The film "Baby Bao" directed by Chinese female director Shi Zhiyu recently won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. It follows the consistent style of Disney Princess and Pixar Animation Studios - love and responsibility. It tells the story of a Chinese woman who gave life to the bun when she made the bun, brought joy to the elderly mother who suffered from the suffering of empty nesters, and made her understand that the child will eventually grow up. The film conveys the idea that parents should give their children more space, and children should give more care to their parents. The characteristic Chinese style in the short film, the free use of light and shadow effects, and the Chinese style music with the ups and downs of the plot are all the characteristics of the film.
A character analysis
The mother of Baozi in the film is referred to as "Mama Bao". Her style is a typical Chinese aunt style clothing, floral top, sun hat, black slacks, and a necessary vegetable basket for shopping... These clothes fully show that she is an elderly housewife. Her movements are also lively and in line with the character's image. When playing Tai Chi in the square, she is leisurely and natural. When shopping for food, she picks them out one by one. She is skilled in making steamed buns. She wants to use delicious food to please Bao Bao Bao to end the conflict between them. These actions seem to be actions that may occur at any time in the family around us, and the picture is fully unfolded in front of us. Mother Bao's character and emotions are also vividly portrayed in details. At first, when her husband was working at home, the corners of her mouth were down, and her eyes were full of frustration; when she first discovered Bao Baobao, her eyes widened and she was full of surprise; Anger and sadness; when her son really came back, she got up and rubbed her eyes, but she didn't look at her in anger... This series of emotional changes and ups and downs depicts the character of Bao's mother: a traditional older housewife who puts the focus of life on her son , I do not know how to express and difficult to release love.
Bao Baobao, in the image of a cute steamed bun, has cute and ignorant eyes when he was born, and when he continues to grow and grows a whisker, he wears glasses. The rebellious period that adolescence must go through and the process of Bao mother's real child are very real. And his "bun" appearance also shows that in the eyes of Bao's mother, he will always be a child who is easily injured and does not grow up. It is also this image of him in Bao's heart that makes Bao's mother care and control him too much, fearing that he will be hurt. Bao Baobao's character wants to grow up gradually. Children are constantly changing, ignorant at first, curious and eager to try in childhood, rebellious in adolescence, and choices after maturity.
2. Music sound
There is no dialogue in the whole film, but it is more subtle, and I have different feelings when I understand the expression of the film.
The Chinese-style soundtrack of the whole film runs through it, changing with the development of the plot. The Chinese-style soundtrack, before the picture appears in the title, the music starts first, and the Chinese-style guzheng plays the strings, explaining that the place where the story takes place is in a place full of Chinese elements, and at the same time, it also arouses the infinite curiosity and reverie of the audience. When Bao Bao left home, the music changed from warm and moving to low and sad, thus expressing Bao's mother's heart. The loud closing sound of the door when Bao Bao and Bao Bao quarreled, these small details further accentuate the atmosphere of the film.
3. Light and color
The whole movie is mostly warm tones, the warm orange lights of Bao's house, and the bright colors when Bao's mother and Bao's baby get along, all cast warmth and sweetness to the whole drama. However, the changes in color and light and shadow in the details are even more prominent. When Bao's mother cooks a lot of meals for Bao's baby but can only eat it by herself, the TV emits a bright light, and Bao's whole body is shrouded in darkness. Mother's loneliness is unbearable. When Bao's mother ate the buns and covered her head and cried, the warm orange light slowly changed and gathered on her body, the surroundings darkened, and behind it was a dark doorway. This picture added a certain sense of depth and highlighted Bao's mother. The confusion and helplessness made people choked up. Another highlight of the film is the use of shadows. When the real son comes back, there is a shadow of the son's body on the wall, which shows a sense of mystery and makes people look forward to it, and can also feel the mood of Bao's mother at this time, which is a clever turning point.
4. Lens
The film begins with a close-up shot, a pair of plump and dexterous hands kneading dough, rolling skin, adjusting stuffing, and wrapping buns. The series of pictures in this set of shots can not help but cause the viewers to question and intrigue, and it is also in line with the film telling us that the story develops from these buns.
There is also a set of out-of-focus subjective shots, which is a confused picture when Bao's mother looks at the real son. The genius of this picture is that it not only depicts the tearful mother Bao who can't see things clearly after crying, but also makes people feel that it is a picture of mother Bao's thoughts turning into a dazzling fantasy. Arousing questions and incomprehensions of the audience, let us germinate the eagerness to explore quickly.
Throughout the whole film, the Chinese style is fully integrated. The details and the emotion in it are so moving. The mother devotes herself to and cares for the child wholeheartedly, and the sadness and entanglement that the mother cannot let go of when the child grows up, the emotions contained here make people tangled and pondered. Fortunately, the mother let go in the end, and the child returned home happily. This all indicates that the child will eventually grow up and give the child more space; the child will give more love and care to the parents. In this way, we can wrap up the warmth and happiness.
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