——Whitman's "Leaves of Grass"
In a quiet late night, he stared blankly at a floor-to-ceiling mirror, who was the dumb guy in it. The long hair is slightly wrinkled, and it looks like it has not been combed for a long time; the left collar corner is turned inward, and it has not been noticed all day; the aimless eyes are against the obvious dark circles. It all seemed so familiar, but obviously it wasn't me, at least not willing to admit it. In a complicated society, most people live under a subconscious disguise, wearing various thin or thick masks, in order to make a better living and gain more recognition and happiness, they do not hesitate to put the most real Buried in the deepest part of your heart. The short days of one or two days may be restored with conventional plasticity, and over time, the edges and corners will be gradually smoothed out. At this time, the pseudo-self completely replaced the real self, like animals in nature, which have evolved protective colors, as if they were in harmony with everything around them.
Contradiction is the driving force for the development of all things, which is one of the core discourses of materialist philosophy. From this, then, it is obvious that "man" is also a contradictory individual. However, because people have a large number of unpredictable ideological elements, they are the most special contradiction. In "Color Is Empty", in order to express the morality of the beautiful teacher who is YY and "jerking off", there are two selves in the mind at the same time - "the stubborn old school who insists on integrity" and "the ideological reformer who has the courage to break through the taboos". This is a very simple contradiction arising from a very simple incident. A very vivid display, which makes the audience happy and thought-provoking at the same time. In our daily life, is it not like this, with a small decision, several thoughts may arise spontaneously. No matter how much you sway and suspend, you can only choose one of them in the end. For this reason, words similar to "repentance beyond reach" and "remorse for life" came into being. The film "Leaves of Grass" directly asked Edward Norton to play opposite himself, although in terms of content, there are indeed such a pair of twin brothers. But in fact, the essence of the intention that the director wants to express is actually the fierce collision of two very different personalities of a person, and the sparks rubbed between them are exactly what the film shows.
As a major professional of "split personality", Edward Norton is already familiar with it. What's more, the director did not bury any suspense this time, and would not have a shocking reversal at the end like "First Degree Fear". Sometimes, what can move people's hearts and touch the soul is not necessarily a story that is shaking the world, but often those trivial things that are inconspicuous but close to our own life, can make people even more unknowingly empowered, and As for the gushing of tears, I didn't even notice it. Norton plays Bill, a young, handsome, rich, restrained and low-key philosophy professor. His elegant and gentlemanly demeanor makes him a beautiful sight wherever he goes, admired by students and envied by colleagues. His high-end academic quality and meticulous research attitude have made his thesis highly praised, and he will even open a separate academy for him. Bill is such a dazzling and almost perfect "good" man in the eyes of the public. And who would have thought that his twin brother, Brady, was a "bad" man who was reckless, undisciplined, and dedicated to doing crooked ways. The same egg, after this split, why is there such a big gap in life? In fact, this is the thinking space created by the director for the audience. Contradictions are two completely opposite sides of an object. Taking twins as a case analysis is really ingenious.
To sum up Bill in the current language is the word "harmony". He sticks to many moral codes, breaks taboos unobtrusively, and follows the easy and stable trajectory of life rigidly and mechanically. He deliberately chose to stay away from his younger brother, mother, and all the past in his hometown, as if he didn't want to get a little bit of their breath. This kind of life is put up, both correct and awkward, and there is no passion at all. Brady, the other side of Bill's contradiction, basically never considers the consequences of doing things, only thinks about the immediate temporary interests, and seems to be completely unpredictable for the long-term impact. But I have to admit that his life is colorful and full of passion. Whether it is illegal or not, as long as you have enough interest, there is nothing you can't do. God created such a pair of twin brothers almost perfectly, which also shows that even "God", their thoughts are contradictory, and they are also a collection of contradictions.
While presenting contradictions at a glance, "Leaves of Grass" is also moving. Brady uses the news of his own death to trick Bill into returning home, which is hard for Bill to accept. It wasn't until Bill gradually discovered that the old things of the old hometown had surfaced, old records, water beds, marijuana, etc. These familiar and unfamiliar things. With a sip of good marijuana, Bill will immerse himself in fond memories. The beautiful teacher Janet he met during this period also made his heart beat. He couldn't stand the glitz and coquettishness of the city in his bones. He is looking forward to a fresh, natural and refreshing beauty, just like this simple woman who can catch fish with her bare hands and make poetry with her bare hands. And this is what he, who lives under the mask, will never experience in the city. In order to create the illusion of being absent, Brady came up with this tactic to get Bill back home. His reason seems to be sufficient, "either he is dead, or I am dead, and I am going to be a father." In fact, this is a criminal case, and despite Bill's ignorance, he is bound to be implicated. However, these were never considered in Brady's mind. All he could think about was his beloved wife, the child he was about to give birth, and the dull life in the future. It can be said that "Brady", the contradictory side, is already moving closer to "Bill"; while the contradictory side "Bill" has gradually revealed his true nature and has been restored to "Brady".
Facing the sudden nightmare, Bill couldn't stand the deception and use, and decided to walk away. The appearance of Passerby A was beyond everyone's expectations. The economic constraints and the conflict of laws made him a more prominent contradiction. And just like that, a series of incredible things happened.
So tell my baby I said so long
Tell my mother I did no wrong
Tell my brother to watch his own
Tell my friends to mourn me none
These are the few lines hummed in the episode in the film after Brady's death, which is actually Brady's final last words. Humans have never been superficial animals, and the real innermost is often hidden in the innermost layer. Sadly, however, the surface is the easiest to accept, rather than the hard work of digging into the underlying real core. At Brady's memorial service, Bill said very bluntly at the beginning, "He's a criminal and an asshole..." Everyone present laughed, and I think it should be a sad and bitter smile. Only at this time did they realize that what they lost was not Brady, who was sloppy and smiling, but a kind-hearted, determined, and daring young man. Contradiction is called a contradiction because it can be transformed at any time. The good side has never disappeared, but it lacks the eyes that are good at discovering beauty.
Bill and Janet, holding hands, sat idly under the afternoon sky, raindrops falling on them. At this moment, no longer hesitate, no longer contradict, let them cleanse your soul. Tear off the heavy mask and let your truest self embrace nature and the beautiful life.
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