I died because I didn’t ask about the west and east, and I lived because I didn’t ask about the west and the east.

The English translation of "Wunwen Xidong" is: Forever Young. It was completed in 2012 and is a feature film directed by Ang Lee's junior sister Li Fangfang as a gift for the centenary anniversary of Tsinghua University.

Overall, Li Fangfang’s story-telling method is still very skillful. The stories at four time points are organized in an orderly manner, and the time allocated after grasping the importance also makes the narrative detailed and appropriate. In describing multiple different scenes, In a story, especially one with a long time span, the most important test is actually the timing and technique of transitions. How long should the story of each segment be told before cutting, where to cut, where to cut, and what the order should be... This is a very test of whether the director can tell a story well, and Li Fangfang is worthy of being Ang Lee’s junior sister. The arrangement of the narrative shots is very popular with me. One thing I can’t understand is that many netizens complained about its confusing narrative. , can’t you tell a story well?

This is really an injustice to Li Fangfang. The story line of Wuwen Xidong is very clear from beginning to end. It should be detailed and it should be summarized. The beginning of the film is about Zhang Guoguo in the 21st century. It lasts five minutes. From left to right, it cuts to the Tsinghua campus of Li Xiang, Chen Peng, and Wang Minjia in 1962. For about five minutes, it cuts to the narration of Shen Guangyao at the Southwest Associated University in 1937. For about five minutes, it switches to 1923 to narrate the story of Wu Linglan. It is also about five minutes long. Obviously this is a backward timeline narrative. The subsequent narrative is just the opposite, a forward timeline narrative. At the beginning of the film, it traces the source and leads to four story fragments in different time and space, and then develops in chronological order. , in the end the four time and space are connected in a line, this kind of narrative has been criticized? It’s really puzzling. Li has such ambitions, and the difficulty of the operation itself is not on the same level as ordinary narrative films. Moreover, I think she did a very good job (discussed later), and even won the 1995 Oscar with Quentin. "Pulp Fiction" is all on the same level, each with its own merits, but it has been criticized for its confusing and complicated narrative, and some even called it "smelly and long". It is really laughable. If you can't understand the narrative of the four time and space, you feel It's confusing, and I feel really sorry for you. I'll never be able to appreciate the pleasure of six stories from different time and space narrated simultaneously in Quentin's "Pulp Fiction", and finally spliced ??into a complete story through editing.

Next, let me talk about why the narratives of these four time-spaces are so awesome. First of all, these four different time-spaces were independent of each other when they were first revealed, but there are already three lines running through them. .

① Timeline: In 1923, Wu Linglan received the influence of Mei Yiqi and Tagore, translated the article by reason, and then followed him to the Southwest Associated University. During an airplane bombing, he held a cage of lattice , met Shen Guangyao. Shen Guangyao, who debuted in 1937, later joined the Air Force and often airdropped supplies to a southwest town. These supplies supported Chen Peng, who was picked up when he was one year old. In 1962, Chen Peng grew up and studied at Tsinghua University. There are two particularly good friends, Wang Meijia and Li Xiang. After a series of changes, Ideal went to support the frontier. In a disaster, they gave up their lives to save a couple. The couple's child is the 21st century Zhang Guoguo.

② Space line: Wu Linglan was in Tsinghua in 1923. Although he was in the Southwest Associated University in 1937, the Southwest Associated University also included Tsinghua at that time. In 1962, Wang, Li, and Chen were also in Tsinghua. In fact, 21 Although Zhang Guoguo's story does not mainly take place in Tsinghua University, he lives in Beijing, and the film also filmed footage of him running in Tsinghua University.

③Theme line: The theme of the whole movie is very clear, just like its name, because Forever young, so why ask Xidong. In 1923, Wu Linglan thought about the meaning of life and finally followed his inner desire for literature and art. He read Rabindranath Tagore to the students at Southwest Associated University and influenced Shen Guangyao. Shen Guangyao followed his inner desire to serve the country and participated in the The Air Force airdropped supplies to the town and fed Chen Peng. Chen Peng followed his inner desire for love and came back to find and rescue Wang Meijia. He also educated Li Xiang, and Li Xiang remembered what Chen Peng told him. "The dead are gone, but the living are like this". At the last moment of his life, he followed his inner desire and saved the couple, and Zhang Guoguo was born. In the end, Zhang Guoguo accompanied his parents to the tomb and listened. Li Xiang recalled the story of that year. He followed his inner conscience and refused Robert's dirty deal, and shouldered the cost of raising the quadruplets.

This is the connection between the four time and space and the five main characters. There are such three lines, which are very clear and easy to understand. The narrative is confusing? I didn't see it happen!

Besides, Lee’s transition shots are so clever. The editing and splicing of the shots made me feel vaguely as crazy as Tetsuya Nakajima, and he also chose very appropriate background music such as the aria on the G string and the Amazing Grace, this movie is definitely a work of art, and it is a movie that attracts the attention of foreigners. Sadly, there are many Chinese audiences who cannot appreciate it. This shows how difficult it is for Chinese film narratives to become artistic.

Choose a few points to talk about:

The transition at the end of Wu Linglan’s story begins with him teaching Tagore’s poems on the blackboard, using the words he followed in 1937 The sound of students lecturing, but the scene at this time is that he woke up on a snowy winter morning in 1923 and heard the sound of violins outside and made his own decision to "have nothing to do with anything". The scene was not cut until the end. Go to the blackboard and stop at the three words "Tagore". At this time, the protagonist's voice just happened to fall on the three words "Tagore". At this time, the audience suddenly realized that this teacher was Wu Linglan back then. So it is natural for Wu Linglan to choose what to do next. It’s clear. One shot was used to seamlessly connect the entire narrative without losing the integrity of the story. This clever narrative transition technique actually led to the question “Why was Wu Linglan’s story ended hastily?” Even if you haven’t watched it If you have read any literary works, shouldn’t you know that the brilliance of narrative lies in this refinement? Tell me what happened to a character ten years ago, then interrupt his narrative at a key node, and then he reappears ten years later. I only need to describe his image and identity, and readers can naturally figure it out. What happened to him after that point ten years ago? This kind of technique can only be used in mature literary works. Don't criticize if you don't know.

Another scene involving Shen Guangyao is when Shen Guangyao and a group of Chinese pilots airdrop supplies. Several planes fly in formation in the sky, and then the scene suddenly changes to a group of wild geese. They lined up in the shape of a fleet, and then the camera pulled down to the railroad tracks to begin the narrative in 1962. The transition shots were very flexible and natural.

The most powerful scene is the criticism meeting. Separated by a wall, on one side is Li Xiang’s award-winning speech in support of the frontier, and on the other is the criticism meeting against Wang Meijia. The shots on the two sides switch very quickly, almost five seconds. After a change, those who are interested will notice that when the screen shows Li Xiang, the sound still remains in the noise of Wang Meijia being criticized. However, when the screen switches to Wang Meijia, Li Xiang appears. The applause at the report meeting, especially when Wang Meijia was being whipped and ready to be cut off, was when Li Xiang spoke: "Draw a clear line between us and all evil forces and old forces." "Draw a clear line" means four words. Falling, Wang Meijia's whip fell off. The misalignment of sound and picture separated by a wall makes the whole scene extremely tense, and it is also the best scene in the film.

The subsequent scene of Shufen jumping into a well is also very exquisite. She enters the door from the left side of the courtyard and walks to the well on the right. As she walks, she looks in the middle, and the beautiful years when she and her husband were young emerge. After the flashback ended, she fell into the well like a zombie.

And during the heavy rain at Southwest Associated University, after the teacher wrote "Sit quietly and listen to the rain", the camera kept switching between the classroom and the roof. The sound of rain became louder until Shen Guangyao opened the window and the camera began to focus on the teacher. Children taking shelter from the rain in the middle, on the eaves, under the eaves, old men fishing by the river, and sports students running in the rain are constantly switching between each other. A heavy rain is so remarkable.

After talking about the narrative shots, let’s talk about the story itself:

Obviously this is a huge story that is difficult to operate, with many lines and complicated stories, but everyone has their own story to tell. The truth is actually not difficult to understand. I have already given a general outline in the timeline and theme line before. These characters are all directly or indirectly influencing and being influenced. They all have one thing in common, which is to follow their hearts. I made my own choice without asking anything about Xidong.

I think this is a story about four people who died because of "Wuwen Xidong" and then were reborn in the 21st century through another "Wuwen Xidong".

In this film, there are four people who died because of not asking about things:

①: Shen Guangyao gave up his studies and became a pilot because of not asking about things. He died. war.

②: Li Xiang died of bad weather in the frontier because he went to support the frontier without asking anything about the west and east.

③: Wang Meijia went to the Gobi desert to look for Chen Peng without asking anything about the west and the east. Although it was not clearly stated, she should have died in the desert.

④: Chen Peng went to the northwest to build an atomic bomb without asking anything about the west and the east. He was exposed to strong nuclear radiation and probably died young.

The influence of their sacrifices has been passed down from generation to generation. When it comes to Zhang Guoguo, he finally chooses to ignore the West and the East, and the most original conscience in his heart enables the birth and survival of these quadruplets.

Four people were sacrificed to give birth to quadruplets, and why they were not triplets or quintuplets, the audience must have made a judgment in their minds.

The birth of the quadruplets was the contemporary rebirth of the four of them’s “Wonderful about the West and East” spirit. At the end, it seemed that only Zhang Guoguo and the quadruplets were standing in the room. Reading a long narration, in fact, Shen Guangyao, Li Xiang, Wang Meijia, Chen Peng and Zhang Guoguo were all present. The story concept of the whole movie is very strict. I don't think there are any logical loopholes. It starts from Zhang Guoguo's modern time and space and completes the whole story through continuous tracing. But in fact, during this long period of time, Zhang Guoguo Almost nothing happened to Guo Guo. He didn't know the pilot Shen Guangyao or the nuclear physicist Chen Peng. But when he finally returned to Zhang Guoguo's modern time and space, he made the same choice as those four people in a tacit understanding - - "No questions about the West and the East", the final theme of the film is conveyed - Forever Young. Not only the narration read by Zhang Zhen at the end, but also what Principal Mei Yiqi said to Wu Linglan early in the morning: "What is reality? What you see, what you hear, what you do, and who you are with, there is a kind of truth from the soul. The depths overflow with peace and joy without regret or shame."

Some people say that youth cannot be compared with it. It talks about the youth of several generations. I agree with the first half, but disagree with the second half. In my mind, "Wunwen Xidong" can be scored more than 8 points, of which 0.5 is the emotional score given. In terms of story structure and narrative techniques alone, "Wonder to the West" is much better than "Youth". First of all, they are not difficult to operate. Director Feng had a hard time telling a story, but today Li Fangfang told it well. It tells four stories in different time and space. But I never think that "Wuwen Xidong" is about the youth of several generations. If this is its main purpose, then it really means that the story is not told well. What she wants to tell is the principle of Wuwen Xidong, So all the stories revolve around this core and are summarized in detail. This is why Wu Linglan received the lunch box so early, while other people's lines are still going on. It is easy to understand what the director wants to highlight. What follows The quadruplets have nothing to do with you, Wu Linglan.

Let’s talk about the shortcomings of "Wuwen Xidong":

One of the biggest regrets is that the main idea is low. You told me a story from 1923. The story is about to develop into 2023, and the structure of a century-old epic was filmed, but in the end it told me to follow my inner decision, regardless of the West or the East. It's as if I took the first-class flight you prepared for me, looked at the comfortable environment around me, and enjoyed the attentive service. In the end, you only gave me a bowl of noodles that I had been looking forward to for a long time. broth. I was very surprised and puzzled when I saw the ending. The previous story structure can completely sublimate the center of the whole story, but this theme has pulled it down. If you tell such a big epic, the ups and downs of several generations Yu, just to give me a sip of chicken soup and preach to me, the Easter egg at the end is really meaningless. I don't want the end of the film to be "I dedicate this film to the most precious of you", but " I would like to dedicate this film to those heroes who know nothing about the East and the West", or "I would like to dedicate this film to the century-old Tsinghua students", which would make me feel much better.

The biggest failure is that there are some redundant things:

Although the movie is for the centenary celebration of Tsinghua University, isn’t the scene where Chen Peng pulls Wang Meijia away enough? I almost finished watching Tsinghua Garden. Zhang Guoguo also came to Tsinghua Garden for a run and gave a close-up of the scenery. Then came the guest appearance of the milk tea sister, Chen Long's guest appearance while playing badminton, and even said a line that was so lame: " In the future, when my four daughters grow up, if one of them is asked to beat you, they will definitely be able to beat you." This is really confusing.

The most terrible thing is that it complicated Zhang Guoguo's line. Yitian milk powder and CELL company also created a secret to make me have the illusion of developing a love line. , and then what about David Robert? It’s too complicated, and the narrative is too simple. It took me a while to figure out what Zhang Guoguo’s line was about, but in fact these miscellaneous things have nothing to do with the main idea. , Zhang Guoguo's line is a very big failure. It feels like a line that was forced together to express the low-end theme of Wuwen Xidong. Since it can't be like "If Love Has God's Will", the present tense and past tense narratives are full, balanced and clear, so just try to simplify this character and let it play a role in promoting the plot and structure.

If Zhang Guoguo’s story can be perfected, then the narrative of the previous three time points will be perfect, and then Zhang Guoguo will simply return to the clan, lead out the quadruplets, and complete this story. "Die because you don't ask about the west and east, live because you don't ask about the east and west" is the most clever echo, then I have to say that this is the best movie in Chinese theaters in the Year of the Rooster.