To the "children" who have passed the coming-of-age ceremony

Alycia 2022-09-06 13:01:05

After watching "Trolley Maniac", I can't say that I have a complete understanding of what the film is trying to express, because there are so many story lines in the film, it is difficult to have the patience to sort them out one by one, but you can still see some deep-seated things from the general storyline of the film. During the viewing process, I naturally thought of what films like "Duel in a Quiet Night", "Wild Dogs", "Lower Levels", "Heaven and Hell" and other films want to express, that is, people's choices at critical moments.
In "Wild Dog", it is also a soldier whose luggage was stolen after being discharged from the army. Some people choose to take the road of robbery, while others choose to become a policeman.
Similarly, when faced with a difficult or even difficult life, some people choose to work hard and use their only capital, that is, "blood and sweat" to gain a foothold in life. Some people choose to sink and suffer day by day, so disheartened about life that they no longer do any seemingly "struggling" behavior, and spend the rest of their lives in their own fantasies and complaints.
When we discuss that people should encourage themselves in the face of difficult life and strive for a better life, it seems a little impersonal and unfair to these people. For those who were born with the label of hardship, why should rich children be born with jade in their mouths, and when they first began to be sensible, the first thing they understood was how to prepare for the next meal worry. Yeah, how unfair and ruthless society is.
So born into a poor family, you can only feel sorry for yourself and feel disheartened?
This is what Kurosawa Akira wants to express, and it is also the issue that he and his friend "Zhicao" once argued about. Just as the only warm old man in the film commented when he was refused to help the beggar's son: "they are weak". Zhicao often pretends to be weak, and blames Akira Kurosawa that he is a strong man in life, and does not understand the sadness and helplessness of the weak life. Akira Kurosawa insisted that no one is absolutely strong in the face of life, but people can choose to be defeated by life, or they can choose to face life bravely. , those who fought to the end.
Frustration and downfall are the atmosphere of "Trolley Mania" from beginning to end, spreading the atmosphere of a loser. Hemingway Quote: A man can be beaten, but not defeated. This is a group of people who may be beaten from birth. Faced with the downfall of life, the elderly beggar could not bear to let his young children go out "begging", while he was immersed in fantasy all day long. Facing his father's self-talk, the son did not dare to fall down, for fear of destroying his father's fantasy. This scene is like a tram-mad mother hurriedly wiping off the graffiti insulting her son on the wall, because he is afraid that his son will see it and that he will destroy his fantasy. Behind every escapist who survives, there is always a hard-working person who bears the responsibility and the price for your escape, silently guards you, is your only strong backing, and listens to your crazy words. Even so, the beggar's son has to face his father's daily comments on the food he has worked so hard to beg for, just as a girl's uncle complains that the fish is really bad while enjoying the wine and meat that his niece works all day and night. , and the niece herself was rated as inferior to animals, she was simply a "plant".
Take the father and son of beggars as an example to see how we escape from reality step by step and harm others and ourselves step by step.
When he saw his son's food poisoning, the weak's self-esteem made him refuse the help of the old man. This was the first time he escaped after his son was sick: to escape the reality that his son was sick and needed help; in order not to beg, comforting his son was more comforting to himself. "If you don't eat, you will get better." Faced with his son saying that he would be able to walk and beg soon, the father hurriedly explained that this was not for his son to beg, and he would beg if needed. This is the second time to escape: to avoid being unwilling to beg; after a long time, when I felt too hungry, I decided to go out begging. But what did he get back? Take a closer look, everyone, using a bowl of water instead of "clear stewed broth" deceived his son for the last time and escaped reality. The third escape: once again escaped without the courage to beg. But this is also the last time to deceive myself and deceive my son. The little beggar died of long-term illness and starvation. Seeing his son's death, he was so frightened that he hurried to the old man's house and stared at his son, daring not to say a word. This is the fourth escape: escape or dare not face the death of my son. At this point, the audience probably hates him.
It was a series of escapes in life that made him addicted to fantasy in life, and finally killed his son.
In life, most people will be forced to find food before starving to death, and this beggar father, escaping the fact that he is a beggar, fantasizes all day long that he has a big house, and still boils water to deceive himself when he is about to starve to death. the stomach, escape to the point of death. There was news that a young man was starved to death in his room, and it was nothing more than that. How many people in life are giants of language (fantasy), dwarfs of action? Let's make up your own mind about the next life of this beggar's father.
Only when a person truly learns to face life and take responsibility can he be said to be an adult. Among beggar fathers and sons, the father acts more like a son, while the little beggar is more like a father, enduring and comforting his father's words and deeds, feeding him, and treating his father like his own son. This kind of dislocation of roles is even more embarrassing, making the tragedy even more bleak.

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Extended Reading

Dodes'ka-den quotes

  • Yukichi Shima: [speaking to his three guests] Let me ask you a question. Have you ever found a way to get rice from a rice store? I don't mean borrowing, I mean taking it right in front of their eyes.

    Yukichi Shima: [continues] You take a big pot and get it all wet on the inside, and have it filled at the rice store. Try to get it on credit and they'll refuse. You throw the rice out, but the pot is wet. So some rice remains stuck to the sides. If you repeat that three times, you'll get enough for a meal. Eh? Great, isn't it?

  • Taro Sawagami: Father...

    Ryotaro Sawagami: What is it?

    Taro Sawagami: Is it true we aren't your children?

    Ryotaro Sawagami: Think for yourself. Do you think you aren't? I know every one of you is mine. So, you're all dear to me. But if you don't love me, and if you don't think I'm your dad, then I am not. Right?

    Taro Sawagami: But people have always said that we aren't your kids, that our fathers are all different. And they didn't just tell me, but also Jiro, Hanako and Shiro.

    Ryotaro Sawagami: People say what they want. You can't stop them from saying all kinds of things. Right? No one can really tell whose child is whose. If you believe someone is your dad, then you are his son. If someone says you aren't my kids, then you ask him about his own father. I'll bet he can't answer. After all, it's either you believe me, or you believe the others.

    Ryotaro Sawagami: [looks at the kids] Who do you believe?

    Taro Sawagami: You, father.

    [all the kids raise their hands and shout in agreement]