Freud is paranoid, he believes in the power of dreams. Later, the birth of surrealism was more or less influenced by him, and even surrealism was the product of Freud's single-handed concoction, "The two states of dream and reality seem to be incompatible with each other, but I believe that in the future, these two must be will merge into one and form an absolute reality, the surreal.” But it would be a bit metaphysical to say that surrealism originated in Freund. The strange thing is that it has something to do with "metaphysics" and is extremely popular these days. Such as Freund, such as Dali, such as Emile • Kusturica.
Many people say that because Kusturica is deeply influenced by Eastern European gypsy culture, there is a surreal romance in his works. In fact, there is a strong trace of the Prague School in his works, which combines the form of comedy with serious themes, starting from reality but making fun of life. Years have passed, and the two cultures have not only precipitated the taste of life in him, but also sublimated the brilliance of fantasy. In 2004, Kusturica's new work "Life is a Miracle" (Life is a Miracle) is such a surreal masterpiece, which gives the dream a natural and unconscionable attitude, but dilutes the nonsense with the banality and humor of reality. And the absurd; after enjoying the mountains and gigantic waterfalls, the vast plains and the impenetrable jungles, the chaotic crowd falls into this distant silence, where the past and the future, war and utopian ideals are intertwined, and the world changes into a kind of The "hybrid" state that is separated from life but intertwined with it is like the title of the film: life is a miracle.
From the very beginning of the film Miracle and Destiny
, a primitive world with escape and freedom was created. Sheep crisscrossed the ridges, and the galloping horses seemed to divide the space. On one side are animals still living in prehistoric state, and on the other side are industrialization. The product of the railway winds its way past. Spring has come, giving such a small village a new impression. The sun is like a stage light, highlighting the red-tiled house, the fence of the sheepfold, the eaves and the reliefs of Tito bathed in it, making it a dreamy place under the light veil.
The chicks emerge from their shells, and the bearded postman exclaims the miracle, what a miracle of life! The old man who died 5 years ago came back to life, the donkey waiting by the railroad track was called by a "spell", and the ordinary life in this land was broken by surprises, replaced by a kind of detached and tranquil psychedelic. The miracles of life follow one after another, and people sink into an overwhelming spell without thinking.
The Serbian Luka lives in a harmonious and peaceful town. The family of three has their own dreams. Son Miros wants to play football in Belgrade, and his wife Gardanka faints in his high-pitched voice all the time, while Luka continues His identity as an engineer paved the way. However, everything was disrupted by a sudden war. Gardanka eloped with her lover after a carnival dance. Miros joined the army to represent the Serbs in the war, but became a prisoner. In the panic and depression, Luka accidentally obtained Sabah, a Bosnian woman, who he detained as a bargaining chip to exchange his son with the Muslim armed forces. However, the accident is still repeated after the accident. In the day and night of life, the lonely Luca and Sabah fall in love. When he learned that Sabah did not write to the Muslim armed forces in exchange for his son as promised, he left Sabah angrily and came to the pastoral land where he was born. But it is unavoidable to be attached in the heart, and use clothing to lead women to such a paradise. In the mountain streams, plains and hills, they lust for sex, leaving scattered happy footprints. However, the happiness bestowed by God was too short-lived. The unexpected visit of his wife made them reluctant to escape again. Unexpectedly, the peacekeeping force agreed to exchange hostages. Luca, who did not want to lose his lover, chose to escape again, and fantasized about drifting to Australia to start his life again. However, she was blocked on the way, and Sabah, who was injured in an accident, was in urgent need of treatment. Although she was lucky enough to escape from the blood loss, she had to be exchanged back to Croatia. It seems that "each has his own place" has become the end of the two people's love. Disillusioned Luca came to the railroad track designed by himself when he was grieved and depressed. Everyone thought that life would end with the withering of love, but a miracle happened.
In fact, the film not only has miracles at the end, but the contradictions between life and dreams run through layers of sparks throughout the film. It is in the midst of twists and turns and new paths that Kusturica's characters have a sense of helplessness and fate. In the ancient Greek tragedy "Oedipus the King", Oedipus ran away from his homeland and tried to stay away from his parents in order to escape the prophecy of "kill his father and marry his mother" made to him by the sun god Apollo. But in the dark, he kept walking towards his biological parents, and finally committed a heinous crime. In grief, he stabbed his eyes and embarked on a begging path that was forever pursued by Nemesis. Oedipus has never been able to get rid of the shackles of fate. After Luca added a little Kusturica's humor and open-mindedness, he escaped the tragic fate but ushered in the bitterness and sourness of life. The tragic fate of Oedipus shows the cruelty of life. Obviously, Kusturica's works try to avoid this cruelty. The miracle of life that has been turned over and over again; after the bitterness, we have more joy, there is no clear boundary between laughter and tears, beauty and ugliness, in Kusturica's hands, they are stitched together into an indispensable chapter of life, and then show a A vision or insight beyond the prosaic state of empirical reality. We are deep in it and feel sinking.
Politics and war
"surreal" are inseparable from politics, and its expressive atmosphere of freedom is incompatible with the staleness of political rigid dogma. Therefore, we naturally think of Kusturica's insinuated political tendencies and political intentions. . Compared to the strong metaphors implied in his predecessors "Underground" and "Black Cat and White Cat," the film tastes a little bland, certainly related to the disintegration of Yugoslavia. While staring at the former country, Kusturica's heartache was transformed into the helplessness of the fate of the protagonist Luca.
Luca is an engineer who likes to study the terrain sandbox alone in the attic. He led his family to this peaceful village, which meant that he was far away from the hustle and bustle and escaped the row upon row. He hates TV and never listens to the radio. Returning overnight, he threw the TV out of the window in resentment and smashed it to pieces with a rifle. His isolated indifference and idyllic life could have continued, but the involvement of the bearded postman has undoubtedly cut his relationship with the outside world. The turmoil of the world is so long overdue... The first arrival of the postman reports to Luca about the invasion of grizzly bears, and his dictation of the influx of grizzly bears from Croatia into Bosnia heralds the imminent war, the two peoples The rattling of swords has undoubtedly spurred the direction and progression of the story.
However, the director did not overly exaggerate the life of the war. Although he was surrounded by the roar of artillery fire and the ruins, the characters still faced everything calmly. After his father Luca escaped from the world, he gained a short-lived tranquility in the paradise. Although his son was wearing a military uniform, his football dream still remained. Not shattered. Compared with "Underground", which lingers in political lies and betrayal, this film obviously evades this proposition. In terms of style and concept, we see the shadow of "Black Cat and White Cat" more. Just like carnival and helplessness in "White Cat and Black Cat" always go hand in hand, "Life is a Miracle" still aims at the seemingly opposite but coexisting contradictions in life. In the multifaceted confrontation between husband and wife, wife and lover, postman and engineer, son and lover, life drives toward a combination of coldness and tenderness. Although the antagonism between the various ethnic groups in Yugoslavia and the antagonism between the two sides of the war has been diluted by life, the language of yearning for peace shown in some images is still clearly visible: the white dove placed on the cannon barrel, every time the artillery roars, it is alarmed. The swirling white doves are a symbol of the director's political intentions.
Born in war-torn Sarajevo, Kusturica is particularly sensitive to turbulence and wandering, and there is such a desire for peace and stability in his works. Beginning with the work "Dad on a Business Trip" in 1985, people's living conditions of wandering and helplessness under the shadow of politics have been movingly interpreted, and each of his works since then has more or less revealed the light in the dark , The meaning of peace in war, there is a hope of life in a desperate situation. In the 1989 work "Song of the Wanderer", it is still a desperate reality, a bitter life, and a sad tune, but the protagonist Peeller returns to his hometown tavern after life and death. Here comes hope and light: Mom, a black train has returned in the black dawn.
Love and Return
After Kusturica gave up the external form of political and war themes, the spiritual core pinned in it needs another carrier, because idealism does not mean nihilism. Thus, we see the love rarely seen in Kusturica's work in "Life is a Miracle" in a fantastic and romantic form, which is quite similar to "Arizona Dream" in 1993. In "The Arizona Dream", Alex came to Arizona from New York, but fell in love with Erin, who was much older than him. In order to realize Erin's dream of flying, they indulged in the manufacture of aircraft all day long, and finally became free. of flying. "Life is a Miracle" undoubtedly continues the dream of Irene and Alex. The bed that rises from the sky not only carries Luca and Sabah soaring over the jungle, mountains and rivers, but also conveys the love between the two of them. Presented in an ethereal and beautiful picture, the two seem to have come to the ideal country they dreamed of.
However, the surrealism's "inspiration" failed to transcend the romantic concept of aesthetic intermediary, and the surreal's longing to "unify the internal reality and the external reality" did not surpass the romantic intuition and sensory tradition. The love between Luca and Sabah shows more of a communion of visual imagery. Some people say that this does not touch on love, but an emotional infatuation under a fantasy scene. There is truth to this, because in Kusturica's images, the distance between love and infatuation is often blurred and ambiguous. It’s such a fun and appreciative experience.” It is not difficult to see that whether it is Alex and Irene in "The Arizona Dream", or Luca and Sabah in "Life is a Miracle", both of them have hurriedly established an emotional destination in this play and appreciation. The feelings of each other have not been sublimated to the realm of love. The never-ending longing is imaged into the splendor and splendor of color and composition. Love seems to be the dream and recognition of the appearance. However, if one day it feels boring and the pondering becomes uninteresting, the love will be gone, just like Alex's love for Irene has turned into a abandonment after being attached. However, the love in this film was lucky not to fall into the hidden reef again. The elusive and confusing "stunner" of love was transformed into Luca's incomparable gratitude and compassion for life at the end. The donkey suffering from Lovesick saved the life and the love of the two. The director's surreal performance fulfilled all the coincidences and fates behind the disintegrating life, and also made the film a happy ending for love.
Of course, life is a miracle, but it still tends to be dull in the end. When we lift the veil of layers, more coincidences have become stylized rules. Kusturica's handwriting is a reinterpretation of this rule. Even after applying thick ink and bright colors, there is still a sense of returning to the basics. Compared with Kusturica's previous works, "Life is a Miracle" still has a lot of descriptions of animals and nature. From the composition point of view, the flocks and horses that shuttle in the simple and natural scenery are all constructing Rococo jumps. feel. In terms of the film's inner quality, Kusturica's "pantheism" concept is somewhat influenced by Fellini's images, and has a kind of compassionate artist's mind. Things and people are intertwined in it, perhaps Kusturica is not only deconstructing life, but more like constructing reality.
"Life is a Miracle" is not only a simple light comedy of life, it also carries the director's complex psychology. Kusturica does not maintain an implicit value for war. Although he does not want to touch the essence of war, he reflects the melancholy of leaving his hometown. Even if the two escaped from their homeland at the end, the son who is difficult to part with his family is still there. The hometown is waiting for the homeland. The homeland that has been bullied has been difficult to belong to, and the sense of wandering arises spontaneously. I remember this faint nostalgia at the end of "Underground": "Once upon a time, there was a country called Yugoslavia..." There is a kind of world event in forgiveness and redemption Unexpected helplessness, the motherland is no longer there, "I" can only stop in the distance and watch the light and shadow on the horizon, looking forward to the return of that day...
2005/3/17 14:08
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