Salvation Narration, Enlightenment Consciousness and the Century Leap of Chinese Film
◎Li Daoxin
After a series of ups and downs, the much-watched "Eight Hundred" was finally released, which also activated the long-silent Chinese film market. The rising box office has not only brought dawn and confidence to the industry, but also attracted more people's attention to this tragic heroic story that happened 83 years ago and its unique way of telling it. This may not be a particularly tear-jerking film, but it is a good work worth pondering and discussing.
With the audio-visual quality that is as close to the historical background as possible, facing the cruelty of this special war and the authentic experience of individual life, in the multi-faceted narrative of salvation and the enlightenment consciousness of cold criticism, "Yu Bai" will give up life and take righteousness. Feelings are connected with the national sadness that lives toward death: it is not easy to affirm the meaning of living by sacrifice, and it is not easy to witness peace by war.
At the same time, the painful memories of history are awakened through the blood and blood of gunfire. In the desolate poetic nature of the white horses and the eager greet of countless people, it heals the huge wounds that have accumulated over the years of individuals and nationalities, and has also arrived in China. The ideological depth and emotional intensity that movies should have at the moment have undertaken the grand mission of domestic films to shape the national spirit and national image, and to a certain extent completed the century leap of Chinese films.
"Eight Bai" disappeared
Monolithic grand narrative
I have to say that after ten years of thinking and polishing, Guan Hu has already understood very well what the movie he wants; in other words, as one of the film directors in this generation who still has a strong desire to express himself, Guan Hu also knows exactly what he wants. What kind of film author do you want to be. Despite the label of self-identification of the sixth generation, the creation of this generation was once attributed to the marginal discourse alienated from the grand narrative. The non-mainstream film festival myths also lead the authorship of this generation of filmmakers to an independent production system outside the film industry and its box office indicators. It is difficult to get what it deserves in the process of film industrialization in the new century. Image and voice.
However, Guan Hu, his crew and the producer of the film believe that "Eight Hundred" will be a film of transcendence: beyond the sixth generation label, beyond Guanhu's authorship, and similarly, beyond war movies Comparing with the genre expectations and commercial appeals of mainstream blockbuster films, it is expected to become a well-anticipated audio-visual masterpiece. Throughout the whole film, the transcendence of this rare film paradigm and its historical value is indeed a fact.
It is true that this transcendence is comprehensive. However, as a war movie based on historical facts, the uniqueness of "Eight Hundred" is still the individuality of the creative subject that insists on authorship, that is, director Guan Hu. In other words, in the face of the "eight hundred warriors" narrative of salvation that appeals to the righteousness of the family and the country, Guan Hu did not fall into common war films such as "Blood Battle of Taierzhuang" (1986, directed by Yang Guangyuan and Zhai Junjie) and "Blood on the Bound" ( 2010, directed by Shen Dong) or previous movies of the same theme, such as "Eight Hundred Heroes" (1938, directed by Ying Yunwei) and "Eight Hundred Heroes" (1975, directed by Ding Shanxi), etc., which are heroic biography and endorsements of the nation. "The routine is to fully respect one's own historical concepts, national sentiments, and experience of war, and focus the lens and perspective mainly on the lowest level or even the most marginal individuals themselves as individuals and individualities. Especially with a family of three old gourds in a rural area of Hubei, the Dragon Boat Festival and "Little Hubei" as the main clues, the four rows of warehouses and various people on the other side of the Suzhou River are scattered in series. This gave birth to a multi-faceted narrative of salvation. In the process of interweaving and presenting the complexity, diversity or even contradiction of history and human nature, it has unprecedentedly expanded the depth and breadth of the salvation narrative of Chinese films. In the in-depth reflection on war and human nature, the classic works in the history of world film such as "The Thin Red Line" (1998, directed by Terrence Malick) and "Dunkirk" (2017, Christopher Nolan) Director) and other tribute; in addition, to a large extent, it also cleverly avoided or even eliminated the "authoritative" interpretation of specific history, opening a path for the acceptance and recognition of most audience groups.
It is worth noting that although the two editions of "Eight Hundred Heroes" produced by the Chinese Film Studio (Hankou) during the cooperation period between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party (Hankou) and the Central Film Corporation (Taipei) during the Cold War period, although there are many differences in details, About the same narrative strategy based on the heroic command of regiment deputy Xie Jinyuan and the touching story of the Girl Scout Yang Huimin crossing the river and offering flags as the main clues, its party ideology based on national identity is obvious.
The "grand" narrative that Guan Hu first needs to transcend lies in this relatively fixed and rigid single "salvation" motive. It can also be understood that when Xie Jinyuan appeared inadvertently for the first time in "Eight Hundreds", it did not attract much attention from the audience, and the story of the film has already unfolded nearly one-sixth. Obviously, Xie Jinyuan is no longer the only male protagonist emphasized in "The Eight Hundred"; similarly, Yang Huimin's passage of crossing the river to present the flag has not been too much foreshadowing; on the contrary, as a female, her body is still covered by four lines. The multiple visions and inner desires of the men in the warehouse are eroticized, and their spiritual sacredness is also largely "disenchanted", just like the close-up of the banner, as a taboo once grand and touching ideology, always Did not appear on the screen.
Dispelling the rigid and single grand narrative, the salvation motives of "Eight Hundred" can freely appear on both sides of the Suzhou River, and among all kinds of people, ancient and modern, and all living beings. It can even cross the truth and fiction, realism and freehand brushwork. The barriers of the world wander freely between reality and absurdity, records and symbols, approaching the soul. It is precisely because of this that the searchlight and the four-row warehouse under the spotlight, riding a white horse to stand up to the "Caoying" "Zhao Yun" (Dragon Boat Festival), can this battle, which is doomed to retreat, be fixed as the Chinese nation's woes. The historical tragedy of China; and the national spirit of humble individuals living to death, sublimated into the vision of the future.
Give up the compassionate perspective of "rat generation"
If salvation is the narrative motivation shared by almost all domestic war movies, then enlightenment is the most individual inner consciousness of "Yu Bai". Although in a general understanding, salvation can also be regarded as an enlightenment that calls for the main body of the country and strengthens the cohesion of the nation, the cold and critical enlightenment consciousness also needs to torture war in the exposure of human nature and reflection on national nature. Essence, human meaning and human legitimacy.
In the conversation with Jia Leilei, Guan Hu talked about the reason why the first shot of "Yabai" (a mouse crawling out of the hole and then retracting into the hole) "must be like this" and "definitely cannot be replaced" . In his opinion, "people" are the most important factor in the film, so don't rush to tell stories. Thanks to his attempts in "Bullfighting" (2009) and "Killing" (2012), as well as the influence of "The Thin Red Line" and its first shot (a crocodile swimming in the water), Guan Hu In the process of focusing on "people", we tend to associate "people" with "beasts" and "humanity" with "beasts". According to Guanhu’s explanation, compared to animals of the same genus, rats may live longer, and their attributes are inherently prosperous and avoid disadvantages. They will hide farther away from everything. This is also some "national character". One point that cannot be ignored; when we Chinese humiliate a person, the ancients often said that this person is a "rat generation", but when the nation is in danger, we really cannot be a "rat generation".
It can be seen that the short-sightedness of the "rats" and the pursuit of advantages and avoidance of disadvantages are precisely the object of Guanhu's calm thinking and severe criticism. This kind of grim criticism of inferiority, of course, takes Lu Xun as the most important spiritual source, but in the narrative of national salvation after the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, and even in the revolutionary narrative and development narrative of the Cold War and the post-Cold War period, this kind of national character Criticism and enlightenment are becoming thinner and rarer in movies.
The particularity of the theme of "Eight Hundreds", especially the tragic experience of the "Eight Hundred Heroes" after retreating from the Four-Line Warehouse as shown in the historical literature warehouse, provides an excellent opportunity for Guan Hu to reflect on the national character. The embarrassing situation of the heroes after the retreat, as well as a large number of historical facts about Xie Jinyuan being killed by his subordinates, although not in the "Yai Bai", but they are always affecting the narrative structure, character creation and emotional trend of "Yai Bai" all the time.
In fact, the people of all colors and all living beings connected with the "Little Hubei" family as the main clues were all "rats" at the beginning. Because the rats were short-sighted, and because they were greedy for life and fear of death, seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages, they were just passively involved in wars that they did not want to participate in. In the Four Lines Warehouse, he suffered the horror and fear of death, or he showed a carefree heart that has nothing to do with him on the other bank of the Suzhou River. What Guan Hu hopes to capture and focus on is the "best nature" under this "human nature"; at this point, it also truly makes the audience "sorrow for their misfortunes and anger their main characters". However, it is worth noting that the film does not adopt a high-level and compassionate perspective like most war films, nor does it guide the audience’s cheap sympathy. Instead, it adopts a head-up vision and a calm attitude, step by step. Pay attention to how these humble individuals gradually get rid of the "rat nature" and acquire "human nature", and finally become heroes, exuding the glory of "human nature".
In this way, "Eight Hundreds" can surpass ordinary war movies and implant a kind of cold and critical enlightenment into the narrative of salvation very effectively. For a heavy industry film with an investment of 550 million yuan, a vast setting project and the title of "the first full-course IMAX camera shooting in Asia", "Eight Hundred" is already unique in its personal exploration and individual characteristics, and it is no longer critical. Go further in terms of enlightenment consciousness. After all, the darkness of politics, the cruelty of war, the animality of humans, and the void of life and death, although closer to the truth of history itself, exceed the limit, and the audience under the screen will feel intense discomfort.
Therefore, the last shot of the film, from the battered four-row warehouse to the preserved old warehouse site, and then over the surrounding high-rise buildings, overlooking the prosperous international metropolis symbolized by Shanghai today, was imaginatively completed on the screen. The critical enlightenment task can be described as an excellent bridge between humanity and animality, war and peace, and also found a balance between the director's authorship and the audience's nationalistic complex.
Regarding "Salvation" and "Enlightenment", "Yaobai" can do better
On the one hand, respecting his own feelings, on the other hand, emphasizing the ability of the film to dialogue with the audience in the air, and the vitality of classic films that transcend time and space. Guan Hu started from the non-mainstream personality demands of his generation and passed " "Yaobai" began to move towards a more "grand" national vision and transnational narrative. It was also through "Eight Hundreds" that the major propositions about salvation and enlightenment that have lingered in modern China and Chinese film history began to be juxtaposed again, completing the century leap of Chinese film.
It is true that with regard to "saving the nation" and "enlightenment", a major proposition that has not yet been completed in the Chinese ideological, cultural and social context, "Eight Hundreds" can still do better. In fact, the contrast of light and shadow between "heaven" and "hell" on both sides of the Suzhou River, as well as the mutual mapping between the stage and the spectators, provide an excellent expression platform for the salvation narrative and enlightenment consciousness of "Yai Hundred"; but any Chinese Both Chinese filmmakers and Chinese filmmakers need to remember: as early as the first Opium War, when the British fleet broke through the Humen Fortress and went north along the river, the tens of thousands of Chinese people gathered on the river bank were equally calm as if watching a show Has nothing to do with the drama.