terrifying and strange eyes on the counterfeiter booth. Step by step, he went to crazy evil in the whitewash of his own sins. The sad reality deeply embodies the distortion and degeneration of human nature under the intertwined interests.
's most rewarding scene for shaping his humanity is the scene where he asks Wen Xiaoyu to celebrate his birthday. He wanted to poison the wine glass, but because of the love of his adoptive father and daughter, he finally couldn't bear to do it. He abandoned the poisoned wine glass and broke down in the chat, holding Xiaoyu and asking for forgiveness; Wen Xiaoyu has been suppressing the complicated I have always stressed that I am just here for my birthday and don't mention anything else. It is not difficult for us to feel that Zhu Fang was wandering between human and animal nature, and there was a moment when the only remaining goodness overcame ambition and hypocrisy, and this goodness was based on the basis of his own interests not being damaged. But the "big brother" Tang's old-fashioned guidance to him, and his adopted daughter's hatred for killing her father finally broke out, and the knife stabbed at him broke everyone's critical point of restraint and temptation. The panic and greed in his heart finally surged out like a flood of bursting dykes, annihilating the last remaining human warmth in him. Human nature is complicated. The superb acting skills of the actors , Fan Wei and , combined with constant hesitation in the conflict, finally failed to get rid of the stalking of evil thoughts. Get three points into the wood.
Haizi's "A Poem in the Dark Night" appeared at least four times in the words of the homeless teenager Meng Chao. Once in the dance hall, he sang freely and vented his emotions, once was muttering to himself in the back seat of Wen Xiaoyu's motorcycle, once was the true feelings of the two of them chatting on the side of the mountain road, and the last time appeared in the ending song. Throughout his appearance clips, it is as lost as "The Poem of the Night" but with some kind of inexplicable hope.
Meng Chao, formerly known as Zhang Qingdong, fled for eight years after killing the village tyrant who oppressed his sister. He was the character who brought a key turning point in Xiaoyu's murder of his father's suspicions, and was the character that most moved the audience's heartstrings in the film. What appeared with him was the dilapidated hideout and the book of poems by his sister in his arms. Similar to Xiaoyu's father's motorcycle, this is one of the spiritual supports left to him by his sister. His education level is limited and he does not know that he is in self-defense, so he has been living in the dark as a fugitive for many years. Seemingly strong and decisive, he also expressed his vulnerable side in countless moments (such as when sitting in the back seat of a motorcycle). Wen Xiaoyu is like his sister, and he is the only person who has made him feel love and warmth in the vain life of the past eight years. Therefore, he is willing to dedicate all of himself to him; in the same way, he also has the simplicity of a young man. Longing for family and love. The only scene in the film that makes people feel genuine warmth is Xiaoyu, Meng Chao and Blueberry having dinner in the hideout. The warmth of Wen and Meng is reflected in their patience with Blueberry. The lights suddenly dimmed halfway through, and when Meng Chao screwed up the light bulb again, the ambient light in the room turned into a rare warm tone throughout the film. In the picture at this time, all three of them showed gentle smiles, which is the most nourishing episode in the film, although most viewers have already understood the direction of the story-the long-lost warmth under this gloomy tone makes people feel even more Sad.
Meng Chao is a young man who has a pure concept of right and wrong, but is bound in the shadows by laws, and still yearns for light and poetry. He could have stayed out of all this strife, but he still voluntarily chose to be involved in the storm. In the performance of the plot, he is down and out, withdrawn, and has poor language skills. Sometimes (especially when he first meets Xiaoyu), he looks a little rough, but he has the most valuable moral quality and fraternity spirit, and is the most safe in the whole film. Sensitive characters. And this sense of securityThe source is the innate sense of justice in him and the love that transcends self-knowledge. Compared with Zhu Fangzheng, who has two sides and three swords, he is a simple "saint" who was exiled. "It's enough for me to have the night, I want Xiaoyu to live well during the day", "I haven't had a good life in this life, I don't look forward to the next life." Facing the absolute fate line, he didn't seem to justify and complain, and even knew the blasting date. and marked on the calendar. In the end, he gave his heart "beauty" by blending into the night and self-destructing together - Xiaoyu fulfilled her bright future with redemption and love. Like a candle that shines a ray of light in the dark, it burns out its own light and heat, appears inconspicuously, and exits splendidly. Compared with this year's starring hit drama " Gate of Rebirth ", actor Wang Junkai 's performance in "Broken Bridge" has made a breakthrough. The authentic southwest dialect is full of intimacy, and Zhu Fangzheng's pretentious Mandarin It's a stark contrast, and it's easy to bring people into the situation. The two male characters
appeared with their own "sins", and they both chose to hide their figures in the dark, but the fundamental way was deviated. Although they both perished in the blasted water tower in the end, and both disappeared in the darkness, but from a spiritual level, it is obvious that one person has been constantly trying to cover the unbearable past with dirty means, and has been completely led by fear, guilty conscience and greed from the illusion of light. Towards the darkness, just like the fish on the chopping board, which is slaughtered and ugly; the other shows the light of humanity with sincerity and kindness. As a trapped "dead fish", he leads another fish to the sea. Freedom, his soul found itself in the dark night, and was liberated and sublimated.
In contrast, the character of the heroine Wen Xiaoyu seems a little "unremarkable". The story line of her and Meng Chao is a bit like the two protagonists in " young you ", but compared to Chen Nian and Liu Beishan's mutual branding and two-way redemption, Wen Xiaoyu is more like a "tool man". Her role is mainly to make the core characters connect and collide and promote the development of the plot. She lacks the conflict and highlight plots that make the audience empathize with . But it is precisely because of this that the personalities and fates of other characters are more intense under her matchmaking, which directly touches the heart and has a lot of "stamina".
"Broken Bridge" talks about many real laws, the pursuit of the truth, the good and the beautiful, the deep contemplation of the false, the evil and the ugly, and it is also a complex human heart that cannot be examined from a black and white standpoint. All kinds of people are implicated in the face of an accident. They are born as human beings, stand alone or stay out of the way, help in the snow or fall into trouble, be vulnerable or strong, firm or precarious, and they will all be affected by changes in the situation. It is human nature to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and devoting to righteousness is the sublimation of human nature. Under the confrontation and entanglement between the night and the dawn, human affection is just a bargaining chip. This is the reality of the film and the finishing touch that adds to the depth of the story.
Haizi said at the end of "A Poem in the Darkness": "Walk on the road, sing loudly, the wind blows over the hills, and the sky above is boundless." May everyone who is bound by the net of human nature and walks alone in the dark night, can Be more brave, learn to stare at the darkness, take off the heavy burden in self-judgment, in love and being loved, discover the glitter of human nature, and finally find true warmth and redemption, so that a beautiful heart can break free from the darkness and run towards the light, towards the light. The sky sings loudly and grows at will.
New Media Editor: Zheng Zhouming
Pictures: Movie stills
Tips to meet us on time every day:
