Chapter 24 The Wounds of History: City of Sadness, 1989

The Wounds of History: City of Sadness, 1989 I used to talk a lot when watching movies, but after watching the movie, I still talk a lot, and I just express emotion without thinking about it.After reading several works of Hou Hsiao-hsien, especially "A City of Sadness", I learned to be silent, and there is only silence. This state of mind has not come out for several days.Hou Hsiao-hsien's lens is always placed beside the scarlet door curtain, outside the mottled window rails, or behind one or two blurred figures, no matter how calm or agitated the people inside are, he remains calm and close; The panorama in the distance - let us vaguely see the human figure shaking, running, chasing and killing, but when there are shouts and gunshots in the distance, he is looking at the mountains, clouds, and the sea. ——Hou Hsiao-hsien is a spectator of personal life and history, and then contemplates, meditates, and sings a "City of Sadness".And we are the spectators of this movie, we can be regarded as the spectators of the movie.

Everyone likes to talk about how Hou Hsiao-hsien uses fixed camera positions, long shots, large panoramas, dislocation of sound and picture, subtitles, lighting... But for me—a bystander, fixed camera positions, long shots, large panoramas, dislocation of sound and picture , subtitles, lighting, none of these have anything to do with me.I just love the simple, calm shots and the occasional music.The so-called: the shape of an elephant is rare, and the sound of a big sound is rare.If we say admiration, the admiration for his artistic conscience, courage, heart, and poetic sentiment surpasses all his techniques, forms and techniques.

Still have to mention a few games. The first half: Teachers Kuan Rong and Lin are talking about state affairs, while Wen Qing and Kuan Mei are listening to music in a corner, talking about the past, and loving each other. There are no vows, no emotional hugs, but they clearly agree with each other from the heart; Part: When the news of Kuan Rong's death came, Wen Qing sat blankly, while Kuan Mei fed the child, did not cry bitterly, did not break the bowl by mistake, but was clearly distraught.All the happiest and most painful things flow through life so quietly and gently.And the deepest imprint in life is not a personal matter, but a scar burned by history and politics.Even people like Wenqing and Kuanmei, who are gentle, honest, and aloof from the world, are not immune. When the storm comes, every ordinary person cannot be immune.

Wenqing was imprisoned for the first time, the prison guard called two inmates to start the court, Wenqing sat under the iron window in a daze, two gunshots came from outside the screen, and then the prison guard called "Lin Wenqing to start the court" - so thrilling, I didn't want to see everything in the camera, but saw Master Alu's family is eating; another cut, Wen Qing is already sitting by the wall at home—this scene is simply amazing.I feel more and more that in the turbulent waves of political movements, ordinary people are so small, their fate is like duckweed, not to mention where they will go, even life and death are completely unpredictable.From this point of view, Wen Qing's final life and death are uncertain, and we can only sigh.

The eldest brother Wenxiong died in the battle, and in an instant there was the lively wedding of the fourth son Wenqing, and in an instant Kuanmei was pregnant-the joys and sorrows of a family (or a nation), life and death are self-evident.In the last scene, Master Alu’s family is still eating, the father, wife, and children are still there, but Wenxiong is dead, Wenliang is crazy, and Wenqing is not alive after being imprisoned... However, life continues, what can you sayWho can you tell? It has been a long time, and the scene after scene has gradually faded out of my mind, and it is hard to forget that there are only a few empty shots of valleys, harbors, sailboats, and masts that are either bright or dark.The soot-filled Keelung Port in the rain and fog looks like a wound that has been hit by history and cannot heal.