"Cape No. 7"-Ten years of time change, what makes the touch still?

"Cape No. 7" is a love movie directed by Taiwanese director Wei Desheng, starring Fan Yichen, Tanaka Chie, and Naka Takasuke. This is also the first feature film directed by Wei Desheng. This film won the 28th Hawaii Film Festival in 2008 The best film in the competition unit, and won many awards at the 45th Golden Horse Film Festival. The box office reached 500 million Taiwan dollars that year, making it the most popular film in Taiwan in 2008. Twelve years later, watching this film again is still full of emotion. The film

uses a double narrative method and uses a postal packet that cannot be addressed as a link. It tells two love stories in two time and space: a teacher repatriated from a defeated country 60 years ago and a Taiwanese girl Tomoko Kojima. A love story; a story about the frustrated young Taiwanese singer Ajia in modern society and the old Japanese female model Yu Zi Xixiang Xi finally together. The seven love letters in the

are an important narrative element in the film, which runs through the film through montage, interspersed with the time and space where Ajia and his friends love each other, creating a wonderful effect of overlapping time and space. The seven letters are full of parting sorrows and longings for their lover. Through the mildly sentimental Japanese narration, the film’s historical weight and lyrical timelessness are increased. More ingeniously, the Taiwanese women 60 years ago and the Japanese women 60 years later are called Tomoko, which adds a more wonderful connection between the two time and space, which makes people can't help feeling and embarrassing those little regrets drowning in time.

Today we will analyze this film from three aspects: creative background, art form, and the concept of love in the overlap of time.

1. Creative background

1. The director’s "ambition"

has many shots showing the beautiful and delicious food of Taiwan, as well as lively and three-dimensional Taiwanese residents, plus different language styles, Hokkien, Hakka , Aboriginal dialects, etc. are interspersed with it, which truly restores the original life of ordinary people in Taiwan. Director Wei Desheng of

said: "I have always felt that Taiwan has a strong vitality. This place in Taiwan lacks a collective consensus. Once this collective consensus is established, the vitality is unimaginable. Taiwan should be Tolerate each other and build a local culture that belongs to the people of Taiwan."

The director’s obsession with Taiwan’s local culture is far more than what "Cape No. 7" can perform. The success of "Cape No. 7" can only be said It gave the director the confidence to complete his dream and affirmed his talent and ideas. Then Director Wei filmed "Sedek Bale", a story adapted from the famous Wushe incident during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, depicting the blood and tears of the local people's struggle against Japanese rule. This epic film won the Golden Horse Award for Best Feature Film in 2011, and Director Wei was also nominated for Best Director at the Golden Horse Award. The success of this film further strengthened Wei Desheng’s "big plan" in his mind— -"Taiwan Trilogy", he is committed to creating an epic masterpiece in Taiwan, a movie that can be seen by future generations and passed down through the ages.

It can be said that Director Wei Desheng is an ambitious person, but his ambition is not out of thin air, but step by step. The success of "Cape No. 7" and "Sedek Bale" It was further confirmed that Director Wei's talent was sufficient to support his ambition.

2, "Cape Seven" is a kind of destiny

Director Wei Desheng was just a short film director before filming "Cape Seven". No one believes that this Taiwanese film that speaks aboriginal languages ​​can be successful, even if it comes out. Others don't understand it. There is no way to make money when relying on the Taiwan market alone. No one wants to invest in movies that don't make money. "Cape No. 7" actor Fan Yichen recalled that at that time, he usually took two days and then took a three-day break, not because the director felt sorry for everyone, but because he had no money. The whole film was filmed and the crew owed tens of millions of foreign debts. Wei Desheng insisted on filming under such questioning and difficult conditions, and he also added all the previous doubts and anger elements to the film. In the last five thousand The box office cost of the movie is nearly 500 million.

Director: "Cape No. 7" seems to be a kind of destiny.

At that time, his condition was very bad. The actors were basically acting for the first time. The heroine Chie Tanaka's development in Japan was hindered, Fan Yichen's career was at the bottom, and everyone's condition was not very good. It is this group of people who have no chance to get ahead and come together to play a frustrated group of people who need opportunities.

"Cape No. 7" is the last straw to save the director. If this film fails, he will leave the circle. He will show all the grievances and anger in the movie, and use the movie to burst out. In the movie, Ajia went from being a failed musician to cheering up and realizing his dream on the stage of the small town. The song "No Music Without Music" he sang on the stage was not a kind of vent and release by the director. It can be said that this movie saved the director and a group of frustrated people.

3. The story of the traditional music event

originated from a concert held in Hengchun. The Chairman of the Republic of China insisted on using the small town’s band as a warm-up singer. Several small town residents who can speak musical instruments spontaneously formed a "marathon". The band "Sang" encountered various difficulties and collisions of viewpoints during the rehearsal. After running in, they finally successfully completed the performance.

Hengchun, an ancient town built in the 13th year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty, is currently the most complete ancient city in Taiwan. This quaint town retains a fairly modern tradition-a rock music festival named "Spring Scream". But in fact, Hengchun is a town dominated by Yueqin, and many Yueqin players have been retained, which created a conflict. However, in the opinion of Director Wei Desheng, Hengchun is a tolerant town, where the old and the new have room for tolerance, and the two can also produce strange sparks. In the

movie, Mao Bo is playing Yueqin and Ajia is playing guitar. In the end, the two perform on the same stage, which blends the old and the new together. Therefore, in addition to music, "Cape No. 7" also tells a story that embraces the old and the new.

2. Art form of expression

1, scene blending

film playwright Xie Fengsong: "The artistic conception is the soul of the movie." The formation of the artistic conception starts from the "situational blending". The so-called Wang Fuzhi: "The scene is the scene of the scene, the scene of the lover The emotion is also." Emotion is not pure emotion, nor is the scene isolated. The scene incorporates the author’s rich emotions. The author’s expression of subjective emotion implies an objective scene. The scene achieves harmony and unity, which adds to the aesthetics of the film. effect.

①Empty lens

In movie language, the empty lens is often "explanatory, suggestive, symbolic, metaphorical, etc.".

In "Cape No. 7", we see the rising sun, the gorgeous rainbow, the blue coastline, and lush vegetation through the empty lens. These images not only depict the charming scenery unique to Hengchun, but also reflect the strong The rural atmosphere of Tainan, but at the same time, it also exaggerates the melancholy parting of the protagonist, which shows the protagonist’s emotional experience.

②Vision or panorama

A Japanese teacher 60 years ago wrote seven affectionate love letters on his way home. In the film, the narration was inserted and the montage was used in the film.

We can't see the front face of the Japanese teacher. The whole film shows him a distant view or a panoramic view. He is either standing on the deck of his hometown, looking sadly at the sea, or burying his head in the vast night. Write down your confession, or leave alone in the bleak autumn wind with your suitcase, leaving only a lonely and sad back. This approach of

deliberately opens up the distance between the protagonist and the audience, and gives the audience more thoughts.The image space allows the audience to pull out, which makes it more empathetic and easier to be moved.

2, music form and meaning

The background music in the movie is very distinctive, which not only highlights the atmosphere, but also adds a lot of color to the plot. For example, when a Japanese teacher reads love poems as a narration, the classical music played on the piano is full of a touch of sadness, which makes people unconsciously fall into remembrance of past feelings.

At the concert, Ajia's first song "No Music Without Music", is a rock style song, rough and unrestrained, mixed with cathartic pleasure; the second song "South of the Border", calm and sad, representing Ajia After experiencing the vicissitudes and frustrations, I have a new perception of life emotions; the third song is "Wild Rose", which was sung with Takasuke Naka. Because of the accompaniment of Yueqin by Mao Bo, there is an extra time of precipitation.

Different styles of music are loaded with different emotions, which have played a icing on the cake.

3, metaphor

①Rainbow

The first rainbow

The sixth seal of the Japanese teacher wrote: "My friend, I left my album in Taiwan for you. I sent it to your mother. But I stole it. One. It’s the one where you are playing in the water on the beach. The sea in the photo is neither wind nor rain. In the photo, you smile like you are in heaven. No matter who your future belongs to, no one is worthy of you. I thought I could pack my good memories properly, but in the end I found that all I could take away was nothingness. I really miss you. , rainbow! I hope the two ends of the rainbow are enough to cross the ocean and connect me and you The rainbow in the "." letter can be seen as a bridge for Japanese teachers to connect the hearts of their friends, and they have good wishes for the rainbow to connect lovers at both ends.

In the second rainbow

, Ajia, as a postman, did not deliver the letters seriously and also privately opened these letters from the Japanese teachers. This made Mao very angry. Later, he and Ajia looked for the owner of the letter together, when Ajia was riding a motorcycle belt. Walking along the road by the sea with Mao Bo, there is a beautiful rainbow over the sea, which symbolizes a kind of hope that the owner of the letter may be found.

The third rainbow

When the Japanese girl friend went to the airport to pick up the Japanese singer Kosuke, the sky was raining heavily. Because Ajia was immersed in melancholy, the Japanese singer told his friends not to be so melancholy. He said to his friends: Rainbow?” On the day of the performance, the sky was clear, and rainbows appeared on the horizon. The rainbow here foretells the success of the performance, on the other hand that the new owner will be found, and also indicates that Ajia and Yuzi’s beautiful love blossoms. result.

②"Marasan"

Marasang is a kind of rice wine promoted by salesmen who play bass, and later it was used as the name of the band. Rice wine has a long aftertaste of sweetness, which represents a kind of harmonious element. In fact, it is a metaphor that the band has successfully run in. The integration of traditional and modern culture will bring a new experience.

Third, time and space overlap, love is the eternal theme

1, "I love you, but I can only give up"

The second love letter: Friends, please forgive me, a cowardly man, who never dared to admit our love. ...I am a citizen of a defeated country, and the pride of the nobles instantly degenerates into the shackles of prisoners. I am just a poor teacher, why should I bear the sins of a nation? The fate of the times is the sin of the times, I am just a poor teacher. I love you, but must give up on you .

A Japanese male teacher fell in love with a Taiwanese girl friend, but the two who fell in love had to be separated because of the war. Across the endless sea, only endless thoughts are left. The love of Japanese male teachers and friends cannot be more. It is regret, it is the sin of the times. But this beautiful love is even more commendable because of regret, full of incomplete beauty.

2, Stay, or I will go with you

Ajia and a Japanese girl friend love each other more like two lonely hearts cuddling each other to keep warm, one is a depressed singer, one is a depressed female model, and two weak and frustrated Because loneliness had a chemical reaction, they were close to each other but didn't dare to say it. It wasn't until the heroine of the poignant love story 60 years ago that Ajia realized that cherishing the people around her was the right choice.

When Ajia rushed to hug her friend and said "Stay or I will go with you", I felt that it was the most beautiful love word in the world.

Ajia's bravery is in sharp contrast to the departure of the Japanese teacher. Perhaps this movie wants to tell us that if two people who are in love really love each other, they should bravely choose to be together.

3, the love of little people

Japanese male teachers and friends, Aka and Japanese girl friends love very beautiful, but the results are different, but each has its own charm. The water frog, the drummer in

, usually makes money by repairing motorcycles. He fell in love with the boss's wife who was still alive. Although it was impossible to be together, he still waited for this vague love without regret.

guitarist Rauma is a member of the Thunder Team of the Taipei Special Police Organization. He has been with risk day and night, and his wife left him for this reason. He became an ordinary traffic policeman after returning home from injury. He pinned his thoughts about his wife in the beads of tears, hanging around his neck every day. A Jia's mother is over sixty years old. After experiencing the pain and joy of life, she pursues happiness again and bravely takes the hand of her lover. Although the love of these little people is ordinary, it is very sincere. The different colors of love resonate with more audiences.

"Cape No. 7" does not have a huge star lineup, no huge investment and a prominent director, but it has created miracles in the pursuit of simplicity and truth-seeking, and it is worth learning and learning from filmmakers.