Spice, Universe and Red Umbrella

Wayne 2022-03-22 09:03:02

The past and present, the time and space of the foreign homeland are intertwined; the little jokes of relatives and neighbors, the big emotions of conflicts between nations, politics and cultures; the beautiful pictures and music, and the deep feelings surging underneath. This feature film in English, Greek, and Turkish is extraordinarily rich, heavy, and charming, and it is almost aphasia after watching the entire film in the classroom. The story is told from the perspective of the protagonist Vannis, recording the separation of individuals and families due to political disputes, revealing the dissociation and confusion of cultural identity and belonging. But to say that the most impressive part of this film for me is the two images of spices and the universe, the sensory stimulation brought by food and the exploration and thinking of astronomy. The strong presence of the two images of spices and the universe can be seen from the beginning and end of the movie. "The first taste a person tastes after birth is sugar and milk." The whole film starts with the taste of sugar and milk (baby sucking breast milk) and the vast universe, and ends with the scene where the spice turns into the universe. More complex and far-reaching themes are scattered in the stories between the two. The Chinese translation of the film is "The Republic of Spice", and the other translation is "Love, Color and Scent", which directly emphasizes the inextricable connection between the sensory stimulation brought by the spices and food in the film and the emotions of the characters in the film. . Much of the conflict in the play also stems from the spice. Vasili warmly recommended adding cinnamon to meatballs to customers, saying that cinnamon "makes people happy", Vanessi kept it in his heart and secretly did it when he went home, but he was scolded by Savvas for "it doesn't taste right" and "it is only used when there is no refrigerator at home." "Cinnamon as a preservative", this completely different evaluation also reflects the difference in the identity and cultural identity of the two: Vasily has a strong sense of Turkish nationality, while Savas represents the Greek identity. The conflict over spice viewpoints is implicit in the confrontation of the cultural identity of the aliens. Vanessa is making a mess by begging for sand and sesame powder with spices, and ruining his uncle's marriage from the traditional part of the Turkish bride's cooking assessment. The conflict here is attachment to cultural traditions or not. My uncle traveled all over the world and kept in touch with new things. He no longer insisted on the old customs of the nation. There has always been an almost stubborn adherence to the importance of spices and food, unable to accept a woman who can't cook as his wife. After coming to Greece, cooking suddenly became the most important thing for Vanness. His cooking skills are amazing and he is very passionate. And Savas tried so hard to stop it. And after the incident of the uncle's failed marriage, what Savas said with tears was the emotional climax of the movie. Spices and food are a nostalgia that Vanness clings to, closely linked to everything in the memories of Vasili's spice shop. After leaving Istanbul, he could only cook. By contrast, Savass's nostalgia has no footing. He loves Istanbul, and at the same time has a sense of homeland that overrides personal feelings for Greece, and believes in the Greek religion faithfully; because it was the Greeks who were forced to move to Greece, all kinds of obstructions to Vanis' cooking were his efforts to integrate into Greek life. One, but still tasted the bitterness of failure. The appearance of the universe in the film, in my opinion, whether it is the direct image or the guidance in the lines, or the design of Vannes becoming a professor of astronomy later, has raised the height of the film's theme and art. Spices are a small part of daily life, and astronomy is a vast, vast and mysterious concept. How are the two connected? In the movie, Vasily conveyed philosophical thoughts about the universe to Vanness through spices. He used spices to map the galaxy and said, "The word gourmet is hidden in the home of astronomy." "Chili peppers represent passion and fiery, and are indispensable like the sun; Venus is a beautiful woman, like cinnamon with a bit of sweetness and bitterness; the earth carries life, just like salt, and food and life must be salted to taste better As long as it tastes good, what if you can’t see the salt? But the essence is in the salt.” This kind of enlightenment education had a far-reaching influence on Vanness, who became an obsessive cook in the future and became a well-respected astronomy researcher on dark matter professor. At the beginning of the film, in the almost holy warm light and shadow, the mother sprinkles a handful of white sugar on her breasts, and the title of the film emerges as the babbling baby sucks contentedly. The melodious and affectionate music gradually starts, and the picture turns into the boundless space. At the end of the film, Vanessa returns to his grandfather's spice shop. In the dusty old house, the light is hazy. Vanness looked for the scattered spices, picked them up, swayed them, arranged them, and used the spices on the table to simulate the galaxy. He leaned over and blew them away again—the powder of the spices spread out and turned into a vast star. dust. The melodious tunes that run through the whole film sound, all the beautiful or secret memories, sincere and strong complex feelings, all fill this small universe in the old and dilapidated wooden pavilion at this time. Associating the spice with the universe elevates the meaning of the spice itself; at the same time, the All kinds of emotions about the homeland, national culture, and identity have also been elevated to a sublime level unconsciously. Because of the part about the universe and astronomy, the film is covered with a sense of mystery, and all the complicated feelings in it seem to be deeper, but there is nothing to say. In addition, there is an image that is hard to ignore - the red umbrella. Why is there a red umbrella floating in the scene of the vast galaxy at the beginning of the film? The attributes and bright colors of this red umbrella as a living object stand out in the dark outer space, creating a surreal romantic atmosphere for the title sequence. If the taste of spices and food is the key to cultural sensibility, geographical features and self-identity, the mysteries of the boundless universe are related to Vanness’s memories of his grandfather Vasily, including philosophical reflections on life, and the sustenance of various emotions. . And the red umbrella terrier is between the two, like a little sadness that can't disappear. This bright red that sticks out, first seen in the wind of the Bosrus Strait, and goodbye in the darkness of Vasily's funeral. The former, in Istanbul, the Turkish girl who danced in the pavilion I knew when I was young is a piece of beauty and perseverance that Vanness has always guarded in my heart; The love in my heart has its own family; obviously returning to the place pointed by nostalgia, but communicating with old acquaintances in English... The deep memory of the scene is gone, and they still gradually become strangers with vague identities.

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Extended Reading
  • Emilia 2022-03-25 09:01:23

    love it! Not just because it has something to do with food. But food is always more than food, isn't it? (Or cooking? Or just, food?) 2011-10-30

  • Jaylan 2022-04-24 07:01:25

    Very beautiful, affectionate, laughing and tearful movie

Politiki kouzina quotes

  • Fanis Iakovides: Geography is magical and the place to learn it best is near a lighthouse. By the lighthouse, the compass spins wildly and the air magnetises both the mind and the eyes.

  • Fanis Iakovides: Mussels always remind me of the hammam. When we'd go there I'd hear the elders open their souls as mussels do when steamed.