Director Luc Besson's new film "The God of Dogs" made its "surprise appearance" at the 7th Pingyao International Film Festival and held its China premiere in Shanghai. It will be fully released in theaters on December 15. This is a relatively typical Luc Besson-style film, with a balance between genre commerciality and authorial artistry. At the same time, it has very fresh creativity and expression in narrative, images, and even themes and concepts. The story of
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focuses on the growth process of a "marginal person". The questioning time shortly after the protagonist's "crime of passion" corresponds to the long growth time in the past. The past will never disappear, it just needs to find the right time to be mentioned again, and it can only be told to the right person. Because the inquirer has a "pain" that the inquired seems to be similar to himself, he has the possibility of having an in-depth conversation with the inquired. As the saying goes, "It is necessary to know each other when we meet." The story unfolds in a structure like an "inquiry transcript". The cramped inquiry room space and the vast life time and space of the protagonist Douglas from childhood to here and now, jump in and out between verbal narration and image reproduction, the rhythm is free and distinct. , the narrative is clear and organized.
movies have delicate expressions and intense emotions. The narrative is not separated from the audience and is quite meaningful. Regarding the relationship between humans, dogs, and gods, there is an interesting detail - young Douglas was locked in a kennel by his father, and his brother, as his father's accomplice and executor, hung "in the name of god" on the kennel. "After the two letters of the banner were blocked, the banner turned out to be "dog man" from the perspective of the protagonist when viewed from the reverse side. The mysterious mirror-image correspondence between the two is a coincidence, but the use of this coincidence is very creative. It has become the core metaphor of the film: the union of man and dog is the opposite of God, but in another sense. On the other hand, they are manifestations and components of God. The protagonist's affection for dogs is devotional and unconditional, and the barrier-free communication between humans and dogs is also religious, with a transcendent and mysterious nature that does not require explanation. In this way, the meaning enters the narrative level, and the relationship between humans and dogs breaks through the paradigm and interest of traditional "pet movies" or "dog movies", from common loyalty, healing, universal love, etc., to crime, edge, Physical disabilities, transgenderism and marginalized growth, etc. The audience should notice and really feel that the "darkness" of "Dog God" is not negative, because it fights against the ugliness of the world (such as the oppression of gangs, the greed of insurance companies, and the violence of fathers and brothers). A kind of refutation and correction of negativity, so it will produce a different kind of healing and warmth.
Dogs in "Dog God" are not the background, not the embellishments in the story, or even just human empathy or internal imitation, but the male protagonist's family members and gang members. This is a kind of family affection and brotherhood. The fusion of emotions. Dogs are group portraits and personifications. On this basis, Luc Besson made them further personalized and even action-oriented. Several dogs that completed important tasks impressed the audience, such as the Corgi who delivered the phone, the Doberman who guarded the door, etc. They all played important supporting roles, and the three dog scenes of "Burglary", "Gangster Fight" and "Escape Rescue" The movie also shows clear lines and sharp edges in dog group scenes.
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The empathy and symbiosis between marginalized people and stray dogs also benefit from the film’s special representation of space and the resulting humanistic meaning. The constraints and freedom of cramped spaces (dog cages, stray dog shelters, abandoned houses converted into human and dog homes, police interrogation rooms); the compensation and illusion of stage spaces (school drama stages, performance bars); imagination The three levels of the paradoxical relationship between sexual spiritual space and material space (streets, suburbs, churches) form a trinity of narrative and meaning carriers. The interview transcript of
asked about the sad and legendary growth path of the male protagonist, and also outlined the tortuous process of how many injuries a boy had to suffer and how many roads he walked to become a man. Moreover, this was a boy without sound legs. , and a man who hides under cross-dressing from time to time.The combination of mystery, legend and sincere persistence of love produces the charming charm of the religious "God's Child", which is similar to the protagonist of Luc Besson's movies "Leon" and "The Fifth Element" Angel A, "Super Body" and so on are of the same origin. This is also the process of Douglas from "human" to "god".
Under the excellent directorship of Luc Besson, the photography, music, character portrayal and animal performances of "Dog God" all reflect a very high level, laying a solid foundation for the realization of this "divinity" . Because it involves stage performances, the two levels of music are also highlighted like a "play within a play". After the contrast between nostalgic old songs such as "Lily Marlene" and "Romantic Life" and the classic music of "The Godfather" and electronic hip-hop Under the influence of music, which Luc Besson considered the "second dialogue" of the film, life and drama on and off the stage are intertwined. The role of photography is even more so: a large number of indoor shots, light and art rely on the sense of crime and thrilling genres to create a dark, beautiful, dirty and tidy environment; sports photography, especially the low camera position that expresses and imitates the perspective of a dog The sports shots are perfect, and the dogs' appearance, running, biting, and cooperation are all amazing. Caleb Landry Jones, who won the Best Actor at Cannes for "Netrom", has played many roles and even "played a robot that came to life" in "Finch", successfully portrayed the male protagonist Douglas. The performances of the dogs are also excellent, and the chemical reaction between humans and dogs in the performance may be felt by the audience beyond the screen.
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What is insulted and damaged is a kind heart and pure love. Where human legs cannot reach, so many four legs in the dog group can reach. They are human wings. Violence is a firewall against violence, understanding and love are flare guns to find companions, and people and dogs become partners with smooth and intimate communication. This is an effective cross-media, cross-culture, and cross-species communication to criticize prejudice, isolation, and self-righteousness. Such a story will eventually present a sense of innocence like a fairy tale, and at the same time a sense of sublimity based on pain. This is the redemption that breaks out of the prison, and is a freer and purer pilgrimage. "Forrest Gump"-like stubbornness and innocence, "Clown"-like singing and resistance, fell into Luc Besson's "Dog God". It is passion, warmth and sadness. It is why "The Man with the Dogs" is called a god. Hidden legends and innocent rituals.
(The author is the Executive Dean of the Shanghai Vancouver Film Academy and the Deputy Dean of the Shanghai Film Academy of Shanghai University)
