"The Name Engraved in Your Heart" has always been on my to watch list since it was released in Taiwan, the theme song was covered by many singers, and then it was launched on Netflix. According to the plan, I watched the movie in the last few hours of 2020, and then, as in previous years, New Year's Eve in my sleep, thinking of drawing a quiet and meaningful ending for 2020, but what I didn't expect was that after watching the movie, Actually fell asleep.
The reason for insomnia is not because of how touched the movie is, but because of the doubts and regrets about the content of the movie itself after watching the movie. In 2021, taking advantage of the long weekend, I watched it again and completed this film review.
The stories of gay youth movies mostly begin with a person who accidentally opens his heart, struggling and pulling in the middle of friendship and love, completing self-recognition and acceptance, and finally suddenly enlightened or destroyed in darkness. "The Name Engraved in Your Heart" is a story that is not new to be completed in the context of the recent lifting of the martial law in Taiwan. In fact, if the story can be told step by step according to this simple outline, although it cannot become a classic, it will eventually Still a good movie. It's a pity that the movie leaves the audience lost and messy in the chaotic blank space and redundant depiction.
The best part of the movie is the first 30 minutes, the acquaintance of the two male protagonists and the process of secret love, which is the traditional "accidental opening of the heart" part. The family background, personal character, campus life, and the shackles of the times, the first male protagonist Jiahan knew and even fell in love with Birdy. In the campus scenes of the swimming pool, the orchestra, the dormitory, and the bathroom, he and the two traveled to Taipei, In the family life of the family, they are shown one by one. Jia Han and Birdy, one hesitant and ignorant, the other brave and resolute, fell in love in an era when the same sex was not allowed to fall in love. At this point in the story, what most viewers can feel is the so-called sweetness, a look at each other, a snuggle, a smile, yes, this is love; the second is the worry about the arrival of the crisis, the times do not allow two people to love each other , is the family brave enough to face and accept such a self? It is logical to go to the second part, self-recognition and acceptance, among which there may be Birdy's affection, sexual stimulation, and external pressure and interference.
In the first 30 minutes, there was still a big problem, that is, where did the relationship between Jia Han and Birdy have progressed. The relationship between two people swings between friendship and love. The moment of confirmation is the most touching. For the love between the same sex, there is a danger that will make the relationship between the two irreversible, and enough courage to accept a different self. , is the first key node of a similar story, because if it's just ambiguous, you don't have to face the pressure of the outside world and the tearing of your inner self. At this point in the movie, there is no direct hand-holding, kissing or confession to confirm the relationship. I believe everyone will think that the window paper has not yet had the time to pierce it. However, in Taipei, Birdy said, "Anyway, I can't have a baby with you", and when Jiahan's mother saw the two sleeping intimately, Jiahan left his roommate and walked with Birdy firmly in the new semester. Individuals are already together. But on the other hand, the screening room secretly tried to kiss Birdy on the mouth, and the family member's wet dream also seemed to indicate that they were still just good friends? After reading the follow-up stories, we know that the two of them are more than friends here, so some of the too ambiguous plots in the front are over.
Thirty minutes later, the film begins to fall apart. The appearance of Banban is not unexpected. In the same-sex romance film, the appearance of the tool person of the opposite sex pushes the protagonist to know himself and face his feelings from another perspective. But Banban's ambiguous object turned out to be Birdy. In the first 30 minutes, Birdy showed rebelliousness, firmness, and difference. In the relationship between the two, it was more of the firm side and the pusher side. Even Jiahan's roommate said directly. He is gay and keeps his family away from him, so how could such a Birdy suddenly start an affair with his junior girl? Many people say that the sexual orientation is fluid, or that Birdy is bisexual and uninhibited, which is not bad. There is no doubt that if this is the case, Birdy has become a scumbag, and his relationship with his family has reached the peak of ambiguousness. At that time, suddenly looking back, like he jumped from the second floor, he jumped into the arms of the opposite sex. After that, showing affection in front of Jiahan, borrowing Jiahan's car to take Banban out, introducing her girlfriend to Jiahan, and asking Jiahan to help steal balloons, which is really incomprehensible.
At the end of the film, we know that these are all intentional by Birdy, the purpose is to make the family back into a "normal person", not to fall into a relationship with himself that has no future. However, there is not enough foreshadowing in the play and insufficient hints. Either, Birdy is a scumbag, straight, and it's okay to be ambiguous in front of him, but don't overdo it; or, Birdy loves the homeboy as much, but just hopes that the homeboy will not be in danger, no longer have hope for himself, but give enough foreshadowing hint. No matter which of the two, it can promote the growth of the family and self-awareness. However, Birdy in the movie is constantly splitting personality, running back and forth between the two.
Then, Jiahan invited the opening cemetery girl out to row a boat, as well as the scene of the old man in the gay park. On the one hand, like many stories, there is confusion about one's own sexuality, denial, and then having to accept it. However, because Banban's ambiguous role was given to Birdy, Jiahan's confusion was not prominent. Even here, under Birdy's comparison, Jiahan's understanding of himself became firmer and clearer. On the other hand, it was also Kahan's desire to get rid of Birdy. Gays like straight men/straight women, that kind of painful feeling is still well expressed here. The dialogue with the priest is interspersed in the middle, which is to express the theme of the film, "What is the difference between my love and yours, Do you love a little more, do I love a little less?” At this point, Birdy, the steadfast weirdo, has become the one who has returned to the mainstream, and the obedient homeboy has become the comrade with clear self-emotions. If Banban's ambiguous object is Jiahan, then Jiahan's firmness will be more convincing. And Birdy's changes make people feel that there is no trace, and they are confused.
The bathroom scene is Birdy's true response to the family's feelings. Birdy said three sorry: I'm sorry, I made you like me, and I like you; I'm sorry, what happened to me and Banban hurt you; I'm sorry, I can't be with you. This is my understanding of these three being sorry after watching the whole film, but when I watched it for the first time, Birdy's kiss back made me think he was a scumbag, as if he was going to hang his family, Birdy's sorry, let me Feeling inexplicable, do you want to accept the feelings of a family member? Once again, Birdy jumps between straight scumbags and Aijiahan. And Jiahan is also a little confused about his series of behaviors. Do you like me or not, and do you want to be with me? And after experiencing a series of self-doubt and self-identification, shouldn’t the family ask for a clearer question? In the end, the two embraced each other, does it mean that both of them understand each other's feelings? I thought that after the bathroom scene, no matter what the two sides had in mind, it should be made clear. Then, is there any difference between the family's intentional approach and Birdy's intentional estrangement and the relationship between the two before the bathroom scene? In addition, this scene, arranged in the school's public bathroom, is very unreasonable, all kinds of voices, all kinds of dialogue, it is obviously better to arrange it in Birdy's or the family's house.
If you can still watch the first hour, then the remaining 30 minutes, the direction of the movie is beyond my comprehension. Birdy was beaten by his father because of the balloon incident, why did the family rush up and say that he did it by himself? Why did Birdy go to Jiahan's house again, and after a series of exciting conversations, forced Jiahan to come out in front of his parents? Don't you want to protect the family? Haven't you done everything in vain? Logically, since then, both sides have already torn their faces. Why did Birdy follow the family all the way to the beach, and the two seem to be reconciled again? What are these two people thinking, what they are going to do, and what their motivations are, it is completely impossible to understand.
In the seaside scene, the director gave Jiahan and Birdy a paradise. There are no police, no school rules, no classmates, no parents, just two people who love each other. Here, be yourself. However, this is a play that followed the quarrel between the two sides and deliberately alienated. It is unimaginable that two people can still play here so happily. Birdy jumped back from the scumbag to affectionate again, and then went back to see the various things in front of him, and he would be even more confused and puzzled. This scene is also a scene of separation. The two have never seen each other since then, and the feeling of parting, compared to the phrase "I wish I knew how I could quit you" in Brokeback Mountain, is almost a thousand miles apart, not even at all. separate feeling.
Next, my good fellow, go straight to the class reunion twenty years later, glance at the progress bar, there are still thirty minutes left. Twenty years, two people who have experienced the world have long lost their original aspirations. What can they use to support the 30-minute drama? Sure enough, the last thirty minutes was the end of the disaster.
A phone call, I called back for 20 years, and when I saw Birdy on the other end of the phone, I thought he was imprisoned by his father, and he was completely different. Then I mentioned that he was still with Banban after that. Miserable, Birdy cried deeply and painfully on the other end of the phone, but still moved house and changed the phone without telling Jiahan that he was still with Banban. The two couldn't be together due to the restrictions of the times, but it didn't mean that they couldn't contact, and they even continued to look for them. Girlfriend, Banban has been expelled from school, is it okay to let her go? The biggest significance of this five-minute play is to make a MV for the theme song of the same name.
Unexpectedly, the surprise is still to come. Twenty years later, the tool people will appear on the stage without even changing the hairstyle. It's really caring. It's been twenty years, isn't it good to change a girlfriend? Do you have to work? Banban also seems to know that Birdy likes men, so what is the purpose of getting married and having children? And Banban said, "It's innate to like a boy. If I knew I didn't work hard, it hurt my life, and it hurt him." It's hard to empathize. When I first started falling in love, I didn't see how hard Banban worked, and then the story of the two was basically blank, and they could only rely on brain supplements, or that was not the point at all, and they were too lazy to supplement their brains.
The role of the Montreal Godfather and his same-sex partner is also the part that I think is the most redundant. The godfather has always been a representative of heterosexuality in the front, repeatedly emphasizing that the love between the same sex and the opposite sex is the same, and in the end, the godfather turned out to be a homosexual, and it does not surprise people, there is no surprise. "You two look alike, the smile, the things you like" is even more impossible to talk about. From the beginning of the story, Birdy and Jiahan are not alike (except for the least important appearance), and at the end, say two people Similar is just nonsense. Besides, Birdy and the godfather didn't seem to have had in-depth and frequent exchanges before, so why does middle-aged Birdy often visit him? keep brainstorming
And the most embarrassing thing is the reunion of the two. I haven't seen each other for twenty years, from a young boy to a middle-aged man who doesn't know the destiny. After experiencing world events, the flame of love has long been extinguished. Do you have enough courage to face each other's aging faces? At least, as an audience, I would rather the story of the two teenagers be beautiful in memory and regret in memory. Of course, the middle-aged Birdy did not disappoint, greasy and uninteresting. When he said, "Actually, I really loved you at that time", I vomited out a mouthful of blood, sorry, I really didn't see it. He also asked Banban to help him, seduce him and help him correct it, and then Banban went to seduce him. Birdy also knew that this was still a movie I watched?
In the end, "walking with you for a while" also seems to give this relationship a not too sad ending, making up for the regrets of being young.
Watching the full movie and going back to the previous episodes, I have a hard time believing the truth, logic of this love story. Splashing ink in the place that should be left blank, and blank in the place that should be explained. The story, the characters, and the plot are all seriously fragmented.
The first male protagonist, Jiahan, went from an ignorant teenager to finding himself firmly. He should have experienced panic, hesitation, and confusion, but from the beginning to the end, he only felt that he resolutely loved Birdy, and that he was subjected to the specious behavior of the other party. tortured, so you turn him into a woman, and the story still holds true. And the family line that has been emphasized in the front has also disappeared after he came out of the closet. No growth, no change, I have loved Birdy for thirty years from beginning to end.
The second male protagonist, Birdy, as I said before, jumped between the scumbag and the affectionate man repeatedly. I thought he was firm and affectionate. He started to be a scumbag. I thought he was a scumbag who tortured his family and forced him to grow up. He became affectionate again. I thought he was as free as a bird, but I told me that he didn't dare to love, was afraid of hurt, and even foolishly wanted to "straighten up" his family, and finally entered a heterosexual marriage. At the end, Birdy said that he really loved his family at the time, and he was too pale when there was too much foreshadowing in front of him.
This movie can be a love story, two teenagers who love each other, because of the tragedy of the times, missed the most beautiful 20 years of their lives; it can also be a self-recognition story, a comrade who fell in love with a straight man, In confusion and pain, re-acquaint yourself and accept yourself. However, the director seems to want to combine the two into one, and as a result, he tells an inexplicable chaotic story that love is not very love, and growth is not very good.
In the end, there are too many superfluous plots. The priest represents religion, the age, redemption, and acceptance. Finally, it is revealed that he is also of the same kind. Everything in front of him immediately changes from a third person who recognizes the equality of all living beings and loves no different. The perspective of a traveler turned into the perspective of a fellow traveler who cherished each other and was also deeply tortured, and immediately fell into a cliché. In the end, one-third of the content of the whole film was given to the reunion of the two people after 20 years, but there was nothing to say, forcibly to make up for the regret, but lost the space for people's imagination and aftertaste.
If the movie ends in the first 30 minutes, I would give it four stars. At least, it is a hazy and beautiful love short film. I saw youth, love, cruelty, and depression. But it's a pity that, with the latter part, as a ninety-minute movie, it doesn't pass.
———————————————————————
Update January 5th
I found the script novel for the movie, and it was easy to read after watching the movie. The novel is not a boutique, it should be a peripheral product that was launched after the movie became popular. It is very short and has some details. It should be deleted during the filming or editing of the movie. Overall, the biggest problem is that Birdy's sudden transformation is unconvincing.
Birdy's transformation in the novel stems from the scene where he "jumped off the building". When he was bullied by Jiahan's former roommate, Birdy suddenly realized that because of himself, Jiahan was also known as gay, so he began to alienate him and let him Back to the "normal" world.
This scene, whether in the movie or in the novel, doesn't have too many details, and even 90% of the content comes from Birdy's narration when they meet again after 30 years, compared to the bathroom bullying the two people saw before. The police arresting the protesting comrades is trivial. How could this matter give Birdy such a great determination, and would rather give up his lover, make him so miserable, and be separated from him?
Moreover, there is one thing that the director did not want to understand, the movie is different from the novel. The narrative of the novel is entirely based on Ahan's first-person perspective. He doesn't know a lot of information, but the movie can't be shot like this. Birdy's experience and ideas, although not the main story, must give enough foreshadowing and hints so that the audience can understand and empathize , the audience watching the movie is not from the perspective of the protagonist, but from the perspective of a third party, and you are not shooting a suspense movie.
In addition, after the two separated, Birdy failed the exam and repeated the exam. After 30 years, he didn't contact A-Han again. He actually felt that he was not worthy of A-Han... But he still married Banban, gave birth to a daughter, and then divorced . In this series of things, none of Birdy's character can do it, so whether in novels or movies, Birdy's schizophrenia exists.
The good thing about the novel is that Birdy likes movies and wants to make movies, and it has a good connection with the plot. For example, in the end, Birdy became a niche film director and made a living from it. Birdy often compares his hands to a camera / The look of the camera, taking pictures for Ah Han.
If you are interested, you may wish to spend two or three hours reading the novel, and you may learn more about people.
It’s been a long time since I wrote a movie review. This time, it was because I watched the movie, and I felt it was a pity. Although the story is not new, there are two male protagonists’ good looks and the unique literary and artistic temperament of Taiwanese youth films, but I couldn’t make the story. very good.
In the end, the appearance of the two male protagonists is really the biggest highlight of this movie. They were joked as Takeshi Kaneshiro and Yang Yang in love. Of course, some people said it was Tongzhuo Yang Yang. Chen Haosen has played a lot of comrades, he belongs to the warm man type, he smiles very warmly, Zeng Jinghua is very sharp, he really looks like Yang Yang, but Yang Yang is too delicate, and Zeng Jinghua is less gentleman and elegant than Yang Yang, but more The feeling of youth and roughness is more lively. It's a waste of two people's faces to make a movie like this. Hope both of them have a good development.
PS: The middle-aged Birdy turned out to be unforgettable male protagonist Wang Shixian, I don’t know why he had long hair in the movie
View more about Your Name Engraved Herein reviews
